Staff Report

RUSSELL, Ky. — From ages 6 to 78, from Oregon to Florida, and across the ocean in Japan, runners and walkers participated this past weekend in the 43rd Annual Kiwanis Run By The River Virtual 5K.
“Everyone who participated was a winner,” according to Tim Gearhart, race director.
“This was a year like no other,” he said. “With the global COVID-19 Pandemic came restrictions on personal contact and that made it impossible to conduct the annual event in the normal in-person style.”
With schools closed, all but essential businesses closed, and social distancing guidelines in place, the Run By The River’s sponsor, the Kiwanis Club of East Greenup County, decided to change the race to a Virtual event that allowed participants to run on the course of their choice, wherever in the world they happened to be, and over a 3 day period.
Participants could run or walk, and they could do it on a treadmill, track, public street or park or just around the block until 3.1 miles was achieved.
The participants were on their own to report times on the honor system.
The top time in running was reported by Craig Hosking, 43, of Russell, with a time of 20:43. That made him first in the men’s division and first overall.
Sixteen-year-old Stevie McSorley of Flatwoods reported the best running time among women entrants at 20:46, giving her 2nd place overall.
If this had been a normal race, second place in the men’s division would have gone to Randall Watts, 65, of Garner, Ky. He reported a time of 20:54. Nichole Johnson, 45, of Wheelersburg was second in the women’s division at 26:59.
There were some creative takes on the race.
Jennifer Gleim Monnig, a longtime Run By The River participant, did her version of a triathlon to complete a 5K walk in a total time of 50:32.
“I finished mine part treadmill, part cornfield, and then walked the last quarter mile doing laps in the pool,” she said, adding “with Crocs and no socks.”
“We had runners from coast to coast, from Oregon to the west and Florida to the east and many in between,” Gearhart said, “There were a number of Kiwanis International members who found out about the race on social media and joined in from Indiana, Georgia and even Texas.”
The youngest participants were from Florida: Katie Linhart, 8, and her brother Charlie, 6, who walked 5K Saturday morning with their parents Tom and Julie Linhart in Isla Del Sol near St. Petersburg. They live in Tampa. The oldest runner was Leo McMullen, 78, of Lexington, who completed his course in 1:38:00.
The entrant who made this an international event was Kyoko Okamoto, 56, who lived in the states and was a member of the Lafayette, Ind. Kiwanis Club before returning home to Tokyo. “I am not a member of the Tokyo Kiwanis Club,” she said, “But sometimes I volunteer with them such as studying with kids at Temple, and having lunch.”
“In Japan, becoming a Kiwanis member costs a lot,” she said. “The annual fee is seven times higher than in the United States.”
She completed her walk in 43 minutes in Hikarigaoka Park in Tokyo, which is located near a U.S. military facility.
Everyone who participated will receive a specially designed shirt and medal by mail.
East Greenup Kiwanis Club
Annual Run By The River Results
Virtual 5K Results
5K Run
1. Craig Hosking 20:43; 2. Stevie McSorley 20:46; 3. Randall Watts 20:54; 4. Chad Simonds 22:00; 5. Wade Napier 23:25; 6. Aaron Arnold 25:28; 7. Nicole Johnson 26:59; 8. Susan Williams 27:34; 9. Kelly Napier 27:43; 10. Felicia Stevens 28:38.
11. Danielle Davis 28:49; 12. Jim Cremeans 29:41; 13. John Ramey 29:50; 14. Jacob Rouse 29:58; 15. Ron Simpson 31:24; 16. Sarah Duzan 32:06; 17. Scott Hill 32:57; 18. Jack Schrader 32:58; 19. Nate Rice 35:39; 20. Nichole Hicks 37:35.
21. Cecilia Gaynor 38:05; 22. Nicholas Russell 38:25; 23. Courtney Sammons 39:06; 24. John Lynd 40:32; 25. Ruthie Lynd 40:34; 26. Todd Adams 42:05; 27. Stefanie Stamatopoulos 43:54; 28. Mari Oaks 44:21; 29. Mark Russell 45:04; 30. Carli Holbrook 47:35; 31. Dwight Watt 48:00; 32. Leo McMillen 1:38:00.
5K Walk
1. Heather Sandford 40:00; 2. Kyoko Okamoto 43:00; 3. Tom Linhart 44:00’ 4. Katie Linhart 44:00; 5. Charlie Linhart 44:00; 6. Doug Cumming 45:32; 7. Kathleen Holbrook 47:35; 8. Glenna Wylie 49:53; 9. Melissa Potts 50:00; 10. Malissa Warrick 50:24; 11. Jennifer Monnig 50:32; 12. Scott Foster 59:35.
13. Kimberly Wales Limer 1:00:00; 14. Steve Limer 1:00:00; 15. Duane Hicks 1:01:00; 16. Chris Toponak 1:12:00; 17. Ted Toponak 1:12:01; 18. Patrick Gaynor 1:13:48; 19. Robin Cody 1:31:00.