On Saturday, May 7, the Kanab 10K celebrated Mother’s Day weekend with nearly 150 runners crossing the finish line at the Kanab Center. The new course was yet again a hit among the participants, and we saw some of our fastest finish times in history!
Mother Nature gave us a beautiful, sunny morning as the participants began down the scenic course on Highway 89 from Moqui Cave toward Kanab, ending at the Kanab Center where spectators and supporters were there to cheer on the runners as they crossed the finish line. Houston’s Catering served up a delicious pancake breakfast to the runners and spectators as part of the finish line festivities. Shana Clark with Desert Healing Vitamins & IV Hydration Therapy hosted a Health & Wellness Fair in conjunction with the 10K and it was a wonderful addition to the event. There were vendor booths, live demos, prize drawings, free healthy snacks and much more.
The men’s overall first place win went to Kevin Kirk of St. George, Utah, for the second year in a row with an amazing time of 29:35, which was a personal record (PR) for him. Last year he finished in 30:45! Dylon Francis-Miller finished with a time of 41:14, landing the second-place spot. Jeremiah Barlow took third place with a time of 43:17. Each of them were also top finishers in their respective age divisions.
Billie Hatch, Ogden, Utah, was the women’s overall first place winner with an amazing time of 31:58! Local Kanab teen, Kenidee Glazier took the second-place spot with a time of 41:41. Rounding out the top three finishers in the women’s category was Elizabeth Richardi from Page, Ariz., with a time of 42:17, which was a PR for her. Last year she was the top female finisher with a time of 42:37. Each of them were also top finishers in their respective age divisions. You can find the results for all of the participants at www.runnercard.com.
Unique sandstone trophies provided by Western Hills-Nature’s Showcase were awarded to Kirk and Hatch, as well as the top finisher in each age division. A trophy was awarded to Debbie Pryatel for wearing the oldest Kanab 10K shirt. Pryatel sported her shirt from the 1988 10K! Every female participant that crossed the finish line received a rose in honor of Mother’s Day.
This event wouldn’t happen without the support of the Kanab City Police, Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol, Kane County Search & Rescue, Kanab City Parks & Rec Department and EMT personnel. They do a phenomenal job in looking out for the safety and well-being of the participants. Every year they are on board with this event, and it means so much to have their unwavering support and help.
A special thank you goes out to Mark Kuehnel for being the emcee, The KHS track team for volunteering at the aid stations and finish line, the Kane County Office of Tourism & Events team for transporting runners to the start line and helping with equipment for the race, the Kanab Center staff for the use of the facility for the start and finish line, Zoe Glover for taking photos of the race and the many others that make the race a success!
