Saturday, June 22, 2002 -- Fairmont, WV
Run to Read 15K/5K (iPO Event Id#: 4833)
Story by Jim Woolfitt with photos by Julie Black
[Details]
[Coverage]
[Overall Results]
[Results by Class]
Pictures:
[Set 1]
[Set 2]
[Set 3]
[Set 4]
[Set 5]
[Set 6]
[1999 Coverage]
[2000 Coverage]
[2001 Coverage]
Run to Read Races & Family Fun Day 2002
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Kaufman, now a Kanawha County circuit judge, served as race starter. Another Charleston runner, Tom Pearcy, offered a prayer prior to the 7:30am start. 68 runners completed the 15K, a record number of finishers for this event. The weather really cooperated this year. The sun was shining but temperatures were still in the 60's at the start of the 15K.
Justin Simpson, who collected state championships in cross
country and in the 3200 in track while running at Oak Glen High
School, defeated defending champion Larry Taylor in the 15K.
Larry lead for a little over 5 miles until Justin passed him. After
that he used a surge and started gapping Larry mile by mile. Simpson
ran 51:46 on the newly certified 15K course which was basically the
same as last year's. Standout Grafton cross country runner John
Riffle finished 3rd in a time of 55:23.
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The next event was the 5K race walk (the walk was formerly only 1 lap of the 5k course) which began at 9am. The walkers were the first to officially experience the new and certified 5K course, which is still a double loop like the 15K. This course has only 30 feet of elevation difference between the low and high points on the course.
Fred Detwiller of New Martinsville was the first walker to
finish with a time of 36:11. Connie Lewis of Hillsville, VA,
breaking the 40 minute barrier in 39:19, was the first female
finisher. Fairmont's John Russell kept his streak going by
completing his fourth Run to Read race walk in 49:38.
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Heather King won the ladies side of the 5K finishing in 22:47. King was a key member of some outstanding cross country and track teams while attending Fairmont West. Thirteen year old Emily Corley was second in a time of 23:54 followed closely by Ritchie County High School's Kristina Watson with a time of 23:59 and Hollie Haddox, a former teammate of Watson's, who finished in 24:03. Watson earned all-state honors at last year's state cross country meet.
The fourth event of the day, the fun run, attracted a record twenty
participants. The fun run started the same time as the 5K but was
only one loop. Rosalba Ovale, a native of Columbia, who was
named West Virginia's ESL (English as a second language) student of
the year for 2001, participated in the fun run along with her
daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
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Harold Sims, a Civil War re-enactor and Marion County LVA board member, gave a literal bang to the start of all three events by firing his pistol.
After all the running and walking, participants enjoyed a bountiful
spread of food and drinks. Many scanned the list of random prize
winners to see if they won a 24K gold plated ornament or other
items. Some participants headed to the Wave Pool at 11am for a real
"cool down."
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Race organizers vow to keep the courses unchanged for the next nine years, the length of the certification period, and plan to retain Runner's High for efficiently processed timing and results. Organizers do plan a change in tee shirts, which we think our participants will appreciate. Start planning for next year's event as we'll be working hard to make it even bigger and better.