The Run for the River drew 197 finishers on Saturday in Soldotna.

While that is slightly down from the 229 finishers last year, 197 is still the second highest the event, which starts and ends at Soldotna Creek Park, has seen since the pandemic.

Heather Moon and Jesse Wray won the 10-mile race, while Katie DeBardelaben and Ollie Dahl won the 5-kilometer races. The 12 and under race went to Olivia Rinke.

Trent Dodson, the executive director of the Kenai Watershed Forum, said the run is usually held in conjunction with the Kenai River Fair. The fair was canceled this year.

“But we still wanted to do the run, right?” Dodson said. “I think everyone enjoys this. It’s a lot of fun for us to put on.

“We raise a little money to help us with some of our restoration projects.”

Dodson likes the event so much he has run it twice — during the race in 2024 and virtually in 2025.

He said Central Peninsula Hospital is a great sponsor of the event, allowing employees to run for free. The result is an event that encourages fitness and health, and raises awareness of the Kenai River.

Dodson said the Kenai Watershed Forum does a similar thing with the Salmon Run Series, a five-race series that runs each Wednesday starting July 9 at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna.

“Those proceeds are specifically for our invasive species program,” he said.

Moon won in 1 hour, 21 minutes and 5 seconds, with Brie Kuhn second at 1:24:07 and Anna Berington third at 1:28:12.

Moon, 46, said she is pretty sure this is her second victory in the event. She also won in 2016.

Moon said she does the race whenever she is in town and appreciates everyone who puts on the event.

That means she’s done it enough to know winning is largely determined by who shows up on the start line, but that doesn’t mean she won’t savor this win.

“I probably would’ve gotten smoked if I was in Anchorage or something like that,” Moon said. “But it’s all good. I don’t want to discount what I did.”

In February, Moon said she had a epidural spinal abscess. A nurse practitioner, Moon said an easy way of describing the event is “a really bad infection.”

“It just kind of showed up,” she said. “I was in the hospital for 12 days and I had to have (cervical) spine surgery.”

Moon said the rehab went well.

“I walked every day, and I just ate really good nutrition — plenty of fruits and vegetables and lean protein — and I just really tried to take care of myself when I was recovering,” she said. “I got tons of sleep.”

She started running again in March. Saturday was her longest run since she did the 50K at the Black Canyon Ultras in February.

Moon said the race win is a positive step toward doing the Crow Pass Crossing in mid-July and an Iron Man in Arizona in November.

“I never saw this infection coming, so you never know,” she said.

Wray won in 58:49, with Karl Danielson second at 1:07:39 and Ethan Bowser third at 1:10:45.

Wray had a smoother prep for the race than Moon. In late April, he finished fifth in the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Nashville in Tennessee with a time of 2:47:15.

“I’ve been running a whole lot,” he said. “I trained for a marathon a couple months ago and just stuck with it.”

Wray moved to Sterling a few weeks ago from Wasilla. His wife saw a notice about the race, so Wray decided to do it.

The 10-mile race features a long out and back on flat and straight East Redoubt Avenue. While that stretch can play with some runners’ minds, Wray loved it.

“In smaller races, if there’s not a bunch of people, you can get lost with a bunch of turns and stuff,” Wray said. “This was a straightaway and I could see what is coming.”

The winners of the 5K races were both provided by Soldotna High School.

DeBardelaben, who will be a junior, won at 21:44, while Donica Nash was second in 24:16 and Tamlyn Silva was third at 24:20.

Despite a busy few weeks, DeBardelaben decided to do the Run for the River the day before the event and won it for the first time.

On May 30 and 31, DeBardelaben was at the Division I state track meet, helping the Stars to victory in the 3,200-meter relay and also finishing fifth in the 1,600 and sixth in the triple jump.

The next weekend, she was at the Division II state softball tournament, even getting thrown into the action as a pitcher in the championship game. The Stars lost that game to finish second.

SoHi girls basketball head coach Rustin Hitchcock, who was sixth in the men’s 5K, said DeBardelaben then spent the week before the Run for the River at a team camp in Colony.

“It was good for the overall scheme of things,” DeBardelaben said of her race. “It wasn’t close to a PR, but I wasn’t trying to PR this early in the season.”

She said she’ll now train through the summer for cross-country season, including doing a running camp in Juneau in early July.

Dahl won in 17:38, while Paul Wertanen was second at 19:13 and Dawson Geller was third at 20:23.

Dahl, an incoming sophomore, also competed at state track, finishing 14th in the 3,200. He then had a slightly more relaxed schedule than DeBardelaben following the meet.

“I took a potato week and watched movies,” he said.

