Runners brave cold for Veterans Day Race

SOAP LAKE - Dozens of runners took to the streets of Soap Lake during the weekend for the second annual Veterans Day Race.

The race, which included both a 5k and 10k portion, was the seventh and final race of the 2013 ULBFIT Soap Lake Race Event Series, ULBFIT's Christine Quantz said.

The series kicked off this past March with the "Not Too Stinkin' Cold to Run" race, she said.

Quantz said more than 30 runners participated in the Veteran's Day Race.

"That's the best turnout we've had for a few months, everyone is back from summer for school and work," she said. Quantz said she was surprised at the turnout for last year's Veterans Day Race, which also drew a large crowd. That's when she got the idea to start the ULBFIT running series, she said.

"I noticed people were excited about the race," she said. "I wanted to give people more ways to get out and get active."

Although each of the races this past year drew a different crowd, Quantz said she saw a lot of the same faces at most of the races. In fact, there were five runners who participated in each of the seven races this year, she said.

The 2014 series will feature nine races.

"We're going to have a duathlon, which is a run, bike, run race," she said. "We'll also have a couple of one-milers, which is good for kids and for sprinting."

Another race ULBFIT is tentatively working on for next year's series is "The Great Canoe Sprint," Quantz said. That race will feature a run/walk portion and a canoe portion, she said.

For more information about the 2014 Race Event Series, visit www.ulbfit.com.

Nate Blanchard, of Kirkland, was the first runner to return from the 5k course Saturday, with a time of 22 minutes, 52 seconds. He was followed by Sonia Tonnemaker, the race's first female finisher, with a time of 23:57.1.

Steve Hurst, of Coulee Dam, was the second male to cross the finish line, with a time of 24:57.1. Ryan Hatch, city not given, who came in at 28:28.0; Secundino Torres, of Troutdale, Ore., 28:32.5 and John Tepanier, of Soap Lake, 28:56.0 rounded out the rest of the 5k race's top five male finishers, respectively.

Cynthia Beyer, of Moses Lake, came in after Tonnemaker with a time of 29:13.6.

Kathtrina Komlofske, city not given, Polly Blanchard, of Kirkland and Lisa Davis, of Ephrata, were the other top five female finishers with a time of 33:16.8, 33:52.4 and 38:03.0, respectively.

In the 10k race, Mike Murray, city not given, was the first runner to cross the finish line with a time of 38:39.4. He was followed by Jack O'Shea, of Moses Lake, who came in at 54:06.8; Matthew Berg, of Moses Lake, 54:07.6; Jodi O'Shea, of Moses Lake, 54:10.4 and Deanna Shekler, of Wilbur, 55:22.1.

There were only three male racers in the 10k portion of the Veteran's Day run.

Evelyn VanBrunt, of Omak, 1:05:50.0, was the third female racer to cross the finish line. Jonnie Bray, of Nespelem, and Lisa Cleem, city not given, were the race's other top five finishers with times of 1:05:50.8 and 1:09:16.7, respectively.