PORT TOWNSEND — Port Townsend’s Don Young captured the fourth annual Longest Day of Trails 10-Kilometer Summer Solstice Run.
The 49-year-old Young won the race in a time of 39 minutes, 11 seconds.
The first-place female finisher was 31-year-old Aubry Frantz of Port Townsend, who had a time of 39:57.
Participants ranged in age from 10 years old to 74. All runners received a brightly colored pair of running socks and a redwood seedling.
The first three finishers in each age and gender division received ribbons.
The weather was anything but summer-like with cool temperatures and rain, which probably kept the registrations below what was expected.
Actually, it was perfect running weather for the 6.2-mile out-and-back course on the Larry Scott Memorial Trail.
Runners started out from the Port Townsend Boatyard to a turn-around point just past the Discovery Road culvert underpass, and returned to the boatyard on the same route.
A 15-mile bike ride was held in the afternoon as part of the celebration, covering the entire length of the trail finished to date, to the new Milo-Curry Road trailhead.
The Jefferson Trails Coalition and Pacific NW Trails Association sponsors the race.
Other sponsors for this year’s run included Jefferson Healthcare, Port Townsend Athletic Club, Port Townsend Food Co-Op, Metro Bagels, Evergreen Fitness, Good Sports Athletics, Port Hadlock QFC, CI Digital Media, The Broken Spoke Bike Shop and Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Department.
The event is a fundraiser for the trail organizations to promote, maintain and advocate for the continuation of the Larry Scott Trail south on the Quimper Peninsula as well as the Olympic Discovery Trail to the tip of Discovery Bay, and to connect with the finished portions of the Olympic Discovery Trail in Clallam County on Miller Peninsula.
The Jefferson Trails Coalition (Jefferson County chapter of the Peninsula Trails Coalition) is always looking for additional members to help in their mission, and for volunteers to help organize and run events such as the Longest Day of Trails.
A membership application form can be found on the ODT website (www.OlympicDiscoveryTrail.com) or by calling Jeff Selby, vice president for Jefferson County, at 360-385-0995.
See complete results for the Longest Day of Trails event on Page B2 in Scoreboard.
