This was the first year Scott Kiefer participated in the Moose Jawg Charity Road Race and it’s also one he’ll likely remember for a while.
Kiefer, 33, from Regina, captured first place in the 10K run with a time of 37:55.8, which was the best time overall among men and women during the July 1 race. Andrea Amiot, 36, from Moose Jaw, placed first in the women’s division with a time of 41:49.1.
Matthew Johnston took first place in the men’s 5K run, while Jadyn Palaschuk captured first in the women’s 5K event.
“Unexpected,” Kiefer said about the result. “It was a pleasant surprise. It was a personal best for me.”
The win was unexpected since there were many good runners at the event, he explained. There were several participants from the University of Regina Cougars track team, while there were also members of the Ted Jaleta Club. However, Kiefer noted with a chuckle that those runners competed in the 5K instead.
Kiefer’s wife participated in last year’s Moose Jawg and convinced him to run this year. He acknowledged that it was a good decision to attend, adding it was a fun course and different than what he normally faces in Regina. He pointed out there were many people along most of the pathway cheering on the runners.
Kiefer doesn’t normally run short shorter distances, he explained. He took up long-distance marathon running a few years ago, so his training methods are much different. He has trained himself to keep a solid pace over a longer period; with a 5K or 10K run, he has to use fast-twitch muscles that develop lactic acid buildup faster than during long-distance runs.
“For the first time running it, it was a great race to run,” he added. “I’ll probably be back next year and even recruit some friends.”
Moose Jawg organizer Dawn Luhning is pleased with how this year’s race turned out and described it as awesome.
“Really good, really good. It was a great day and it was great weather,” she said about the 18th annual charity road race. “It ran pretty smoothly. It was one of the smoothest ones I’ve ever ran.”
This year there were 260 participants, while 59 youngsters took part in the Runt Run. Luhning joined the kids during their event and ran with them over the bridge.
“I’ve always said that’s one of the best parts of the day is watching them line up,” she said. “They’re so excited to be there and it’s just a great part of the event, that’s for sure.”
Luhning does not participate in the race, but stays behind to ensure the logistics run smoothly, support the volunteers if they need help and cheer on the racers.
Luhning was unsure how much money had been raised this year. However, after all the bills are paid, she expects to send a cheque for about $5,000 to the Moose Jaw Health Foundation.
After taking off this summer to rest, Luhning and her team will begin planning for next year’s race in September or October. She will search for more sponsors and start the process of creating a new logo, which is a race tradition. A website will then be launched in January that allows runners to start registering.
Luhning was grateful for the sponsors and volunteers, since the event wouldn’t have been possible without their contributions.
The Moose Jawg race has raised more than $134,000 for the health foundation during the last 18 years.
