By CATHERINE ELLERTON
Moapa Valley Progress
Over 180 runners from 20 states, Canada, England, Germany, the Bahamas and Europe gathered together at the Visitor’s Center in the Valley of Fire on Saturday morning, to take up the challenge presented by this rugged Half-Marathon course. There was scheduled the 5K (3.1 miles), 10K (6.2 miles) and ½ Marathon (13.1 miles) to be run up the hill, past Mouse’s Tank, over the Rainbow Vista and on to White Domes and back again.
Other than the fantastic scenery and great weather, what brought these runners to the Valley of Fire? I spent some time with the mom of Elyssa Cuenca of Las Vegas who told me that Elyssa was completing a bucket list item to run a ½ marathon at 18 years of age. She reached that birthday on September 30. She is also a cross-country runner who won the ‘Iron Camel’ award when she was injured in a run and finished despite the injury.
Another ‘bucket list’ runner was Charisse Charters. She set a goal to complete 40 half-marathons by the age of forty. The Valley of Fire Half Marathon is her 39th race. She then goes to Las Vegas for number forty. Charisse turns 40 in June of next year.
Benoit Beaulieu of Quebec who works in the Aerospace Industry started running 10 years ago after a heart attack. It is his way of keeping fit.
Wes Girven and his wife Sarah moved to Las Vegas in May. This is his first big race in a decade. Wes is a half-marathoner and Sarah runs the 10K. He is currently stationed at Nellis Air Force Base.
Larry and Shelly Stephens are from Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. They came to the Valley of Fire while waiting to do the Vegas Marathon the next day. Shelly was the runner in the family. Larry laughingly stated that he only took it up so he could chase after Shelly.
To run a Half-Marathon in every state is the goal of Chris Dawson from Cornell University in New York State.
The Boren family from Logandale was present and brought home several medals. David Boren ran the half-marathon in 2 hrs 4 minutes and 36 seconds taking 3rd place for 35 to 39 year old men. Wife Tereasa, who says running is a passion, ran the 10K and took first place for 35 to 39 year old women in 1 hr. 3 minutes and 23 seconds. Son Jacob ran his first 5K race and took 1st place for men 1 to 18 years of age in 27 minutes and 56 seconds.
Taking 1st place Overall Women in 21:35 in the 5K was Danielle Sansonetti from Melbourne, Australia. Her sister Michelle took 2nd and her Mom was accounted for also. These ladies have run in the New York and San Juan Marathons, Valley of Fire ½ Marathon and will finish with the Las Vegas Marathon – this year.
In that same race, Leon Durbin of Mesquite, an elementary school teacher and high school coach, took 1st place Overall Men in 21:47.
In the 10K Melanie Cooper took 1st Overall Women with a time of 49:26. Fifteen year old Nathaniel Brill of Overton took 1st place Overall Men with a time of 44:49. Brill is a freshman at Moapa Valley High School and a star member of the school’s Cross Country team.
Markus Lehr of Germany won the Half-Marathon Overall Men with a time of 1:30:19. This software engineer loves the Valley of Fire and has raced or volunteered here several times since 2005. Heather Fisher won the Half-Marathon Overall Women in 1:40:36.
Other local winners were Tom Lukas who took 3rd in the 30 – 34 year old men category with 48:55; Mandy Leavitt who at 1:10:21 won 1st for Women 30 – 34 category; and Lisa German, celebrating her birthday, placed 1st in 1:19:34 in the 50-54 Women’s category.
The race was coordinated by Planet Ultra of Washington, Utah. But they had a good deal of help from local volunteers.
Emergency Communication of Logandale, with Roy Wilmer at the helm, got the job of setting up the rest stops with vehicles and radios to make sure the runners were safe and all made it back to the finish line.
The Overton Volunteer Fire Station #74 had an ambulance and EMTs on site should any unforeseen accidents occur. None did.
The MVHS Cross Country coach Gary Watkins came with eight members of the team to help with the logistics of the event and keep things running smoothly.
