PORT ANGELES — More than 340 runners hit the Olympic Discovery Trail on Saturday in the fifth annual Elwha Bridge Run, the first race of the year in the Run the Peninsula series.
The Run the Peninsula series of races are put on by the Port Angeles Marathon Association, the same group that manages the North Olympic Discovery Marathon between Blyn and Port Angeles in June.
The event is made possible by title sponsors Peninsula Daily News and the Sequim Gazette, and presenting sponsors Olympic Medical Center and Elwha Klallam Tribe. Proceeds from the event go to several local organizations including the Peninsula Trails Coalition, which builds and maintains the Olympic Discovery Trail.
As with other recent Run the Peninsula races, youth was served again, as the top three finishers in the 5K were 13- to 15-year-old boys.
Sean Southard, 15, of Sequim crosses the finish line first in the 5K in the Elwha Bridge Run held Saturday west of Port Angeles. (Courtesy of Run the Peninsula)
The 5K winner was 15-year-old Sean Southard of Sequim with a time of 19 minutes, 48 seconds. Jackson Laboy of Sequim, 13, was second in 21:01 and Skye Trollsplinter, 13, of Port Townsend was third in 21:33. In fact, five of the top seven winners were 15 and younger. Connor Goff, 15, of Port Angeles, was fifth in a time of 22:00 and Trevor Goff, 14, also of Port Angeles, was seventh with a time of 22:22.
The women’s 5K winner was Lucy Wait of Port Angeles with a time of 23:47, good for 11th overall. Second place among the women was Sarah Steinman of Port Angeles in a time of 24:54 and third was Alexis Neal of Bremerton in a time of 25:10.
In the 10K, the overall winner was Ethan Martin of Sequim in a time of 38:47. Second place was Michael Miguera of Port Angeles in a time of 40:35 and third was Jay Nolan of Lynnwood in a time of 43:41.
The women’s 10K winner was Laura Gould of Sequim in a time of 45:06, good for sixth overall. Lia Swanson of Poulsbo was second in a time of 45:24 (and seventh overall), and Abby Loux of Enumclaw was third in a time of 45:29, good for eighth overall.
Ten-year-old Eleanor Jones of Sequim finished fourth among the women, and ninth overall, in the 10K in a time of 45:51.
Eleanor Jones, 10, of Sequim finished fourth in the 10K among women at the Elwha Bridge Run held Saturday west of Port Angeles. (Courtesy of Run the Peninsula)
Times and places are all based on chip time (a bar code on the runners’ bib) and are not yet official. Final results can change because of chip errors or runners being placed in the wrong race, etc.
Full results can be found online at www.tinyurl.com/ElwhaRun2023.
The Run the Peninsula series puts on five races around the North Olympic Peninsula during the year. Next on the schedule is the Railroad Bridge Run in Sequim on April 22, followed by the big North Olympic Discovery Marathon on June 5 and 6, the Larry Scott Trail run in Port Townsend on Oct. 14 and the Jamestown Glow Run in Blyn on Dec. 2.
A total of 211 racers finished the 5K and 132 finished the 10K.
Top 10 finishers
Men’s 5K — Sean Southard, Sequim, first, 19:46; Jackson Laboy, Sequim, second, 21:01; Skye Trollsplinter, Port Townsend, third, 21:53; Mark Davis, Gig Harbor, fourth, 21:59; Connor Goff, PA, fifth, 22:00; Allan Anderson, Bremerton, sixth, 22:22; Trevor Goff, PA, seventh, 22:22; Jesse Goodman, PA, eighth, 22:24; Tom Warren, Woodinville, ninth, 23:23; Matthew Moore, PA, 10th, 23:37.
Women’s 5K — Lucy Wait, PA, first, 23:47; Sarah Steinman, PA, second, 24:54; Alexis Neal, Bremerton, third, 25:10; Lucy Williams, Seabeck, fourth, 25:24; Aimee Olbu, Marysville, fifth, 25:50; Ashley Oliveto, Bremerton, sixth, 26:46; Lucy Shaw, Poulsbo, seventh, 26:52; Naomi McCown, Kennewick, eighth, 27:15; Josette Holden, Sequim, ninth, 27:26; Emily Perkins, Sequim, 10th, 28:13.
Men’s 10K — Ethan Martin, Sequim, first, 38:47; Michael Higuera, PA, second, 40:36; Jay Nolan, Lynnwood, third, 43:41; Robert Neiberger, Allyn, fourth, 44:55; Justin Constable, PA, fifth, 44:59; Steven Lachnicht, Sequim, sixth, 47:33; Andrew Gorbett, Forks, seventh, 47:36; Logan Brouelette, Portland, Ore., eighth, 48:00; Sid Wavrin, Mabion, ninth, 50:07; Curtis Stretchbery, Hoodsport, 10th, 50:36.
Women’s 10K — Laura Gould, Sequim, first, 45:06; Lia Swanson, Poulsbo, second, 45:24; Abby Loux, Enumclaw, third, 45:29; Eleanor Jones, Sequim, fourth, 45:51; Josie Paznokas, Renton, fifth, 46:09; Amber Kuehl, Bremerton, sixth, 48:42; Mallory Raber, Bremerton, seventh, 48:57; Leslie Cisneros, Sequim, eighth, 50:45; Alma Sisk, Poulsbo, ninth, 51:51; Carly Castillo, Bothell, 10th, 52:19.
