Print |
E-mail to a friend
SPORTS
Benford wins W.Va. 5K Championship
Andrew Benford, red, a senior at the University of Richmond races ahead of Eric Putnam, white, of Portsmouth, Ohio, to win the West Virginia 5K Championship run Saturday, June 6, 2009.
Purchase this photoRelated:
HUNTINGTON -- Two seconds might not seem like much to the normal individual, but for a distance runner, the miniscule amount of time means everything.
Last week, Ravenswood native Andrew Benford found out that he missed qualifying for the NCAA championships by just two seconds in the steeplechase.
Benford, a distance runner for the University of Richmond, enjoyed the other side of the tape on Saturday, sprinting past Portsmouth's Eric Putnam in the final stretch for a two-second victory in the West Virginia 5K Championship.
"It was a really cool way to wrap up my season after a disappointing finish on the track," Benford said. "It was a great race and Putnam pushed me to do my best."
Benford's extra boost of energy in the home stretch was aided by the presence of his parents who drove down to see him. He also had a contingent of friends who had their chests painted and screamed wildly as he passed Putnam en route to the title.
"They said they were going to go all out," Benford said with a laugh. "I woke up this morning and they had their house covered in banners and drove their truck to the race with a big banner that said 'Go Benford.' You never see that, especially in a sport like track and cross country."
In the early stages of the race, a group comprised of Benford, Putnam, Milton's Casey Batey and Huntington's Jason Pyles set a blistering pace of sub-5:00 miles.
The lead pack stayed together for much of the race, finishing the first two miles in 9:32. As the stretch came, Benford and Putnam distanced themselves and opened up a 15-second lead on Batey, setting up the exciting finish.
Benford and Putnam were elbow-to-elbow as they entered the turn down Veterans Memorial Boulevard. In the last 50 meters, Benford's leg drive proved to be the difference as he finished in 14:55. Putnam was just behind with a 14:57 while Batey and Matthew Boyles were third and fourth respectively -- both with a time of 15:12.
Benford was not the only accomplished NCAA Division I athlete that saw success in the race. Jen Davis, an assistant coach and former All-American at West Virginia University, won the girls overall division with a time of 17:14. Huntington's Marian Pyles finished second with a time of 18:10.
"This is my first race since last August, so I just wanted to see where I was at and compete the best I could with whoever was here," Davis said. "It just turned out that I was in front. I am really happy with my effort today."
The chase to the finish and Davis' involvement were just two of several thrills for those associated with the event. Race director Pat Riley said that 550 people registered for the event with 513 crossing the finish line.
That figure shattered the old record set by the 2008 Bun Run 5K, which ended with 350 finishers.
It is all part of a process that is geared toward changing Huntington's label from 'Nation's Fattest City' to 'Runnington.'
"This is great that we are promoting fitness and getting everyone out here," Riley said. "Hopefully we can debunk the myth that we are the fattest city in the nation and hand that to someone else."
Of the 513 finishers on Saturday, 41 participants ran at less than a 6-minute mile pace.
That number included 54-year-old Fred Jones of Hurricane, who has seen his weight plummet from 270 pounds to 169 in the last three years with the help of events like Saturday's race. Jones won the male 50-54 age group, and now is a state champion.
"Racing and the fun of it is a double benefit," Jones said. "One, it give you something to do and enjoy with other folks and two, it keeps you healthy. It's been great for me."
Riley said that without the help of the event sponsors, such a race might not have been possible. He said that community involvement is integral to spread the word for next year's race.
"This has been amazing. I just don't know what else to say," Riley said. "The support from churches, the Huntington Fire Department, City Hall -- all these people, along with the sponsors made this happen."
The Herald-Dispatch served as title sponsor for the event while Robert's Running & Walking Shop and Mizuno were gold sponsors.
First State Bank was the silver sponsor while The United Way, Huntington Roadrunners Club and Pepsi were community sponsors.
