Thousands of runners and walkers converged on Cherry Creek for the 34th annual Cherry Creek Sneak. Conditions were close to perfect, with cloudy skies and cool breezes providing runners with reprieve from the intermittent sun. The event features a 10-mile, 5-mile, 5K and 1.5-mile sprint race. There’s even a ½-mile for Kids’ Fun Run for kids ages 8 and under, and Diaper Dash for little ones in the Kids’ Fun Zone.
The uber-popular post-race block party featured tons of vendors and a Leinenkugel Beer Garden, as well as the awards ceremony honoring the top finishers.
In the men’s 10 mile, 24-year old Ian Butler took top honors in 55:26. Eddie Perez of Denver was second in 56:14, with 29-year old Peter Cole a close third in 57 minutes flat.
The women’s 10 mile saw Denver’s Yianna Antonopoulos grab the win in 1:05:43, with 38-year old Nicole Chyr coming in second in 1:06:07. Amy Smith of Northglenn celebrated her birthday with a PR and third place finish in 1:06:45.
The top men in the 5 mile were Joe Bosshard, Neil McDonagh and Christian Martin, all finishing under 27 minutes. Boulder’s Bosshard was first in 25:32, McDonagh of Colorado Springs came in second in 26:21, and 21-year old Martin finished third in 26:36.
The women’s 5 mile race saw reigning champion Nell Rojas of Boulder keep her title – for the third year in a row – with a winning time of 29:39. Littleton’s Ashley Luna was second in 30:29, and 31-year old Shannon Kinney rounded out the top three in 30:47.
There were some fast times set in the 5K, with 22-year old Bradley Zieger taking top honors in 16:53. 40-year old Andy Rinne was second in 17:23, with fellow masters runner Cody Hill coming in third in 17:50.
The women’s winner of the 5K – Alexis Wilbert – not only took the win for the ladies, but also finished a solid third overall in 17:27. 37-year old Kara Ford was second in 18:58, and 13-year old Jadyn Goodrich rounded out the podium in 19:33.
The men’s 1.5 mile race saw quite a show as 24-year old Mesfin Ferede blasted the course in 6:46. Coming in second was 49-year old Scott Siriano in 8:07, with 10-year old Riley Woolen finishing third in 9:25.
The women’s winner of the 1.5 mile race was 41-year old Marina McGowan, also good for third place finish overall. What can only be assumed as a pair of speedy sisters took second and third place: 11-year old Sophia Sheldon was second in 10:57 and 11-year old Sydney Sheldon was third in 11:15.