Rain couldn’t deter an enthusiastic group of runners Saturday morning in downtown Soldotna, as 250 completed the Run for the River five-kilometer and 10-mile races.
As part of the Kenai River Festival, the event was hosted by the Kenai Watershed Forum, a nonprofit.
The men’s 10-miler saw the top two finishers break the hour mark. Rex Shields of Provo, Utah, won in 58 minutes, 32 seconds, while runner-up Derek Gibson of Soldotna finished in 59:42.
“I went out a little slower, and I was hanging behind him most of the day,” Shields said. “I caught up to him about mile eight.”
Shields, 25, is living in Kenai for the summer for work, and said he plans on running the Rotary Unity 10-mile run in July, as well as the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon on June 21.
Gibson, 22, just recently moved to the area, but runs on the Mars Hill (North Carolina) University track team and competes in 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and steeplechase events.
“I thought I went out too slow, but he was even slower,” Gibson said. “I didn’t expect him to catch me.”
Nikiski’s Anna Widman won the women’s 10-miler with a time of 1:10:17. Widman said she was able to get into the famed Mt. Marathon race in Seward this year through the lottery, and Saturday’s race served as a bit of a warmup event.
“I just was trying to keep the guys in view,” Widman said. “My plan was to start slow and end fast, but I ended up running pretty even the whole way.”
Mike Crawford, who organizes several races a year on the Tsalteshi Trails behind Skyview High School, won the 5K race in a time of 21:15. Race organizers noted that the course is likely a bit more than five kilometers (3.1 miles) and closer to 5.45 kilometers (almost 3.4 miles).
“It went well, although my feet are hurting,” Crawford said.
Crawford, who admitted he doesn’t usually run on pavement, opting instead for the softer trails of Tsalteshi, said he signed up for Saturday’s race since Sunday’s Tri the Kenai triathlon was postponed to September 7, due to the fire incident command set up at Skyview High School.
“That’s the only place that I run, so I’m used to lots of hills and lots of dirt,” Crawford said. “I considered doing the 10-mile, because I’m doing Lost Lake in August, but my legs aren’t ready for that much yet.”
Soldotna High School runner Olivia Hutchings took the win in the women’s 5K, running to a time of 23:02. Hutchings said she was trying to pace off of Crawford, but ultimately wasn’t able to keep up.
“It was fun, but the pavement kinda hurt my shins,” Hutchings said.
Run for the River
5 kilometers
MEN — 1. Mike Crawford, 21:15; 2. Tony Eskelin, 21:43; 3. Bill Wood, 22:04; 4. Carl Kincaid, 22:57; 5. Paul Ostrander, 23:24; 6. Rustin Hitchcock, 24:27; 7. Kirk Louthan, 24:34; 8. Simeon Daigle, 24:51; 9. Ryan Kapp, 25:05; 10. Kevin Lauver, 25:32; 11. James Elsey, 26:00; 12. Dan Chay, 26:29; 13. Zion Alioto, 27:09; 14. Tyson Mann, 27:17; 15. Pete Mauro, 27:17; 16. Steve Mussman, 27:27; 17. Pete Sprague, 29:20; 18. Jeff Smith, 29:22; 19. Robert Hunter, 29:49; 20. Todd Pollock, 30:01; 21. Kyle Kolodziejski, 30:12; 22. Dan Pascucci, 32:27; 23. Doug Hogue, 32:42; 24. Dylan Hogue, 32:43; 25. Paul Tornow, 32:53; 26. Andrew Pfeiffer, 33:24; 27. William Sustaita, 34:03; 28. Mitch Michaud, 34:40; 29. Joe Hast, 34:57; 30. John Straume, 35:01; 31. Adam Tafoya, 38:13; 32. Blake Elde, 38:18; 33. Rob Carson, 39:18; 34. Tony Oliver, 39:45; 35. Dominic Alioto, 40:46; 36. Frank Alioto, 45:22; 37. River Heames, 45:54; 38. Brendon Seiffert, 47:38; 39. Kevin Woodvine, 52:38; 40. Ethan Hogue, 54:02; 41. David Birchfield, 54:55; 42. Erik Barnes, 57:16; 43. Neil Christensen, 57:38; 44. Tom Kobylarz, 57:52; 45. Robert Carson, 59:11; 46. Michael Louthan, 1:00:55; 47. Richard Winslow, 1:03:59; 48. Isaiah Talcott, 1:05:08; 49. Jason Beaudion, 1:06:30; 50. Preston Seay, 1:06:48.
