Reactor Park 5K Loop 9 a.m. Start Thirty hardy runners showed up to run on what turned out to be a picture-perfect weather day for a 5 K race here in the winter. The temperature at the start was 18 or 19 F, the sun was shining, and the slightest of breezes cooled the runners on their way north up the hill. The race started at the top of the hill on the northwest corner of the Reactor Park road, went down the hill, crossed old Providence Road to new Providence Road, went up the hill, turned left to rejoin the Reactor Park road and back to the start. The loop is less than one mile so the runners crossed the first mile mark 250 or so paces on down the hill from the start line. On the third time past the starting line, the runners continued down the hill, around the corner where the Reactor road intersects old Providence Road, and then ran straight to the finish line in front of the drive to the Red Cross building. I'm sure that most of the runners were grateful that they did not have to go up the hill again. The course is deceptively fast with one half of each loop down, one half up, and the finish lower than the start. Sure enough, like every one of the past Nut Races, the racers found ample opportunity to floor it and see what the shoes would do. Trooper Gary Gundy showed up toward the end of the race, but didn't issue any tickets for speeding. I think he realized that the runners were motivated by nothing more than peanuts. The women's division was very competitive. In the 35-39 age group.Nancy Taube won the women's division overall and that age group as well with Wells, Walker, and Kerl pushing her. Kelly Knaebel had the 10 -14 group all to herself. Nevertheless, she ran a PR and finished 7th overall. The 30-34 age group was won by Polniak, 2nd overall, Gundy 2nd, and Lewis 3rd. Anne Janku was alone in the 40-49 group, and she ran very fast to finish 4th overall. On the men's side, Bourgeois led until the top of the last downhill where Johnson, who had been a step behind all the way, jumped Stephen. He opened up a 10 meter lead immediately, but Stephen closed over the last 300 meters. Johnson won, Bourgeois was second just 4/10s of a second off, Keys just 10 seconds behind him, and Stonecipher-Fisher one second behind for 4th. Stonecipher-Fisher won the 40-49 age group with Gerald Holtmeyer 2nd just 19 seconds behind. Dane Holtmeyer won the 10-14 age group with brother Travis winning the 15-19 age group. Clay Farris won the 30-34, Johnson the 35-39, and Jim O'Dell won the 50+ group. Thanks to Don Knaebel for helping at the finish line. —Race Director Dick Hessler Men 1. Dwayne Johnson (37) 17:28.4 2. Stephen Bourgeois (36) 17:28.8 3. Marc Keys (37) 17:38.1 4. Steve Stonecipher-Fisher (43) 17:39.2 5. Gerald Holtmeyer (40) 17:58.7 6. John Wegholst (44) 18:04.1 7. Travis Holtmeyer (15) 19:01.2 8. Clay Farris (31) 19:59.6 9. Curt Kempf (35) 20:15.2 10. Dan Hooley (49) 20:22.8 11. Rich Reisdorf (31) 21:29.4 12. Drew Hensley (16) 21:57.4 13. Dane Holtmeyer (14) 22:10.2 14. Kurt Kennett (32) 22:19.3 15. Tim Holland (31) 22:21.9 16. Jim O'Dell (56) 23:48.7 17. Robert McGowan (33) 23:52.6 18. John Fougere (34) 24:39.4 19. Jim Peregoy (34) 25:15.1 20. Davis Webber (48) 25:19.0 21. Greg Walker (36) 31:55.8 Women 1. Nancy Taube (39 yrs) 21:32.6 2. Jennifer Polniak (32) 22:32.4 3. Lisa Wells (36) 22:38.9 4. Anne Janku (43) 23:13.9 5. Amy Gundy (34) 24:43.5 6. Dannelle Walker (36) 25:14.0 7. Kelly Knaebel (10) 26:41.9 8. Marie Kerl (38) 27:01.8 9. Teiir Lewis (30) 33:17.9 |