The Marysville Strawberry Festival is kicking off the summer once again and the annual Berry Run got the ball rolling for the week-long festivities on June 8.
The Lakewood Cross Country program hosted the Berry Run, one mile and 5K races, again as they looked to raise funds for local organizations. The list of nonprofits included the Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Strong Against Cancer Campaign, Lakewood Education Foundation and the Lakewood Sports Booster Club.
“We’re here to give everyone a community event where they can come together and have some fun. It also gives them the ability to show off their fitness level after putting in their own hard work,” said Lakewood Cross Country Coach Jeff Sowards.
The top three finishers in the one-mile race ranged all the way from 12 to 43 years old. NJ Brost, 43, and his wife Kim Brost, 40, finished first for the men’s and women’s divisions with times of 6:40.6 and 6:49.0 respectively. Noah Bumgardner, 12, rounded out the top three as he finished in just over seven minutes at 7:21.1.
The top two local male finishers in the Berry 5K were Arlington Cross Country runners Isaiah Lowery and Logan Davies. Lowery, 16, finished in first place as he crossed the finish line with a time of 17:52.6. Davies, 15, slipped back a few spots as he took the fourth-place finish clocking in at 18:37.6.
The top two female racers in the 5K were out of Marysville Getchell in Jasmine Nguyen and Lilli Toone. Nguyen, 16, narrowly missed finishing in under 20 minutes as she took eighth place with a time of 20:01.7. Toone, 16, was able to round out the top 10 by placing 10th in 21:49.1.
“I think I say this every year, but my favorite part is all the smiles on people’s faces. We have such a wide range, from little boys and girls to grandmas and grandpas, finishing their first races to high level runners coming out to compete against one another. We’re able to help great organizations, but the best part is seeing them cross the finish line and knowing they enjoyed the experience,” said Sowards.
If you’re interested in checking out more of the events that the Marysville Strawberry Festival has to offer you can visit https://www.maryfest.org/ for all of the information.
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