Coronado Eagle, Volume 6, Number 14, 5 April 1995 — Coronadans Took Part In "Fastest" 5000 m [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Coronadans Took Part In "Fastest" 5000 m

by Linda Hunt

Like the Coronado Flower Show and the appearance of the Easter Bunny, another Spring happening has fast become a tradition on the April calendar. Last Sunday, April 2, was the 10th Annual Carlsbad 5000 Meter Road Race. Billed as the "World's Fastest" 5K, it has evolved into a something-for-everyone event. Many of the people there saw the event as a chance to run a personal best time on the flat, fast course. James Murphy, a loan officer at the Bank of Coronado wanted, "to run my fastest time, but more importantly I'm doing this because I want to finally get my name in Dean and Nancy's paper — anything for a little ink," he joked. Coronadan Betty Cuellar, the credit manager for Nelson and Sloan, also looked to run her fastest time. She took up tunning 3 years ago at the age of 47 and recently

started working with coach, Thom Hunt (anotherCoronadan). "Having acoach gives me a lot of direction and I'm having a lot of fun seeing what I can do with my running. I hear Carlsbad is the place for a fast time," she said. Investment broker Dave Elhoff runs because, "It makes me feel great to stay in good shape. I love the camaraderie of training with a group and besides, it's good therapy!" said Coronadan Elhoff. "I am also using this race as a speed check for the Drake Relays (in Des Moines, Iowa) 800 meter race I'm running at the end of April." Throughout the morning there were a total of seven different 5 kilometer races including age-group-divided "people's" runs, a "people's" walk and a wheelchair invitational; all culminating with an invitational elite race that was blazing, with worldclass performances by some of the fastest

runners in the world. The event was televised by ESPN and local NBC affiliate KNSD. The 'Bad 5000 was designed to be a family event starting on the Saturday with the Runner's Health and Fitness Expo, featuring exhibits, free samples and super buys and continuing through that Sunday's postrace "Party by the Sea," with lots of free drinks, munchies and live entertainment. On Saturday, April 1, was the 6th Annual Junior Carlsbad with 10 separate race distances for children 12 and under, ranging from the diaper dash and toddler trot, to a one-mile race for the older kids. All entrants received t-shirts bags.

Photo by Thom Hunt

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