Hazy skies and dropping temperatures greeted participants of the 31st annual Valley 5000 5K race in Loveland, CO, Friday evening as the race kicked off near Fairgrounds Park. The event – a staple to the Loveland running community – has one of the coolest finishes of running event’s in the area: at mile 3, runners take a quick right turn onto a wooden footbridge where they can see the final downhill to the finish line where the post-race party has already begun.
In the men’s race, Colorado State Sophomore Gus Waneka led wire-to-wire, taking the win in 16:38. Second place finisher Brock Laue wasn’t far behind, crossing the finish line in 17:16. Joey Castaneda rounded out the top three in 17:57.
The women’s race saw 15-year old Loveland High School Sophomore Kristina Ritschard narrowly escape former CSU runner Hannah Pensack-Rinehart by one second for the win in 20:10. Pensack-Rinehard finished up in 20:11. Third place finisher Laura Harger was only second behind, crossing the line in 20:22.
Participants enjoyed the post-race festivities, including a full band and beer garden hosted by the Grimm Brothers Brewing.
For a more detailed recap of the race, including race winner interviews, check out Mike Brohard’s article in Loveland’s Reporter-Herald.