Saturday, April 24, 1999 -- Petersburg
Spring Mountain 5K/10K
Story by Don Parks with contributions from Lew McGrath and Chris Petsko; photos by Lew McGrath.

[Coverage/Recap w/Pics] [Picture Set 1] [Picture Set 2] [Results]

A day everyone could enjoy some time outside

A beautiful spring morning played host to the 1999 Spring Mountain 5K/10K on Saturday, April 24th. The race is part of the annual Spring Mountain Festival held annually in Petersburg. While the race has been a "local" event, it is slowly growing to involve folks from the surrounding areas. With weather like they had this year, it is sure to continue expanding in participation.

Taking advantage of the morning sunshine was Dave McCollam who wasted no time in racing to a first place finish in the 10K run. His time of 36:10 was over three minutes faster than the 39:35 time of second place finisher Jr. Luyster. But Luyster wasn't slacking as he had to fight off third place finisher Michael Berry who finished just 6 seconds back in a time of 39:41.

David McCollam wins the 10K run

The 5K runners saw Kevin Boyce disappear off the front as he also dominated his race with a winning time of 17:28. His nearest pursuers where battling for second place honors as they crossed the finish well over a minute later. Hitting the tape second was Bill McCollam (19:07) after holding off third place finisher Mike Bittinger (19:14) by a narrow 6 seconds. The fastest woman in the 5K field was Robin Stone with a nice time of 21:49.

In addition to these young competitors, patients from the Cardiac Rehab at Grant Memorial Hospital were encouraged to participate in the 5K Walk. Those involved were Bill Fouch, Alvin Huff and Owen Schell, all of which have had a heart attack and/or a heart procedure. All three completed the walk very well.

Paul Jeffers knows the benefits of a good walk

In addition to these inspirational perfomances, Paul Jeffers tackled the 5K walk in high spirits. This is a commendable feat given that he also battles the effects of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a hereditary progressive neuromuscular disorder that primarily effects the feet, legs and hands. He encourages everyone to get outside for some exercise and he isn't likely to accept many excuses.

A special thanks is extended to all those that help organize the event and to all the generous sponsors including Grant County Bank, Grant Memorial Hospital, Pepsi Cola Company, Potomac Valley Bank, and Total Workout.