The Steamboat Pilot & Today

Hayden — It was a nice day for a run.

That’s what Allen Belshaw, first-place runner in the 8.4-mile uphill Cog Run, said after he crossed the finish line in Hayden in 54 minutes, 37 seconds Saturday.

Belshaw took second place in last year’s run and was the person who inspired this year’s second-place runner to keep going.

“I tried to catch up with that guy,” said Travis Mattern, who came in two minutes after Belshaw. “I tried to look 10 feet ahead of me and not look too far up the hill. The tough part was that I didn’t know where the end of the hill was.”

For Don Platt, the race is all about the downhill. That’s why he has participated in the Cog Run for 20 years.

“My strategy is just to get up the hill,” he said. “Because coming down is fun.”

Chad Lee took third place in the Cog Run with a time of 104:25.

Seven-year-old Carson Russell was not happy with his 50:20 time in the 5K race.

“I could’ve got way faster,” he said. “My best time is 37:15, but (the race) gets me going and it gets me in shape.”

Lauren Taratoot was icing a sore knee after she finished third in the 10K.

“I got a knee injury in February and on pavement, I feel it,” she said. “I wasn’t here to be competitive at all; it was an impromptu race. I was four minutes slower than I could’ve been — but it’s OK — I’m not being competitive.”

Christine Knight took first place in the 10K with a time of 42:06, and Joel Rae took second with 46:38.

The winners of the 5K race were Chris Zirkle in first place with a time of 21:25, Lisa Adams in second place with a time of 23:34, and Chris Adams in third with a time of 23:19.

Jennifer Schaden participated in the 5K in a supportive role to her boyfriend, who was doing the 10K run.

“I’m just a walker, but we will try to do a bunch (of races) this summer,” she said. “We came up from Denver for this, and I enjoyed the drive more than anything.”

— To reach Allison Plean, call 871-4204

or e-mail aplean@steamboatpilot.com