The Run for the River, held Saturday in Soldotna, continues to climb in numbers after the pandemic.

The run, which has gotten as many as 369, had 235 racers in 2019 before the race went all virtual due to the pandemic.

Last year, the race was back to 161 runners, and this year 172 competitors toed the line.

Matt Auer and Molly Copple won the five-kilometer run, while Pedro Ochoa and Jordan Strausbaugh finished on top of the 10-mile event.

Brandon Drzazgowski, who coordinated the Run for the River, said the run didn’t get a lot of publicity, but the Kenai River Festival did. He said that, plus receding fears from the pandemic, pumped up numbers.

The Run for the River took about 30 volunteers.

“I think people in the community are starting to get used to coming to big events again, and being in larger groups,” Drzazgowski said.

He said the funds raised at the run are used the support the Kenai Watershed Forum, a nonprofit that works toward healthy watersheds on the Kenai Peninsula, and help defray the costs of the Kenai River Festival.

This was the first year for Drzazgowski coordinating the event. He said he liked the dual feel of some using it for competition and others using it for a relaxed community event.

“It was nice and fun to see the community smiling and having a good time,” Drzazgowski said. “High-fiving people as they come through the finish line is always happy because they have a smile on their face and you know they had a good time.”

Auer won the men’s 5K at 18 minutes, 57 seconds, while Ben McPhail was second at 20:02 and Parker Richards was third at 20:30.

The women’s 5K went to Molly Copple in 24:55, while Stephanie Harding was second at 25:39 and Kristen Charette was third at 26:20.

Auer is in town doing job training and has been a regular at the Kenai Recreation Center.

“Somebody walked in with flyers and said, ‘Hey, you want to run a 5K?’ and I said, ‘Really? Sure.’” Auer said.

Auer, who grew up in Oregon, said he ran in college for the University of Oregon, a running powerhouse, as “one of the guys in the background that didn’t really make it.”

After college, Auer, 30, said he stopped training and ran for fun. He said this is the first 5K he’s done in five or six years. He’s hoping to do more when work stops moving him around so much.

Strausbaugh, who won the women’s Run for the River 5K last year, won the 10-miler at 1:07:09, while Natalie Behrens was second at 1:13:14 and Becca Hitchcock was third at 1:18:14.

For the men, Ochoa ran 59:20, while Don Connelly was second at 1:17:43 and Mark Barbee was third at 1:18:49.

Strausbaugh, who graduated from Soldotna High School in 2022, just finished her freshman year of cross-country and track for the University of Alaska Anchorage.

“I didn’t get any cool places or anything, I just got a lot of PRs,” she said. “It was fun.”

The college cross-country distance is 6K, so Strausbaugh decided to change it up after a two-week break after track and go for a long run.

“There were no hills or anything, which is nice, because I just like to cruise,” she said. “Every time there’s a hill, it puts me off my pace.”

Run for the River

Saturday in Soldotna

Men’s 5-kilometer run — 1. Matt Auer, 18 minutes, 57 seconds; 2. Ben McPhail, 20:02; 3. Parker Richards, 20:30; 4. Ollie Dahl, 20:32; 5. Jan Spurkland, 20:58; 6. Corbyn Crisp, 23:34; 7. Antonio Ochoa, 23:45; 8. Benjamin Brown, 24:47; 9. Tony Daley, 25:17; 10. Josiah Martin, 25:51; 11. Tanner Helms, 25:52; 12. Andrew Ihm, 26:05; 13. Tom Seggerman, 26:28; 14. Greg Hough, 27:09; 15. Cooper Kelley, 27:19; 16. Jackson Douthit, 27:46; 17. Dylan Hooper, 28:10; 18. Robert Cadoff, 28:46; 19. Alan Thye, 29:17; 20. Jack Hester, 29:35; 21. George Lastinger, 29:40; 22. Peter Tran, 30:16; 23. Brian Krager, 31:42; 24. Ben Schlegel, 32:56; 25. Richard Vehemeyer, 33:00.

26. Isaiah Cray, 33:05; 27. Jeff Smith, 33:13; 28. Davin Ihm, 34:09; 29. Oscar Miller, 34:35; 30. Jason Craig, 34:53; 31. Josh Lewis, 35:45; 32. Ron Briggs, 37:34; 33. Hans Schlegel, 37:41; 34. Richard Bond, 38:31; 35. Fischer Spurkland, 41:52; 36. Rob Weathers, 43:20; 37. Conner Morris, 44:28; 38. Ben Wishnek, 46:33; 39. Milo Martin, 47:05; 40. Vincent Palancia, 51:02; 41. Oscar Miller, 55:31; 42. John Chapman, 56:42; 43. Bob Schlosser, 56:43; 44. Rustin Hitchcock, 58:32; 45. Michael Holton, 58:39; 46. Travis Connell, 58:41.

Times missing for Randall Shreeve, Quinn Brown and Tyler Longfellow.

