PORT ANGELES — Chris Morlan of Spokane blew the field away to easily win the first Olympic Medical Center 10-kilometer road race Sunday.
Morlan, a veteran runner who races for money, outshined the local athletes while the real drama was Port Angeles Police Chief Tom Riepe and a running pal using women’s winner Rebecca Payne as a rabbit to break the 40-minute mark for the first time.
Payne, of Sequim, won her second local race of the year, holding off Forks High School track sensation Emily Perkins. Payne earlier won the Sequim Runoff.
While in the 5K race, it was the “old” coach teaching his students a thing or two about competitive racing.
Port Angeles High School track and cross country coach Kieran Mahoney, 29, won that event while several of his Roughrider runners finished right behind him.
“The wise old crow got them,” Mahoney said with a smile.
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