Markelz wins Spit Run 10k

A teenager with Homer roots won the 2022 Homer Spit Run 10K Run to the Bay on Saturday. Under clear skies and with a slight haze from wildfires, Evan Markelz, 16, of Mountain View, California, won the run from Homer High School to the end of the Homer Spit with a time of 33 minutes, 56 seconds. The son of Todd and Nicole Markelz, Evan Markelz has been spending the summer in Homer with his family.

“It’s so beautiful, especially in the lupines,” Markelz said of the run.

Homer local Amanda Cherok, 34, finished first in the women’s 10K, part of a group running for Summit Physical Therapy. She had a time of 43:21. Cherok had run the Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon last weekend.

Both 10K runners said the haze from wildfires didn’t slow them down. Last Friday, thick smoke blanketed Kachemak Bay from numerous fires in southwest Alaska, including the 500,000-acre Lime Complex fire. The smoke dissipated on Saturday.

“I felt good,” Cherok said of her run.

The Homer Spit Run included a half marathon that started and ended at the End of the Road Park on the Homer Spit. Timothy Johnson, 42, took first place for men with a time of 1 hour, 36 minutes and 26 seconds. In first place for women was Aleah Mickelson, 44, of Yakima, Washington, with a time of 1:34:11.

Started in 1976 as a 1oK run, the 2022 Spit Run T-shirts honored former Homer mayor and former Homer News owner Gary Williams. Williams died Oct. 20, 2021, and had been an avid runner throughout his life. This year’s run had 111 participants in both events, with about a dozen people also walking the race.

Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@homernews.com.

Homer Spit Run

Saturday in Homer

MEN

10 kilometers: 1. Evan Markelz, 33 minutes, 56 seconds; 2. Andrew Peters, 34:50; 3. Pedro Ochoa, 36:55; 4. Lance Seneff, 39:20; 5. Shaun Marshall-Pryde, 40:18; 6. Stirling Marshall-Pryde, 40:18; 7. Beau Wood, 41:45; 8. Craig Albers, 41:59; 9. Silas Firth, 43:49; 10. Jan Spurkland, 45:11; 11. Christian Seager, 48:06; 12. Steven Zeng, 48:11; 13. Tyler Layne, 49:43; 14. Mark Hemstreet, 50:03; 15. Tait Ostrom, 50:47; 16. Bobby Jones, 51:00; 17. Oliver Markelz, 52:27; 18. Lliam Boss-Harmon, 55:05; 19. Alex Keen, 55:34; 20. Gary Lyon, 1:05:38; 21. Jason Craig, 1:07:18; 22. William Connor, 1:09:46; 23. Brian Willden, 1:18:06; 24. Luke Gilmore, 1:32:12; 25. Richard Jennings, 2:00:10.

26. Deland Anderson, 2:01:03; 27. Lucas Elliott, 2:01:03.

Half marathon: 1. Timothy Robinson, 1:36:26; 2. Michael Tallent, 1:38:17; 3. Ryan Martin, 1:48:27; 4. Zachary Money, 1:52:36; 5. Michael Koeck, 1:55:36; 6. Bill Winfrey, 2:02:57; 7. Robert Pacho, 2:19:24; 8. Joel Cooper, 2:28:02.

WOMEN

10 kilometers: 1. Amanda Cherok, 43:21; 2. Elizabeth Roedl, 44:30; 3. Karen Anderson, 46:08; 4. Kristen Buckwalter, 46:43; 5. Allie Scurry, 47:37; 6. Elizabeth Hardie, 48:47; 7. Lauren Foley, 50:51; 8. Molly Copple, 52:24; 9. Ainsley Boss-Harmon, 53:05; 10. Michelle Cox, 53:07; 11. Elizabeth Young, 54:40; 12. Nichole Haynes, 54:50; 13. Melanie Albers, 55:18; 14. Sachiko Kwon, 55:20; 15. Sarah Hobart, 55:25; 16. Rhoslyn Anderson, 56:47; 17. Terri Mach, 56:52; 18. Jaela Marchbanks, 57:34; 19. Sarah Marchand, 58:32; 20. Joy Hobart, 58:33; 21. Judith Steyer, 58:37; 22. Tara Schmidt, 58:39; 23. Joell Restad, 59:14; 24. Laurie Montplaisir, 59:41; 25. Sarah Kleedehn, 1:02:17.

26. Patrice Parker, 1:02:18; 27. Ashley Keen, 1:02:36; 28. Heidi Cox, 1:03:54; 29. Meyanna Fairbank, 1:04:02; 30. Lindsay Wood, 1:08:00; 31. Megan Kirsis, 1:08:31; 32. Lillian Connor, 1:09:46; 33. Emily O’Connor, 1:09:46; 34. Julie Craig, 1:09:58; 35. Jessica Sonnen, 1:12:45; 36. Jennifer Robinette, 1:12:46; 37. Christina De La Torre, 1:14:21; 38. Alaina Anderson, 1:15:09; 39. Karen Carney, 1:15:09; 40. Kasey Moore-Ritchie, 1:18:20; 41. Kristin Oelschlegal, 1:21:31; 42. Thia James, 1:21:36; 43. Maurie Trippe, 1:21:41; 44. Kathy Hobart, 1:22:45; 45. Betsy McKitrick, 1:23:58; 46. Denise, 1:35:54; 47. Jenn Messick, 1:35:55; 48. Jillian Rogers, 1:42:04; 49. Amy Woodruff, 1:42:04; 50. Allie Justice, 1:47:30.

51. Juliet Justice, 1:47:30; 52. Katherine Koppman, 1:56:14; 53. Desiree Smude, 1:56:21; 54. Selah Sundberg, 1:57:39; 55. Rhiannon Elliott, 2:00:06; 56. Christine Anderson, 2:01:06.

Half marathon: 1. Aleah Mickelson, 1:34:11; 2. Ashley Van Hemert, 1:41:50; 3. Heather Moon, 1:43:35; 4. Kara Mickelson, 1:44:38; 5. Emily Knight, 1:52:37; 6. Ashley Hanson, 1:56:41; 7. Janelle Spurkland, 1:57:39; 8. Ashli Neese, 1:58:51; 9. Laura Peek, 1:59:31; 10. Zoe Storystory, 2:02:38; 11. Elizabeth Garvey, 2:10:20; 12. Cynthia McMillin, 2:11:18; 13. Kathy Sarns, 2:12:30; 14. Nicole Hall, 2:17:13; 15. Antonya Hall, 2:17:13; 16. Lindsay Hallam, 2:18:06; 17. Sarah Pribbenow, 2:18:06; 18. Lila Johnson, 2:19:08; 19. Kathy Trinh, 2:29:25; 20. Juley McConnell, 2:46:07.