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Among the participants were competitors of all sizes,
shapes, ages, genders and even species, as one participant was a
registered canine who was accompanied by its two-legged escort.
At the end of the day there were 56 and a half finishers.
It has to be said that one young man did cross the
line, but not in a traditional manner. When entrant number 673 left
the park district he was on two feet, when he came across the finish
line he was on four wheels.
While details were not discussed, the youth
apparently had difficulty along the route and local rescue teams
came to his aid. In the end, they wheeled him across the finish line
on a stretcher. While it didn’t count on the scoring, he was cheered
as loudly as any of the other runners.
The run is 3.1 miles or 5 kilometers, and according to Abby Coers, a
seasoned runner who was a participant Saturday, the Lincoln route is
one of the toughest around because of the long stretch on Home
Avenue that involves a number of up and down hills.
Coers was running for fun with her friend Christy
Unzicker. At the finish line they were joined by Coers son A.J. and
crossed the line at 36:31.
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Another seasoned runner commented that he had been
hoping for Thursday morning temperatures on Saturday morning, but
that was not to be. Saturday started warm and only got warmer as the
race and even the day progressed.
At Scully Park, friends and family waited anxiously
waiting to spy their runner coming up the street from Wyatt Avenue.
As they approached the finish line, those fans cheered and clapped
for them, shouting words of encouragement.
All the participants received a lanyard with a
detachable key chain featuring the hot air balloon Wagz.
Along the route there was plenty of encouragement and support as
local cheerleaders from Lincoln schools assembled and shouted out
loudly to each runner passing by. The route also encouraged
spectators who held up signs supporting their particular runner, and
there were volunteers posted at the turns helping make sure runners
went the right direction, and also offering words of encouragement.
In the end, all that started the race finished.
The top male runner from all age brackets was Chase Dilworth with a
chip time of 19:33:35.
The top female runner was Kelly Olthoff with a chip time of
27:48:22.
The youngest runner was C. Petty at age seven who finished with a
chip time of 28:58:27.
The oldest runner was 77 year old Larry Simonson who finished with a
chip time of 39:31:61.
[Nila Smith] |
