Scott Swanson
A total of 317 runners and walkers participated Satruday, May 26, in the Hero Half Marathon, 8K and Mini Marathon at Community Chapel.
Race Director Rachel Kittson-Maqatish said that was the largest field in the race’s four years. Last year’s had 266 runners and walkers.
The race was founded in 2013 by Maqatish, who wanted to help grieving families of veterans killed in action, who included her own son-in-law, after the death of a young soldier from Boring, Cpl. Keaton Coffey, who was killed May 24, 2012 in Afghanistan, just weeks before his wedding.
Jordan Cox of Corvallis was the winner of the half marathon, in 1:26:30, followed closely by Kasey Carlson of Salem, who finished in 1:26.59 on the course that featured two steep hills and was actually 13.4 miles instead of the standard 13.1.
The race, which started and finished at Community Chapel on Ames Creek Road, was a benefit for veterans’ causes. Proceeds are evenly split between the Keaton Coffey Memorial Scholarship and the Vietnam Veterans of America – Mid Valley Chapter 585. A number of camofluage-garbed GI’s walked or ran the courses.
The half-marathon course traveled through town, then out Old Holley Road to Holley Church, and back.
Ricky Yunke of Sweet Home, a 16-year-old, was fourth in the 64-competitor field, in 1:32.07 and former Sweet Home cross-country runner Nikki Smith, 25, who was on leave from the Army, was sixth in 1:34.59. Finishing behind Smith was Joe Rosa of Sweet Home, ninth in 1:44:17.
Finishing 12th was Jill Paulowski of Corvallis in 1:48.37.
Other Sweet Home finishers in the half were Christina Smith, 21st in 2:00:05, Lori McKinnon, 36th in 2:31:04; Rachel Tyler, 45th in 2:59:11; and April Seward, 46th, also in 2:59:11.
Winner of the 8K, which was actually about half a mile short, was John Bigoure, whose home town was not avaialble, in 25:30. Moses Wakefield of Mulino, one of a group of Damascus Christian High School runners who participated, was second, in 26:46, followed by Tanner Sayers, 16, of Sweet Home, in 29:18. Scott Swanson and Robbie Yunke of Sweet Home were fourth and fifth, in 32:52 and 33:51 respectively.
Tiffany Howell of Eugene was the first female in, finishing in 34:59, in seventh overall. Home towns for some finishers were not avaialble.
Other Sweet Home finishers were Jorel Leyba, 15th in 37:57; Randy Carper, 16th in 38:06; Chris Jones, 17th in 38:09; Tia Johnston, 29th in 42:41; Amber Baxter, 30th in 42:49; Brandy Darwood, 40th in 43:43; Thomas Kittson, 53rd in 50:01; Gabriel Grajiola, 54th in 50:02; Trina Field, 74th in 58:10; Linda James, 81st in 1:06:29; Dianne Riggs, 82nd in 1:06:30; Wayne Cooper, 85th in 1:07:12; Laura Barrett, 86th in 1:07:12; Mary Sue Reynolds, 103rd in 1:19:59; and Annette Smith, 104th in 1:19:59.
Results for the 1.3-mile Mini Marathon were not available.