Husband-wife tandem sweep five-mile races at Take 5 in the Garden
- Details
- Created on Saturday, 07 May 2011 19:11
- Written by Neal Reid
BY NEAL REID
OutThereColorado.com
Ken and Christie Foster made this year’s Take 5 in the Garden a family affair.
The husband-and-wife duo swept the five-mile races at the second of six races in the Colorado Springs Grand Prix of Running series on a picture-perfect Saturday morning at Garden of the Gods Park.
Ken Foster, a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and a member of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), won the men’s five-mile with a time of 27.06.85. Brian Dumm was second in 27:44.22.
Christie Foster took the women’s five-miler with a time of 31:47.53, nearly a minute ahead of Lori Stitch, who finished second in 32:36.92.
The couple was happy to sweep their respective races.
“It was an awesome race, a beautiful day and the course was beautiful,” said Christie Foster, who is going to school in Denver to become a physician’s assistant. “It was really challenging with all of the hills, and it was a really good workout. I’m really glad I did it.”
Christie is training for her first marathon, the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon that takes place May 15, while Ken – who has completed six marathons so far – will compete in the 10K event the same day.
“It was a good day,” said Ken Foster, who is stationed at Fort Carson. “I was looking to get in a good workout, and the course today was definitely a good workout. I try to do my best and stay in as good of shape as possible in the winter, but now that summer’s here, I can be free and just run.”
Adam Rich, a physical education teacher at Galileo Middle School, blew away the field in the men’s 5K race. He finished with a time of 16:07.47, more than a minute ahead of second-place Jeff Turner (17:15.36).
“This week was just a run-through week for me,” Rich said. “The last time I ran this race was seven years ago. I ran it because I got a comp (entry) into it, and I felt like it’d be a good idea to get a workout in and enjoy the weather.”
The women’s 5K went to former Palmer High School swimmer and runner Erika Ross, who is in graduate studies at Denver University. Ross, who is studying neuroscience, finished with a time of 21:27.48, well ahead of Lynn Serrano (23:33.23).
“It was just a perfect day,” said Ross, who even had time for a two-minute restroom break during the race. “It was a fun race, for sure, and I’d never done this one before. When I was in high school, I spent a lot of time running in Garden of the Gods, so it was nostalgic to be back here. It’s nice to have an outlet like this to balance the stress.”
A record 1,114 runners participated in the early morning races, which snaked through Garden of the Gods Park. People of all skill levels and ages ranging from 9 to 75 enjoyed the weather at the picturesque park.
The race benefited the Garden of the Gods Foundation and also featured a partnership with Evercare Hospice’s “Run to Remember” program. Approximately 35 people participated in the Run to Remember program, running for friends and loved ones they have lost.
The next leg of the Colorado Springs Grand Prix of Running series is the Sailin’ Shoes 5K and 10K in downtown Colorado Springs on June 18.
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