Mild conditions led to some fast times this past Saturday at the Santa Stampede 5K and 10K. Hundreds of runners and walkers converged on Hudson Gardens in Littleton for the first event in the popular Winter Distance Series, hosted by Colorado Runner.
The men’s 10K saw the top three finishers all finish in the 35-minute range, with Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy taking top honors in 35 minutes flat. Eddie Perez was second in 35:17, with Seth Kelly finishing up in third in 35:26.
In the women’s 10K, Meghan Curran crossed the line first in 37:22, with Laura Cook (who finished first in the 5K) coming in second in 39:32. Rounding out the podium was Anica Wong in 43:45.
The men’s 5K was F-A-S-T, with the top three finishers coming in sub-16:00. Youngster Simon Kelati of Greeley finished first in 15:42, with Adam Rich and Dave Marks hot on his heels, coming in only seconds apart. Rich out-kicked Marks to finish second in 15:46; Marks was third in 15:47.
In the women’s 5K, Laura Cook finished first in 18:14, with Allison Toppen coming in second in 18:38. Taylor Hoover-Matecki rounded out the top three in 19:06.
There were almost 50 Doublers – participants in both the 5K and 10K – with Ryan Guldan finishing on top for the men with a combined time of 53:35, and Laura Cook taking the Doublers Title for the women with a combined time of 57:46.
Next up in the Winter Distance Series is Frosty’s Frozen Five and Ten on January 20th. Visit the event website for more details!