Temperatures in the low twenties on Saturday brought out over 400 bundled runners for the 31st annual Winter Sun 10K. Dewayne Miner, 42, of New Castle, Colorado, edged out Kevin Donoher of Grand Junction with a winning time of 33:20. Esmeralda Martinez-Ramos (photo), also from Grand Junction, was the first woman finisher with a time of 40:20. 2012 overall winner Marty Wacker took top Master honors and placed 3rd overall in 34:55. Top female Master winner was Mary Cote, 49, from Basalt finishing in 41:59.
Moab runners were well represented among the top finishers: Kevin Walker (39:11), Jim Lewis (41:01) and Lauren Atkinson (41:39) finished 7th, 12th, and 17th respectively. There were just over 60 finishers from Moab.
The wintry weather was a drastic change from the mid-60 temperatures of the 2012 race. Lauren Atkinson commented, “It wasn’t a PR [personal record] day like last year. Course conditions were a little slick in a few places, snow was blowing and it was cold, but everyone still had a great time! The race is always a great way to wrap up Moab’s busy event year. It’s awesome to see locals out there having fun!”
The weather of course caused for a few shifts in logistics. “We added a few more fires at the start to keep runners warm before the race and since the football field was covered in snow, we moved the finish line party, awards ceremony and raffle inside the High School.” said crew member Katy Robertson. Runners packed the commons area and cafeteria of Grand County High, hanging around in hopes of winning prizes donated by local businesses. In addition to the 17 businesses who contributed to the raffle, 40+ volunteers and staff helped at the start, finish and on the course. Included among these were the Green Team from Canyonlands Community Recycling, who sorted trash, compost and recyclables.
Group, volunteer and sponsor participation is part of an ongoing effort to both involve and affect the community. “Everybody [associated with the race] helps create a festive experience for our participants,” stated race director Ranna Bieschke. “Even though it was a cold morning, the runners by and large enjoyed the snowy, wintry weather bestowed by Mother Nature. I’m especially grateful to the volunteers enduring the cold temperatures. They were real troopers.”
Next year’s Winter Sun 10K is scheduled to be run on December 6th. Complete results from the 2013 race can be found at www.moabhalfmarathon.com.