PORT ANGELES — More than 330 runners and walkers braved temperatures in the mid-30s, not only to race the clock and themselves, but a snowstorm approaching the North Olympic Peninsula.
In the end, the snow flurries held off until noon, well after the last of the 10K runners finished.
“The weather was nice, snow started coming down at the end of the race and some flakes throughout the event,” said race director Victoria Jones.
Some familiar names dominated in the seventh annual Elwha Bridge Run, the first race in the Run the Peninsula Series.
The event is organized by the Port Angeles Marathon Association, the same group that manages the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in June between Blyn and Port Angeles.
The Elwha Bridge Run is made possible by title sponsors Peninsula Daily News and Sequim Gazette, and presenting sponsors Olympic Medical Center and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.
Proceeds from the event support several local organizations, including the Peninsula Trails Coalition, which builds and maintains the Olympic Discovery Trail.
Winning the 10K was John Mauro of Port Townsend, a familiar name as he was the winner of four out of five 10K races in the Run the Peninsula series last year. He finished in a time of 36 minutes, 4.25 seconds, nearly three minutes ahead of second place, set by 17-year-old Drew Bardwell of Poulsbo (38:57.02).
Winning the women’s 10K was 12-year-old Eleanor Jones of Sequim, who has won 5Ks and 10Ks in the past in the Run the Peninsula Series. She got her 2025 running season off with a first-place finish in a time of 40:55.75 — good for fourth overall — and a little over two minutes ahead of the second-place woman, her mother Laura Gould, also of Sequim (43:13.54).
Eleanor and her mother dominated the women’s race as no other woman was under 49 minutes.
Winning the men’s 5K was Kyle Bardwell, 19, of Poulsbo, in a time of 17:44.51.
The top women’s 5K runner was Sarah Paquet of Bothell, who finished in a time of 19:18.14, good for third overall.
Youth was definitely served in the Elwha Bridge Run, as five of the top 15 5K runners were under 20 and four of the top 11 10K runners were in their teens.
A total of 339 runners finished despite the frigid conditions — 223 in the 5K and 116 in the 10K.
Next up in the Run the Peninsula series is the Sequim Railroad Bridge run on April 26. People can register for this race at https://tinyurl.com/RailroadRunRegister.
For full results from the Elwha Bridge Run, people can go online at www.runsignup.com/Race/Results/66956#.
Top Ten results (Full names not included for children under 13).
10K Men (Chip time)
John Mauro, Port Townsend, first, 36:04.25; Drew Bardwell, Poulsbo, second, 38:57.20; Michael Higuera, Port Angeles, third, 40:26.88; Taylor Lee, Sequim, fourth, 41:10.3; Luke Kelvington, Bremerton, fifth, 42:45.39; Brent Unruh, Maple Valley, sixth, 45:05.75; Todd Petrovich, Brmerton, seventh, 45:56.89; Dylan Zehr, Maple Valley, eighth, 46:26.49; Oliver Westendorf, Maple Valley, ninth, 46:44.94; Luke Stednick, Renton, 10th, 46:48.9.
10K Women
Eleanor Jones, Sequim, first, 40:55.75; Laura Gould, Sequim, second, 43:13.54; Emily Eastman, Mukilteo, third, 49:46.76; Zoei Shurtleff, Gig Harbor, fourth, 50:12.87; Jennifer Mathews, Belfair, fifth, 50:18.94; Rachel King, Tehuya, sixth, 50:25.31; Tonya Woodward, Forks, seventh, 51:00.89; Jazzmin Mendoza, Bremerton, eighth, 51:09.94; Gaia Gregori, Olympia, ninth, 51:32.95; Madison Zbaraschuk, Bethlehem, Pa., 10th, 52:19.92.
5K Men
Kyle Bardwell, Poulsbo, first, 17:42.70 Sawyer Roark, Silverdale, second, 18:01.69; Matt Dale, Bremerton, third, 20:41.17; Matthew Marchaetti, Silverdale, fourth, 21:41.90; James Osborne, Sequim, fifth, 22:08.62; Gray Endicot, Belfair, sixth, 22:36.84; Christopher Roark, Silverdale, seventh, 22:44.53; Kelton Fenrich, Snohomish, eighth, 22:44.53; Chad Boehm, ninth, Sequim, 22:54.84; Owen Armstrong, Maple Valley, 10th, 23:12. 79.
5K Women
Sarah Paquet, Bothell, first, 19:15.61; Katherine Braun, PA, second, 23:27.32; Kelli Lachappele, Snohomish, third, 24:26.89; Kayla Keller, Sequim, fourth, 24:41.05; Emma Fuchs, Silverdale, fifth, 25:55.30; Jenae Dale, Bremerton, sixth, 26:27.69; A. Osborne, Sequim, seventh, 27:09.52; Kaylee Cammack, PA, eighth, 27:46.91; Melinda Roark, Silverdale, ninth, 28:39.13; Bekah Howe, Port Townsend, 10th, 29:22.18.
The most determined racer on Saturday was No. 289 Dana Clawson. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
