More than 500 runners and race-walkers braved the cold Sunday morning for the Valentine’s Day 5k at Wash Park in Denver. Temperatures hovered around a brisk 25 degrees, and while there were some snow and ice patches on the course, that didn’t stop some of Colorado’s fast locals from coming out and posting some impressive times.
In the men’s race, Brandon Williams took the win in 17:28 with second place finisher Todd Straka coming in close behind in 17:35. Lenny Laraio finished in third with a time of 17:51.
Team Runners Roost dominated the women’s podium with Heather Utrata solidifying her fourth win of the 2012 season. Her time of 18:35 took the women’s win and sixth place overall. The fight for second place was extremely close – Runners Roost teammates Janet Rooney and Leslie Hoffman were neck and neck coming into the finish line, with Rooney crossing the line in second with a time of 20:01 and Hoffman on her heels in third with a time of 20:03.
The Valentine’s Day 5k is the fourth installment in BKB Limited’s RUNDENVER Race Series, with the final race taking place on March 4th. That Dam Run will be held at the Cherry Creek Dam in Denver and will include a half marathon and 5k race.