WOMEN — 1. Olivia Hutchings, 23:02; 2. Becca Ford, 23:45; 3. Emily Werner, 24:05; 4. Sarah Walton, 25:41; 5. Brittany Taylor, 26:02; 6. Jaycie Calvert, 26:05; 7. Addison Gibson, 26:07; 8. Olivia Pfeifer, 2:28; 9. Naomi Daigle, 26:39; 10. Deidre Ranbur, 26:57; 11. Kaitlyn Louthan, 27:24; 12. Lauren Morgan, 27:43; 13. Jenny Olendorff, 27:43; 14. Krystin Hibighorst, 28:14; 15. Freya Chay, 28:44; 16. Jessie Ruffridge, 28:53; 17. Nimi Pollock, 29:23; 18. Jane Fuerstenau, 29:24; 19. Jane Eveland, 30:49; 20. Shelby Vorwald, 31:04; 21. Terri Cowart, 31:14; 22. Alice Anderson, 31:17; 23. Yvette Galbraitz, 31:31; 24. Johni Blankenship, 31:46; 25. Dana Hunter, 32:00; 26. Amy Hettinger, 32:36; 27. Katie Evans, 32:27; 28. Maddy Turner, 32:35; 29. Julie Craig, 33:10; 30. Jordan Ruffner, 33:24; 31. Maya Chay, 33:32; 32. Brooke Campbell, 33:44; 33. Amber Abbott, 33:44; 34. Amanda Taylor, 33:52; 35. Kathy Calloway, 34:16; 36. Misty Peterkin, 34:16; 37. Madison Orth, 34:19; 38. Heidi Chay, 34:24; 39. Elizabeth Leduc, 34:24; 40. Anna Moran, 34:25; 41. Jackie English, 34:56; 42. Sue Zimmerman, 35:06; 43. Cassie Collins, 35:20; 44. Bobbi Lay, 35:46; 45. Kaley Hunter, 35:46; 46. Charlene Spiers, 36:23; 47. Tait Cooper, 36:29; 48. Angie Nelson, 36:33; 49. Pat Walton, 36:36; 50. Evelyn Cooper, 36:44; 51. Shawn Cooper, 36:44; 52. Adrienne Chambers, 36:49; 53. Carmen Triana, 36:49; 54. Erin Neisinger, 37:09; 55. Jacqueline Van Hatten, 37:29; 56. Tiare Hansen, 37:41; 57. Alyssa Murphy, 37:42; 58. Joan Miller, 38:14; 59. Elahsa Manrique, 38:20; 60. Christine Morin, 38:54; 61. Jennifer Powell, 38:59; 62. Patricia Marston, 39:21; 63. Tara Ruffner, 39:27; 64. June Stuckey, 39:52; 65. Reean Pitts, 40:30; 66. Tiffany Collier, 40:43; 67. Jennifer Manrique, 40:56; 68. Melanny Lauver, 40:58; 69. Jennifer Yoeman, 41:01; 70. Rinna Carson, 41:02; 71. Sara Klobucar, 41:44; 72. Kelly Hilly, 42:07; 73. Christina Mullins, 42:22; 74. Brandi Wagoner, 42:25; 75. Chelsea McGarry, 42:25; 76. Ailee Wood, 42:54; 77. Tina Williamson, 43:00; 78. Shelby Davison, 43:02; 79. Penny Furnish, 43:28; 80. Mindee Morning, 43:34; 81. Sara Moore, 43:54; 82. Linda Loranger, 43:55; 83. Jenna Rupe, 44:05; 84. Sandra Sterling, 44:28; 85. Mary Bodnar, 44:28; 86. Eden Alioto, 45:22; 87. Brianna Goins, 45:41; 88. Maria Goins, 45:43; 89. Brooke Straume, 45:48; 90. Rebecka Heames, 45:54; 91. Danica Farrar, 47:13; 92. Bridgette Attleson, 47:14; 93. Nicole Egholm, 47:17; 94. Mary Kennedy, 47:28; 95. Cierra Vandehey, 47:39; 96. Linda Yost, 47:39; 97. Cheryl Meunier, 48:36; 98. Andrea Burton, 48:37; 99. Willow Kitchens, 49:50; 100. Shanda Hall, 49:51; 101. Sienna Lautaret, 50:12; 102. Tanya Lautaret, 50:12; 103. Hailey Stonecipher, 50:51; 104. Sondra