The week was meant to refresh after track season, but Dahl said he may have taken it too far.

“It was definitely mentally and physically resting,” he said. “I feel like I could have done a little more on that week, like some short runs, or a bit of biking and cross-training.”

Dahl still was able to win the Run for the River for the first time. He was happy with his time, which approaches a 5K PR of 17:07 he hit during his freshman cross-country season.

“I’ve done this race a couple times,” he said. “I like how flat it is. It’s a great place to PR, even if you’re not in season.”

Run for the River

Saturday in Soldotna

10-mile race

Men: 1. Jesse Wray, 58 minutes, 49 seconds; 2. Karl Danielson, 1:07:39; 3. Ethan Bowser, 1:10:45; 4. Walter Holt, 1:11:59; 5. Leif Danielson, 1:14:52; 6. Niko Zlotnik, 1:17:34; 7. Mateao Waskow, 1:19:04; 8. Brad Bible, 1:21:31; 9. Austin Bradford, 1:24:36; 10. Matthew Wertanen, 1:24:43; 11. James Hershberger, 1:25:29; 12. Marquece “Queezy” Blanks, 1:27:23; 13. Kevin Bailey, 1:28:40; 14. Carl Kincaid, 1:34:23; 15. Travis Lafountain, 1:36:28; 16. Rylan Yoder, 1:37:52; 17. Andrew Fisher, 1:39:51; 18. Mark Chapman, 1:40:21; 19. Tobias Wilson, 1:40:34; 20. Brent Johnson, 1:49:17; 21. Alan Hack, 2:00:47; 22. John Viens, 2:02:56; 23. Josh Cleverley, 2:05:12.

Women: 1. Heather Moon, 1:21:05; 2. Brie Kuhn, 1:24:07; 3. Anna Berington, 1:28:12; 4. Marianna DiMaggio, 1:35:16; 5. Molly Dischner, 1:35:16; 6. Hannah Waskow, 1:38:25; 7. Kathy Trinh, 1:43:17; 8. Josie Lloyd, 1:54:26; 9. Amanda Ritchie, 1:55:00; 10. April Erhardt, 1:56:24; 11. Kiara Forkner, 1:57:29; 12. Bailey Conner, 1:57:30; 13. Linda Moll, 2:01:10; 14. Mel Chapman, 2:10:39; 15. Kerri Leavitt, 2:21:54.

5-kilometer race

Men: 1. Ollie Dahl, 17:38; 2. Paul Wertanen, 19:13; 3. Dawson Geller, 20:23; 4. Dwight Brown, 20:25; 5. Drew Williams, 20:45; 6. Rustin Hitchcock, 22:27; 7. Carter Wertanen, 23:28; 8. Leif Laker, 23:40; 9. Jackson Hibberd, 23:48; 10. Nathaniel Peck, 23:53; 11. Ryan Geller, 24:15; 12. Bill Wood, 24:25; 13. Jackson Douthit, 24:39; 14. Scott Sumner, 25:01; 15. Sully Kerr, 25:31; 16. Reese Ross, 25:32; 17. Ryan Culbertson, 25:55; 18. Joshua Herald, 26:43; 19. Ben Hanson; 20. Brenner Musgrave, 27:17; 21. Shane Williams, 27:21; 22. Rowen Wetzel, 27:35; 23. Aaron McEwen, 30:02; 24. Richard Bartolowits, 32:02; 25. Robert Cadoff, 32:03.

26. Patrick Parker, 32:10; 27. Frank Alioto, 32:36; 28. Derek Morris, 32:40; 29. Jim Thate, 33:10; 30. James Kinslow, 33:13; 31. Jeff Perschbacher, 33:41; 32. Conner Morris, 34:51; 33. Jeff Smith, 34:54; 34. Levi Savage, 35:28; 35. Mark Rowley, 37:57; 36. Manny Petersen, 39:12; 37. Sahvin Reutov, 40:06; 38. Kevin Cuautle, 41:48; 39. Justin Combs, 45:28; 40. Seth Wilson Gray, 49:05; 41. Shane Williams, 49:47; 42. Ron Rogalsky, 53:24; 43. Phillip Rafferty, 58:40; 44. Don Standefer, 59:26; 45. Bob Schlosser, 1:00:37; 46. Jesse Smith, 1:06:11.

