43
Peace Race welcomes world of runners
Photo
Peace Racers turn from Indianola onto Glenwood.
By Jon Moffett
Runners like a fast course — like Mill Creek Park — which translates into decent times.
11111To run.
Sunday marked the 34th annual Youngstown Peace Race, a 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) run and 2-mile walk/run event to help promote peace.
The two-mile walk began at 9:30 a.m. and the 10K followed at 10:15.
“It was started back in the early ‘70s during the Vietnam [War] era, and some of that was the motive behind starting the thing,” said Ted Rupe, the race’s director.
“Through the years, there have been different reasons for the event, but it has just become such a great event that it just keeps going and going and going,” Rupe said.
The going and going wasn’t limited to the race itself, but included the nearly 1,300 participants in the event.
Rupe, who has been the race director since 1992, said the number was the largest he’s seen since he’s been involved with the race.
Sunday’s race was designated as the 10K state championship race by the Road Runners Club of America.
The 10K course began on West Indianola Avenue near the water tower, extended through Mill Creek Park and finished at the corner of Market Street and West Federal Plaza downtown.
Some runners said the course is part of what makes the Peace Run such a fun event.
“The course is fast, and that always helps,” Leigh Daniel said. “It’s nice to know that you’ll be able to run a decent time.
“Tough courses are sometimes frustrating when you see your time,” Daniel said. “But here, it’s a quick course.”
Daniel, 30, from Ashland, was the first woman to finish the race (fourteenth overall). She finished with a time of 34 minutes and 23 seconds, which she said is a personal best.
The first person to finish was Abdelaziz Atmani, 26, who resides in Indianapolis, but is originally from Morocco.
Atmani said he has run since he was 15 years old, with the only exception being off to recover from injury a few years ago.
Atmani led a pack of four other runners for the first two miles of the race, but began to pull away after the third mile and led the rest of the way. He finished with a time of 29 minutes and 33 seconds.
Matt Folk, 32, of Oregon, was second (29:37) while Ryan Kienzle, 22, of Canton was third (29:40).
Next were Aaron Rowe, 27, of Powell (30:11) and Tim Biwott, 27, of Elkhart, Ind. (30:18.
After Daniel, the top four women were: Bouchra Sahli, 26, of Indianapolis (34:37 for 16th), Jessica Kuhr Odorcic, 27, of Kirtland (34:51 for 17th), Melissa Converse, 31, of Blaklick (35:11 for 18th) and Julie Nemergut, 24, of Youngstown (35:15 for 20th).
jmoffett@vindy.com