Friday, July 26, 2013 -- Fairmont, WV / East-West Stadium
Run to Read 10K - Run to Read Triple Crown #2 (iPO Event Id#: 14485)

2013: [Details] [Coverage] [Photos] Results: [Overall] [By Class] [Combined]
[Triple Crown]

[1999] [2000] [2001] [2002] [2003] [2004] [2005] [2006] [2007] [2008] [2009] [2010] [2011] [2012]

Story and photos by Don Parks.

Matthew Brafford runs away with the 10K

Unseasonably cool weather was more than welcome at Friday evening's Run to Read Races. Racers gathered at Fairmont's East-West Stadium to compete in a 10K, 5K, or 1600 meter run. For those looking for even more of a challenge there were awards for the long combo (10K plus 5K times) and short combo (5K plus 1600M times). If you weren't in quite such a hurry a 5K race walk was also available.

It all started with the 10K run and it didn't take long for 17 year-old Matthew Brafford to pull away from the competition. He took the win in 34:12, a full four minutes ahead of the next finishers.

The race for second was much closer as 24 year-old Chirstopher Pirie (38:15) edged out 27 year-old Jeremy Pevahouse (38:33).

Matt Strand races to the 1600M win

For the women it was 40 year-old Jen Sober who dominated her competition with a winning time of 43:55. Second place was grabbed by 41 year-old Blanca Skaggs (47:26) with third going to 33 year-old Amanda Anderson (48:29).

While the 10K was being contested out on the roads the 1600 meter race was held on the track at East West Stadium. Sprinting to the win was 16 year-old Matt Strand with a time of 4:43. Fifteen year-old Zach Canady was the only other runner able to break 5 minutes, but just barely at 4:59.9.

The women's winner was 26 year-old Erika Rucker with a time of 5:43. And hats off to our second place woman, 60 years-young Jean Conttrill (11:40).

With the 10K and 1600M complete it was time for the 5K, the second race of the evening for those competing in one of the combos.

Jen Sober adds a 10K 2nd to her 5K 1st

Both with fresh legs the race became a battle between 18 year-old Abraham Merinar and 15 year-old Seth Edwards. When they entered the stadium for the final three-quarters lap around the track to the finish it was Merinar leading the way. He would take the win at 17:24 with Edwards taking second at 17:46.

Taking third overall was Pirie in 19:01. Combined with his second place finish in the 10K he was crowned the long combo champion with a combined time of 57:16.

For the women the fresh legs of 24 year-old Kaylyn Christopher were to much for Sober and her bid for another first place finish. Christopher took the win at 19:31 with Sober taking second at 20:55.

Sober's combined time of 1:04:51 was plenty fast enough to secure the best long combo female time and the third fastest combined time overall.

Third place in the women's 5K went to Rucker in 21:30. That combined with her 1600M win gave her the festest female short combo time, and third overall, with a 27:13.

The male shore combo win went to Canaday with a fifth place 5K time of 19:11 to go with his second place 1600M finish for a combined 24:11.

A Run to Read race for everyone

In the 5K walk we were once again impressed by Cottrill who took the overall win after competing in the 1600M run with a time of 40:11. The first male walker, second overall, was another 60 year-old in Rudy Vincent (40:27).

The 10K and 5K races also represented the second and third races in the Run to Read Triple Crown series. The first race in the series being the Run to Read Half Marathon held back in January.

Using age-graded scoring it was 67 year-old Jim Banks who came out on top with a combined score of 216.5. It was a mere four points better than second place Pirie's 212.5.

For the women it was Sober who set the bar high with a 213.2 winning score. Anderson's 185.3 was just enough for second with 27 year-old Brittney Crain only 1.5 points back at 184.0.

Regardless of which, or how many, races you participated in, a big thanks for helping support the Literacy Volunteers of Marion County (LVMC), a United Way agency and a 501-(3) organization. LVMC is affiliated with Literacy West Virginia and Pro Literacy Worldwide. LVMC offers free tutoring to adults and children in reading, math and ESL (English as a second language).