Saturday, March 25, 2000 -- Winchester, VA
Rotary 5K & 1/4 Mile Kids Run
Story and photos by Marty Lamp

[Details] [Coverage] [Overall Results] [Results by Class]
[Pic Set 1] [Pic Set 2] [Pic Set 3]

Taking off in Winchester

In beautiful Jim Barnett Park, on the campus of Shenandoah University, over 75 runners of all ages gathered for the innaugural Rotary 5K & 1/4 Mile Kids Run on March 25th. It was a refreshing spring morning with sunshine filling the air, and smiles coming from every direction as everyone warmed up for challenging 5K put on by the Winchester Rotary Club and the Shenandoah Valley Runners.

The course for this 3.1 mile jaunt started with an enticing downhill as it left Jim Barnett Park. Runners would then get a chance to tour the campus along rolling hills on the paved roads before making their way back to the start. On the final 1/2 mile, though, it was time to pay for the downhill start, as racers were treated to demanding uphill to a flat 1/4 mile finish.

Enjoying the day in Jim Barnett Park

Making his move early, and never looking back, local standout Bobby Lockhart(16:08) cruised to an impressive victory. A sophomore at Handley High School, Lockhart is no stranger to the front of the pack. Last year,he finished 16th at the National High School Cross Country Championships. Lockhart wasn't the only person flying low, though, as Bill Stewart(17:26) finished second overall. Just 15 seconds behind Stewart, Ryan Bayne(17:41) and Mark Stickley(17:42) battled it out to the finish in a close finish for third, but Bayne had a little more left and strided away from Stickley in the final 100 yards.

The first female to cross the finish line was one of SVR's "Runner of the Year" award recipients, Ruth Riemenschneider(20:38). Riemenschneider finished 12th overall, with over a 30 second lead on second place female finisher Kim Burns(21:17). Burns finished 15th overall, while third place female finisher Alina Dawson(21:54) finished 19th overall.

Afterwards, there was an always fun to watch kids run before the awards ceremony. This quality race was directed by Chris Northrup, and his efforts were apparent and appreciated, as were the results handling skills of Karsten Brown.