The dogs may have had the spotlight at the 2012 Pet Day 5K Run/Walk Saturday, Sept. 15, but five runners who were turned loose on the Solomons track managed to finish the dash in less than 18 minutes. The leader of the pack was Trent Herzog, 15 of Lusby, who completed the 5 kilometers in 17 minutes and 18 seconds. He was followed by Ryan Braam, 16 (17 minutes and 35 seconds), Matthew Johnson, 15 (17 minutes and 37 seconds), Perry Rapp, 47 of Lexington Park (17 minutes and 38 seconds) and Nicholas Wirz, 24 of Lexington Park (17 minutes and 57 seconds).
The top female finisher was Hannah Aria, 16, who completed the race in 20 minutes and 39 seconds. She was followed by Carli Stewart, 13 (20 minutes and 51 seconds), Karen Cipressi, 46 of Huntingtown (20 minutes and 56 seconds) and Rachel Herzog, 17 (also 20 minutes and 56 seconds). Stewart was one of several participants wearing orange T-shirts honoring her father, Rodney Stewart, a popular Calvert County teacher and coach who died the past summer.
The race was presented by the Humane Society of Calvert County Inc. (HSCC), which encouraged dog owners to bring their pets on leashes to participate in the race. The HSCC also showcased several dogs that are up for adoption. The race, which started and finished in the parking lot of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Solomons, is held to raise funds for HSCC.
The Pet Day 5K ushers in the late-year road race season on Solomons Island. Subsequent races scheduled include the CBL Run for Research 5K (Sept. 22), Calvert Memorial Hospital’s third annual 5K Run/Walk (Oct. 13), the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse Step by Step 5K (Nov. 3) and the Jingle Bell Run 5K to benefit the Arthritis Foundation (Dec. 8).
For more information about HSCC, visit www.humanesocietyofcalvertcounty.org.
For complete results of the 2012 Pet Day 5K, visit the Chesapeake Bay Running Club’s web site at www.cbrcmd.org.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
