America’s 250th Birthday was celebrated in many ways across the country. For over 300 attending the 4th Annual Firecracker 10K and 5K, their day began with a race on The Great Guernsey Trail.
The Firecracker 10K and 5K Race & 5K Fun Run & Walk took participants down and back a portion of the paved scenic Great Guernsey Trail, a trail that in its entirety is 7 miles long (14-mile round trip) and begins in East Cambridge and ends in Lore City.
Trophies were awarded to the top three overall male and female finishers. Top male finishers for the 5K were Sawyer Bonnett (17:38.8), 20 of Saint Clairsville; Tyler Farrar (18:55.2), 39 of Marysville; and Spencer Milburn (19:12.6), 23 of Uhrichsville. Jarrett Wentworth (36:55.8), 19 of Pleasant City; Joel Tewksbary (39:16.3), 15 of Pleasant City; and Ryan Flohr (39:27.9), 40 of Akron, earned the top three places in the 10K event. For the women, Karla Khalifa (19:29.2), 42; Alicia Graham (20:10.1), 36 of Senecaville; and Marabelle Thornberry (21:11.0), 18, placed in the top three for the 5K. In the 10K for the women, top finishers were: Ida Estadt (44:11.2), 18 of Caldwell; Jennifer Badia-Ranker (46:55.9), 47 of Findlay; and Paige Long (48:14.4), 29 of Zanesville. Every first through third place finisher in each of the eight age categories received a medal. All participants received finisher’s medals for completing the race/walk.
The youngest participant was 6 years old. 22 runners aged 14 and under ran the 5K, and five took on the 10K. Two Firecracker participants were 84 years old, the oldest to take part in the race. Five women and four men aged 70 and over clocked 5K times.
Proceeds from the race went to supporting the Guernsey County Community Development Corp.’s projects and programs. The race was timed by Muskingum Multisports.
