At age 73 Denny Fitzpatrick, Grand Marais, had a great run in the Voyage North 5K race held last Saturday. Denny was one of 226 people who competed in either the 5K or the 10K race that finished at the Voyageur Brewing Company. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
Saturday, June 8 turned out to be a great day for the running of the 5K and 10K Voyage North races sponsored by Voyageur Brewing. And while runners came from all over the Midwest, more than 40 percent of the athletes participating came from Thunder Bay, Ontario, or nearby Ontario towns.
5K results
Alexander MacLean, 16, from Mankato was the overall winner of the 5K (3.1 miles) race. Alex finished the difficult, hilly course in 20:01. Ben Seaton, 24, was the top local finisher, crossing the line in 22:16 to take fourth place.
Lora Falck, 45, Minneapolis, was the first woman finisher. Lora placed 11th with a time of 26:57.
Denny Fitzpatrick, 73, Grand Marais, ran 36:53 to place 49th overall and second in his age group. Peter Law, 72, Thunder Bay, placed first in 33:49.
Grand Marais runners Jack Dragsweik, age 8, and his mother, Sarah Dragsweik, 40, finished together in 39:08 and placed 60 and 62nd, with Vanessa Perrier, 26, of Thunder Bay squeezed in with them.
Mary Glasnapp, 59, Grand Marais, crossed the line in 41:52 to take 85th place. Ryan Langemeir 55, Grand Marais, finished 95th in 43:54.
Running together, Visit Cook County’s Lily Nelsen-Pedersen, 28, and Linda Jurek, 58, finished 106th and 107th in 56:25.
Right behind was Ann Marie Mershon, 69, and Jetty St. John, 69, both of Grand Marais. They crossed the finish line in 59:33 and 59:34 and finished 108th and 109th place.
All told 111 runners completed in the race, 40 men and 71 women. The average finishing time was 37:54.
10K results
Jonathan Balabuck, 39, Thunder Bay, bested the field by more than five minutes, winning in 36:20.
Second place went to Grand Marais mayor Jay Arrowsmith-Decoux, 36, who, despite having a cold, ran 41.44 over the hilly, 6.2-mile distance.
The first place woman was Samantha Bilenki, 31, Thunder Bay, who ran 47:43 to take 10th overall.
Sharon Dorr, 46, Grand Marais, was the third woman in, crossing the line in 49:57 to take 13th out of the 115 in the field.
Other top Cook County finishers were: Al-Jake Bin-Todd, 36, placed sixth in 45:21; Ben Langemeir, 25, finished 9th in 47:33; Carmen Anderson, 28, ran 54:26 to place 21st overall and first in her age group. Brienne Moody, 37, was 42nd in 58:44; Chris Skildum, 34, placed 87th in 1:07:41; Sarena Nelson, 34, placed 102nd in 1:11:46; Lynsey Nelson 36, finished 107th in 1:15:53.
All in all there were 115 finishers – 46 men and 69 women with the average finishing time 1:01:44.
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