In the end it wasn’t rain 825 runners had to deal with during Sunday’s 29th Wildflower Run, but a frigid, 35 mph wind.
“The wind was crazy,” one runner said, speeding by too fast to leave his name, “but it was good running with the wind.”
Ryan Corvese and Inna Vishik had the fastest 10K times for men and women; and Kyle Deisenroth and Emily Guthormsen for the 5K. Natalie Mazaud and Jacob Hall finished first and second in the 2K for kids ages 10 and under.
Natalie’s father said she won the 2K race last year and intended to win this year, too; and she did.
Names, rankings and times for the 5 and 10K races, plus a 5K walk are available at www.wildflowerrun.org and/or www.svetiming.org/. Similar details for the 2K can be found at the Wildflower Run site. South Valley Endurance provided the timing chips and convenient, almost immediate printouts of run data.
The Run is a project of Morgan Hill’s American Association of University Women branch. All proceeds are used to provide college scholarships to local women and camperships to seventh-grade girls, who will attend the Tech Trek Science and Math Camp for Girls at Stanford University this summer.
Besides offering a well-organized, certified race, the AAUW volunteers – 130 strong – offered T-shirts in deep purple with a striking design: a large poppy with running legs as the flower’s stamen. The shirt was designed by former Morgan Hill resident, Jim Holzgrafe of Quail Run Graphics.
Katie and Brian Howard, recently honored on Philanthropy Day, provided Jamba Juice smoothies for all runners. Many other local businesses sponsored the run or offered services (massage, anyone?) after the race.
All runners received ribbons as they crossed the finish lines. The top three winners in each category were photographed wearing medals around their necks while posing on the three-tiered stand familiar to Olympic Game viewers.
While 5 and 10K races tend to focus on teens and adults, 2K runners and their siblings could have their faces painted or a temporary tattoo added to a cheek.
Shea Mattox, 7, who attends Nobel Elementary School in San Jose, and Emily Pember, 9, a fourth-grader at Nordstrom School, were both eager to begin the run – the first time for Shea, the third for Emily.
Both had exactly the same comment.
“I just like to run,” they said.
While no event as large as the Wildflower Run is ever entirely glitch free – the wind blew over the timing arch and the Live Oak custodian did not have the key to open a crucial gate – this one was, apparently, close. Run director Elizabeth Mandel said that, even with all the work, everyone had fun.
“We had so many competent volunteers,” Mandel said, “we could hardly miss.” And they had 29 years to practice.
The next Wildflower Run is scheduled for April 14, 2013, leaving plenty of time to get in shape.
For full results, visit www.wildflowerrun.org and/or www.svetiming.org/.
TOP THREE FINISHERS
10K
1. Ryan Corvese, age 17, male
2. Clint Scott, age 40, male
3. Pierre delforge, age 45, male
10K women
1. Inna Vishik
2. Claire Maust
3. Julie Wolfsmith
5K men
1. Kyle Deisenroth
2. Austin Heiser
3. Jeff Pesta
5K women
1. Emily Guthormsen
2. Sarah Gilbert
3. Annie Bergholz
2K for under-10 kids
1. Natalie Mazaud, age 10 (9-10 category) 8:35:00
2. Jacob Hall, 7-8 category 9:31:00
3. Jason Toombs 9-10 category 9:40:00