Stonecipher, 50:51; 105. Gina DeBardelaben, 51:53; 106. Sarah Douthit, 51:53; 107. Nicole Peterkin, 51:58; 108. Katie Millican, 52:27; 109. Eli Woodvine, 52:45; 110. Yvette Tappana, 53:12; 111. Yvonne Oren, 53:12; 112. Rebecca Hershberger, 54:54; 113. Terri Birchfield, 54:55; 114. Becky Hutchinson, 54:56; 115. Mary Starrs Armstrong, 57:18; 116. Louise Martin, 57:30; 117. Sue Todd, 57:37; 118. Stephanie Kobylarz, 57:40; 119. Olivia Kobylarz, 57:45; 120. Amanda Warren, 58:41; 121. Tessie Jackson, 58:55; 122. Wanda Boutwell, 58:55; 123. Amy Hogue, 59:05; 124. Linda Story, 1:00:48; 125. Gayle Koger, 1:00:49; 126. Marianne Dailey, 1:00:50; 127. Carol Louthan, 1:00:53; 128. Lorraine Heikkila, 1:00:56; 129. Judy Shields, 1:01:56; 130. Dea Sustaita, 1:02:14; 131. Valentina Sustaita, 1:02:14; 132. Ella Price, 1:02:25; 133. Robin Johnson, 1:02:25; 134. Susan Welsh-Smith, 1:02:32; 135. Cassandra Winslow, 1:03:53; 136. Lily Rodriguez, 1:03:55; 137. Crystal Rodriguez, 1:03:55; 138. Jessica Davis, 1:05:08; 139. Melodie Symington, 1:05:51; 140. Kali Brickley, 1:05:51; 141. Kim Kenyon, 1:05:54; 142. Kylie Beaudion, 1:06:30; 143. Cherice Edwards, 1:06:30; 144. Colleen Seay, 1:06:46; 145. Colleen Denbrock, 1:08:27; 146. Karen Munger, 1:08:27; 147. Andrea Frey, 1:09:26; 148. Kathy Gensel, 1:09:26.
10 miles
MEN — 1. Rex Shields, 58:32; 2. Derek Gibson, 59:42; 3. Adam Reimer, 1:00:36; 4. Mark Blanning, 1:02:31; 5. Sean Goff, 1:08:02; 6. James Tangaro, 1:09:55; 7. Kent Peterson, 1:11:25; 8. Bruce Davison, 1:13:32; 9. Noah Perry, 1:15:17; 10. Scott Huff, 1:19:20; 11. Bill Taylor, 1:24:05; 12. Lee Frey, 1:26:44; 13. Johannes Manrique 1:29:16; 14. Kale Blankenship, 1:34:57; 15. Roy Stuckey, 1:35:05; 16. Alan Fields, 1:35:50; 17. Dillon Jensen, 1:43:08; 18. Randy Jensen, 1:43:08; 19. Patrick Mize, 1:44:31; 20. Antonio Rodriguez, 1:53:03.
WOMEN — 1. Anna Widman, 1:10:17; 2. Jenny Neyman, 1:12:40; 3. Cori Route, 1:13:24; 4. Amy Anderson, 1:16:26; 5. Kristi Louthan, 1:20:19; 6. Kailey Mucha, 1:24:27; 7. Jenna Bumgarner, 1:24:51; 8. Megan Haserodt, 1:25:48; 9. Patrice Kohl, 1:25:48; 10. Molly Hull, 1:29:52; 11. Lara Griffin, 1:30:06; 12. Lisa Renken, 1:32:49; 13. Patti Berkhahn, 1:34:15; 14. Shelli Furlong, 1:35:50; 15. Jodi Hanson, 1:35:55; 16. Patty Moran, 1:37:35; 17. Naomi Barker, 1:39:34; 18. Johanna Alvarez, 1:40:50; 19. Ciara Johnson, 1:41:07; 20. Dana McDonald, 1:41:11; 21. Jen Showalter, 1:42:35; 22. Cynthia Detrow, 1:42:41; 23. Kimberly Tornow, 1:42:42; 24. Jenna Jensen, 1:43:08; 25. Julie Moore, 1:46:58; 26. Melanie Papp, 1:47:53; 27. Melissa Tafoya, 1:48:09; 28. Kristin Morrow, 1:53:26; 29. Brie Wallace, 1:58:18; 30. Tammy Zweiacher, 1:58:18; 31. Maria Sweppy, 2:00:48; 32. Suzanne Alioto, 2:03:28.
