Chris Hegg seems to be slowing down only a little as he ages. The 61-year-old Grand Marais resident participates in the Minnesota Runner of the Year program, running several races from one mile to the half marathon throughout the summer/fall season.
For the second year in a row, Chris Hegg, 61, of Grand Marais placed fourth in the Minnesota Runner of the Year program for his 60-65 age group.
Although he didn’t move up in the competition, Hegg said, “One of the things I was proudest of was that all three of the guys that finished in front of me last year finished behind me this year.”
A longtime head track and cross country coach at Cook County High School, Hegg, who is still an assistant coach, ran his last race of the season, the 10K Drumstick Dash in Anoka, on Thanksgiving Day. He won his age group by 3 minutes but said, “eMy time (43:53) was a little slower than I wanted it to be. It was cold and windy and it probably affected me less than a lot of the other runners, but it still slowed me down a little bit.”
To qualify for the Minnesota Runner of the Year program runners must complete at least five certified races over a series of distances that range from one mile to the marathon. All told there are about 120 certified races at 12 different distances, with two-thirds of those being 5K races.
“You can score in up to five different distances, 10 points for the best time, 9 for second, 8 for third. …
“If you run fast enough to make the cut-off times you are on the list,” said Hegg, adding, “About 200 guys in my age group are on the list.”
Early in the season Hegg ran a 5:52 mile, which tied for third on the list. Chris next ran 1:35:20 for the half marathon at the Garry Bjorklund half marathon (4th) and he ended in 4th with a 5-mile time of 35:04 time. Hegg’s best race, he said, was a 10-mile he finished in 70:15, good for 3rd on the list.
Chris works full-time as a financial manager at Hedstrom Lumber Company and runs about 25 miles a week. He takes off January and February to cross country ski and he also does some biking, hiking, swimming, weight lifting and core work to maintain his fitness.
“Overall I was pleased with my year. You always want to do a little better, but I’ll take fourth,” said Hegg.
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