The Finish Line: Hundreds of athletes crowded the registration
tables Monday in front of P.A. Walsh Elementary School, snapping up
T-shirts, race bibs and snacks before Freedom Fest’s Children’s
1-mile and 5K began. Clear blue skies in the early morning warned
impending hot weather for all participants, and the race was indeed
a scorcher. Despite the intense heat plaguing runners and walkers,
everyone had a great time. Excitement saturated the humid air as
racers were eagerly awaiting the start of the race.
MORGAN HILL
Hundreds of athletes crowded the registration tables Monday in front of P.A. Walsh Elementary School, snapping up T-shirts, race bibs and snacks before Freedom Fest’s Children’s 1-mile and 5K began. Clear blue skies in the early morning warned impending hot weather for all participants, and the race was indeed a scorcher.
Despite the intense heat plaguing runners and walkers, everyone had a great time. Excitement saturated the humid air as racers were eagerly awaiting the start of the race.
The Children’s 1-miler field bolted from the start in the warm climate. Winner Niah Carrender, 10, of Morgan Hill sprinted the mile like it was a skip in the park, crossing the finish line in six minutes, 43 seconds.
“I started running when I played soccer at 4,” he said. “In the beginning (of the race) there were two people in front of me and the first person ahead of everybody (else). And then it was just him and me, fighting for the end and sprinted to the finish. I’ll do it again next year.”
Hollister’s Karina Collins, 11, beat everyone else in 6:46 — and she didn’t even look winded.
“My whole family funs. My brother and my sister do cross country for our high school, and my mother is in a running club and my father likes 5Ks,” Collins said.
The top winners of both distances rode in the parade on the back seat of a vintage cream-colored 1964 Chevy Impala, piloted by the illustrious John Miles. How was I privy to this? I got to ride shotgun with Miles because I won best Patriotic Costume in the race. That’s the closest thing for competing against those rabbits and earning a nifty trophy at the same time.
Menlo Park’s Carlos Siqueiros dusted the competition in the 5K with an impressive 15:33, blistering the asphalt more than the sun above.
“I felt pretty good about the race . … It was hard because my legs were tired,” he said. “I’ve been a lot of miles lately. I like the slight downhill start. It does help things going. I lost a little focus around the second mile. Then after that it was fine.”
Siqueiros is training for the U.S. Olympics Times Qualifier Marathon in 2012. His mileage ranges from 125 to 140 a week.
“After the parade, I plan to go on another 12-mile run this afternoon to shake out the legs, eat lots of food and relax,” he said.
The overall 5K female winner was Tanya Ferreira of Prunedale. She blasted the rest of the pack in 19:00. She plans to do Sunday’s Run For The Stinkin’ Roses in Gilroy.
“If I’m seriously training for college I run 50-60 miles per week. I barely have time for anything else besides running,” she said. “I want to run the rest of my life.”
Lance Wolfsmith from Morgan Hill finished second in the 5K with an impressive 16:28. Other “Wolfpak” members medaled in their age groups, including Erin Logan in 20:23, Kyle Deisenroth in 16:30 and Ryan Corvese in 16:39.
“Today’s race was kind of a nice reality check. I’m at a different stage in my training that I used to be in high school,” said Wolfsmith, who now competes for the Air Force Academy. “It was still fun to come out here and race with the hometown people.”
Morgan Hill’s Andrew Bogia and Marti Menz, who are members of South Valley Running Club, ran the 5K.
“It was fun like last year’s but a little hotter,” Bogia said. He took second in the 60-age group in 25:17. “I decided to jump in when some family members wanted to do the race. It was a last-minute decision.”
Menz, 55, completed her 3.1-mile challenge in 24:12. These guys looked refreshed with not a hair out of place. They didn’t look like they just ran in a furnace.
“It was a great run, well organized, with lots of spirit and lots of people,” she said.
Bogia added, “If you didn’t do the race this year, you ought to consider coming out, it’s a great place to meet a bunch of runners and show your support for a great event run by the local community.”
I agree with him. I can’t wait to run and beat my time of 33:34 in next year’s race on America’s birthday.
RACE RESULTS: Visit svetiming.com or click here.