Women: 1. Katie DeBardelaben, 21:44; 2. Donica Nash, 24:16; 3. Tamlyn Silva, 24:20; 4. Elizabeth Chilson, 25:44; 5. Alexis Williams, 26:50; 6. Chelsea Holsonbake, 27:21; 7. Dannette Petersen, 28:29; 8. Sarah Hobart, 29:02; 9. Joy Hobart, 29:04; 10. Vasilisa Basargin, 29:24; 11. Erica Cowart, 29:28; 12. Naomi Arenson, 29:55; 13. Julie Laker, 30:12; 14. Robin Morris, 31:19; 15. Dotty Brown, 31:27; 16. Frances Jurek, 32:18; 17. Anfia Basargin, 32:34; 18. Emily Secary, 32:34; 19. Mariah Ross, 33:44; 20. Olivia Baker, 34:19; 21. Kylie Morris, 34:50; 22. Taylor Maki, 35:12; 23. Shanda Richards, 35:30; 24. Anika Richards, 35:30; 25. Elizabeth Hennigh, 37:05.

26. Erica Nichols, 37:23; 27. Anna Reutov, 37:36; 28. Katsiaryna Malykhina, 37:46; 29. Katherine Gross, 38:10; 30. Mahealani Neely, 38:25; 31. Marly Perschbacher, 38:32; 32. Heidi Isernhagen, 39:27; 33. Lizz Giver, 39:27; 34. Sarah Douthit, 39:28; 35. Faina Reutov, 40:20; 36. Melanie Hollon, 40:29; 37. Keya Reutov, 40:47; 38. Hannah Flournoy, 41:48; 39. Teresa Danielson Mannhardt, 42:10; 40. Brittany Andree, 42:35; 41. Elise Pratt, 42:44; 42. Kim Sumner, 43:21; 43. Maria Sweppy, 43:22; 44. MJ Loveland, 44:01; 45. Diana Honkola, 47:21; 46. Donna Larsen, 47:48; 47. Mary Rhyner, 47:56; 48. Aimee Cassidy, 48:03; 49. Nissa Savage, 48:06; 50. Cassandra Winslow, 49:47.

51. Emmarie Edwards-Dean, 50:13; 52. Laura Brown, 50:15; 53. Sara Bundy, 50:20; 54. Heather Rinke, 50:20; 55. Savannah Culbertson, 50:27; 56. Mollie Messick, 50:46; 57. Addison Knight, 51:29; 58. Amy Hogue, 52:27; 59. Tara Ruffner, 52:28; 60. Jordan Ruffner, 52:28; 61. Yvonne Oren, 52:55; 62. Susanne Daley, 53:06; 63. Amy Johnson, 54:26; 64. Michelle Federle, 54:27; 65. Naomi Chivers, 54:28; 66. Catherine Combs, 54:47; 67. Ann Babcock, 56:50; 68. Whitney Cazac, 56:56; 69. RaChelle Gruenberg, 56:53; 70. Yvonne Rhodes, 57:34; 71. Teresa Rafferty, 58:40; 72. Trena Richardson, 58:40; 73. Mary Starrs Armstrong, 58:53; 74. Paula Standefer, 59:28; 75. Amanda Sorrels, 59:29.

76. JoVonna Schlosser, 1:00:36; 77. Mary Chapman, 1:00:39; 78. Margot Bias, 1:03:35; 79. Laura Tuttle, 1:03:36; 80. Danika Winslow, 1:04:16; 81. Jamie Auldridge, 1:04:31; 82. Shena Carroll, 1:04:31; 83. Melissa Smith, 1:06:04; 84. Amy Smith, 1:06:13; 85. Sara Moore, 1:07:01; 86. Linda Loranger, 1:07:02; 87. Loretta Flanders, 1:13:10; 88. Connie Vann, 1:13:11; 89. Connie Goltz, 1:13:14; 90. Lynn Pavelka, 1:14:52.

12 and Under: 1. Olivia Rinke, 26:30; 2. Lincoln Jackson, 26:43; 3. Everett Nichols, 27:06; 4. Landon Fischer, 27:27; 5. Piper Bundy, 28:26; 6. Tristan Nash, 29:32; 7. Sullivan Bundy, 31:33; 8. Heidi Rinke, 32:30; 9. Rekker Gruenberg, 32:49; 10. Axel Savage, 35:27; 11. Esme Fair, 40:26; 12. Chuckie Gruenberg, 42:26; 13. Autumn Peterson, 44:20; 14. Quinn Ross, 44:20; 15. Sophie Nedley, 46:54; 16. Stella Culbertson, 46:55; 17. Caileigh Wilson, 47:21; 18. Linus Savage, 48:05; 19. Matthew Messick, 50:46; 20. Payten Johnson, 54:27; 21. Trey Carroll, 1:04:16; 22. Talia Smith, 1:06:05; 23. Myla Smith, 1:06:13.