KOLOA — A cold wind and early morning sprinkles greeted the more than 500 participants in the Rotary Club of Kaua‘i’s 10th annual Old Koloa Sugar Mill Run on Saturday morning.
“This is perfect running weather,” said a visitor from Oregon who was watching his wife negotiate the course which consisted of a 5K, 10K, 10-mile and 5K walk.
Sundey Dillberg of Koloa stopped the clock first, crossing tops in the 5K run at 20:21 on a 6:33 pace, the crossing being recorded by Jenni Kaohelauli‘i of Work It Out in Kapa‘a for social media fame.
Dillberg was followed 30 seconds later by Eric Potter of Princeville who crossed at 20:51, 6:43 pace, the first male to cross.
Joy Claypoole, the top female runner during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation cross country season, tripped the clocks, third overall on a 21:00 run, or a 6:46 pace, challenged a second back by Michael Miller of Lihu‘e (21:01, 6:46 pace) and Jeremy Gibbons of Kapa‘a (21:39, 6:59 pace).
Simon Dennis of Victoria, British Columbia, was the first 10K finisher, stopping the clock at 38:08, 6:09 pace. Dennis was followed by Basil Scott, the KIF running timekeeper and a former coach at Waimea High School, who stopped the clock at 38:27, 6:12 pace. Scott, who ran the 2011 event, improved on his 40:25 first finish time clocked last year, 6:31 pace.
John Lynch of Columbus, Ohio, (39:45, 6:24 pace), Joseph Kali of Koloa (40:37, 6:33 pace) and Brandon Jacinto of Lihu‘e (42:22, 6:50 pace) rounded out the Top 5 of the 10K run.
Lauren Denton of Koloa, crossing eighth overall in the 10K finishers, was the first female, stopping the clock at 46:11, 7:26 pace, followed by Barbie Anderson of Kalaheo in ninth overall at 46:24, 7:29 pace.
Nicholas Clark, the top finisher in the 10-mile in 2011, repeated as the top finisher in 2012, stopping the clock at 1:01:30 and a 6:09 pace, an improvement over his 2011 time of 1:01:56, 6:11 pace.
Paul Ryan of Lakewood, Wash., followed at 1:02:57, 6:17 pace with the first female, Mary Castelanelli of Kilauea, crossing third overall at 1:06:52, 6:41 pace.
Cory McGowan of Tokyo, Japan, (1:08:20, 6:50 pace) and Robert Rekward of Kalaheo (1:09:03, 6:54 pace) rounded out the Top 5 finishers in the 10-mile run.
Derrick Ledesma, crossing just 36 ticks behind Rekward, filled in the No. 6 spot at 1:09:39, 6:57 pace, an improvement over his 2011 run where he stopped the clock at 1:13:55, 7:23 pace.
Top male finishers in the 5K walk included Richard Levine of Koloa (43:41, 14:05 pace), Ron Furukawa of Honolulu (47:43, 15:23 pace), Neil Unger of Olds, Alberta, (49:49, 16:04 pace), Ernest Fortner of Lodi, Calif., (49:51, 16:04 pace) and Herm Hertog of Koloa (51:16, 16:32 pace).
Top female finishers in the 5K walk included Maxine Graham of Kilauea (38:26, 12:23 pace), Brity Punzal of Kapa‘a (38:51, 12:31 pace), Jennifer Smith of Lihu‘e (41:26, 13:21 pace), Jean Boston of Black Diamond, Wash., (41:41, 13:26 pace) and Amy Silva of Lihu‘e (43:28, 14:01 pace).
With the help of the Kaua‘i Police Department and special road closure for the event, parking overflowed the Anne Knudsen Park and the adjoining Koloa Pop Warner storage area as runners made their way from the Rosie Bukoski pavilion to the start on the Koloa bypass road.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., scheduled to make an appearance at the Senior Food and Craft Fair later in the morning, did the starting duties for the staggered start, the 10-mile starting first, followed by the 10K and the 5K run and walk starting at the same time.
The event was made possible through the efforts of the Rotary Club of Kaua‘i who will next host the free Lights on Rice holiday parade on Dec. 7, coinciding with the Kaua‘i Museum Christmas Craft Fair and the lighting of the historic County Building by the Festival of Lights committee.
The Bone and Joint Center at Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, Grove Farm Co., Chevron Hawai‘i, the County of Kaua‘i, Kaua‘i Spring Water and other community sponsors joined the Rotary Club of Kaua‘i in hosting the event.
Visit www.oldkoloasugarmillrun.org for more information.