Women’s 5-kilometer run — 1. Molly Copple, 24:55; 2. Stephanie Harding, 25:39; 3. Kristen Charette, 26:20; 4. Kaylene Larwin, 26:25; 5. Susie Strausbaugh, 27:10; 6. Serenity Ihm, 27:21; 7. Brooklyn Bulf, 27:24; 8. Dannette Petersen, 27:56; 9. Maya McCollum, 28:14; 10. Faith Glassmaker, 28:26; 11. Nikki Duntley, 28:34; 12. Joy Hobart, 29:04; 13. Dianna Wright, 29:10; 14. Kylie Smith, 29:25; 15. Dotty Brown, 29:43; 16. Kiera Sprouls, 30:15; 17. Gina Smith, 30:36; 18. Amanda Millay, 31:09; 19. Miranda Rich, 31:15; 20. Jane Eveland, 31:25; 21. Donna Edwards, 32:28; 22. Erica Nichols, 32:50; 23. Rachel Smaby, 33:29 (virtual); 24. Melissa Wright, 33:43; 25. Geneva Preston, 33:44.

26. Julie Craig, 34:04; 27. Sarah Segura, 34:57; 28. Katelin Richards, 34:58; 29. Piper Bundy, 35:16; 30. Taryn Lewis, 35:19; 31. Sara Bundy, 35:24; 32. Becky Hart, 35:46; 33. Mary Chapman, 35:50; 34. Ashley Christopherson, 36:08; 35. Danika Winslow, 36:22; 36. Holly Lewis, 36:37; 37. Jessie Brown, 37:03; 38. Brandi Mangione, 37:04; 39. Ryan Martin, 38:07; 40. Bristol Daley, 38:09; 41. Willow Kitchens, 38:39; 42. Riley Board, 39:13; 43. Shayla Smith, 39:37; 44. Karly Bowen, 39:42; 45. Bailey Herrera, 39:54; 46. Mary Parmentier, 40:13; 47. Denise Titus, 40:15; 48. Alisia Sarren, 40:50; 49. Nikiesha Richards, 41:12; 50. Terri Cowart, 41:44.

51. Janelle Spurkland, 41:56; 52. Kristiene Spurkland, 41:58; 53. Kathy Hobart, 42:17; 54. Jessica Reagin, 42:45; 55. Alicia Levianao, 42:49; 56. Valerie Weathers, 43:18; 57. Sarah Douthit, 44:22; 58. Naomi Chivers, 44:24; 59. Kylie Morris, 44:30; 60. Michelle Federle, 45:07; 61. Doris Palanica, 45:46; 62. Danielle McElwain, 46:57; 63. Bella Martin, 47:34; 64. Yvonne Oren, 49:17; 65. Jenipher Young, 49:17; 66. Nivia Martin, 49:27; 67. Sara Moore, 49:39; 68. Linda Loranger, 49:41; 69. Sherri Swan, 50:01; 70. Sydney Krager, 50:20; 71. Alecia Bradford, 50:21; 72. Elaine Woodburn, 52:57; 73. Cassandra Winslow, 54:01; 74. Dawni Crane, 54:03; 75. Payton Matturro, 54:11.

76. Paula Standefer, 54:12; 77. Robin Horne, 54:40; 78. Winter Miller, 55:26; 79. JoVonna Schlosser, 56:32; 80. Becky Hutchinson, 57:07; 81. Trena Richardson, 57:36; 82. Armstrong Starrs, 57:41; 83. Cassi Haskins, 58:01; 84. Sue Seggerman, 58:20; 85. Shawn Miller, 59:11; 86. Bobbie Taylor, 59:13; 87. Jenny Johnson, 1:00:59; 88. Liz Huntley, 1:00:59; 89. Amanda DeBoer, 1:01:01; 90. Connie Wheat, 1:09:02; 91. Connie Goltz, 1:09:04.

Time missing for Cassie Longfellow.

Men’s 10-mile run — 1. Pedro Ochoa, 59:20; 2. Don Connelly, 1:17:43; 3. Mark Barbee, 1:18:49; 4. Jean Wirth, 1:20:09; 5. Steve Hoekwater, 1:27:45; 6. Austin Bradford, 1:28:50; 7. Carl Kincaid, 1:35:09; 8. Dalton Mitchell, 1:36:45; 9. Nate Hibberd, 1:37:53; 10. Roy Stuckey, 1:38:45; 11. Brennen Jackson, 1:38:55; 12. Kyle Miller, 1:52:57; 13. John Viens, 2:07:32; 14. Eric Parsons, 2:11:28.

Women’s 10-mile run — 1. Jordan Strausbaugh, 1:07:09; 2. Natalie Behrens, 1:13:14; 3. Becca Hitchcock, 1:18:14; 4. Heather Moon, 1:20:24; 5. Susan Craig, 1:21:28; 6. Elizabeth Hardie, 1:26:37; 7. Sarah Mastrian, 1:27:23; 8. Kaycia Schmelzenbach, 1:31:02; 9. Antonya Hall, 1:38:21; 10. Sarah Pribbenow, 1:38:23; 11. Kathy Trinh, 1:41:40; 12. Carey Quiring, 1:43:37; 13. Marissa Lapinskas, 1:46:12; 14. Sheri Boggs, 1:46:29; 15. Tamara Hibberd, 1:52:20; 16. Margaret Griffin, 1:54:27; 17. Amy Antommaria, 2:11:31.

Molly Copple runs to victory in the five-kilometer event at the Run for the River on Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Jordan Strausbaugh runs to victory in the 10-mile event at the Run for the River on Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Conner Morris and Kylie Morris lead a pack of runners at the Run for the River on Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Jane Eveland and Jeff Smith lead a pack of runners at the Run for the River on Saturday, June 10, 2023, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)