Winners enjoy wet, wonderful ‘24 Sequim Railroad Run

By Pierre LaBossiere • May 1, 2024 1:30 am
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Runners break from the start of the Sequim Railroad Bridge Run on April 27. Pictured, from left, are Michael Higuera (343) and Langdon Larson of Port Angeles (204), John Mauro of Port Townsend (363) and Stuart Howard-Smith of Sequim (87).
Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Runners break from the start of the Sequim Railroad Bridge Run on April 27. Pictured, from left, are Michael Higuera (343) and Langdon Larson of Port Angeles (204), John Mauro of Port Townsend (363) and Stuart Howard-Smith of Sequim (87).

Nearly 400 runners from the North Olympic Peninsula and elsewhere braved a wet morning to take on the sixth-annual Sequim Railroad Bridge Run.

There were local winners and one from Tacoma in the 5k and 10k races on April 27.

Much like the Elwha Bridge Run in February, weather was a factor. Though not as cold or windy as the Elwha race, Saturday’s event began in light sprinkles and ended in heavy rainfall.

Winning the men’s 10k was Travis Boltjes of Tacoma in a time of 35 minutes, 21.55 seconds (times are clock times as opposed to chip times). Local race veteran John Mauro of Port Townsend, who recently won the Olympic Adventure Trail run, was second at 36:17.43 while Sawyer Roark of Silverdale was third at 37:22.19.

Winning the women’s 10k was a well-known local, Laura Gould of Sequim, coming in first in a time of 42:09.53, good for eighth among all runners. She had the best women’s time by nine minutes.

In second among the women was Deborah Horstman of Port Angeles in a time of 51:23.24 and third was Jessica DiBari of Port Angeles with a clock time of 55:17.9. Jordan Higgins of Sequim had the third-best chip time at 54:26.41.

Winning the 5k was Langdon Larson of Port Angeles, a repeat winner of Run the Peninsula events along with other members of his family, in a time of 17:14.61, nearly two minutes ahead of second place.

In second was Oliver Westendorf of Maple Valley in a time of 18:56.42. In third was Dylan Zehr of Maple Valley in a time of 19:19.48.

The 5k women’s winner and in fourth place overall was 11-year-old Eleanor Jones of Sequim, Gould’s daughter and a repeat winner of several Run the Peninsula races. She finished in a time of 19:20.47, beating the second-place woman by 3½ minutes — a massive gap for the 5k. Alexis Neal of Bremerton was second at 22:49.44 and Katherine Braun of Port Angeles was third at 23:55.11.

The Sequim Railroad Run is the second of the five-race Run the Peninsula series put on by the Port Angeles Marathon Association, which also manages the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in June.

This event is made possible by title sponsors Sequim Gazette and Peninsula Daily News, as well as presenting sponsors Sound Community Bank and Olympic Medical Center. Proceeds from the event go to several local organizations, including the Peninsula Trails Coalition and Dungeness River Nature Center.

A total of 389 runners finished — 158 in the 10k and 231 in the 5k — out of about 425 who signed up.

For full results, see tinyurl.com/RailroadBridgeResults.

Top finishers

Top 10 in each division (with clock time; some chip time placements may be different) include:

• Men’s 10k — 1. Travis Boltjes, Tacoma, 35:21.55; 2. John Mauro, Port Townsend, 36:17.43; 3. Sawyer Roark, Silverdale, 37:22.19; 4. Seth Milligan, Olympia,, 39:21.53; 5. Michael Higuera, Port Angeles, 40:14.15; 6. Matthew Wolpert, Neah Bay, 40:17.9; 7. Andrew Gorbett, seventh, 41:01.91; 8. Taylor Lee, Sequim, 44:33.34; 9. Cort Mao, Sequim, 44:57.95; 10. Michael Lix, Silverdale, 46:58.40

• Women’s 10k — 1. Laura Gould, Sequim, 42:09.53; 2. Deborah Horstman, PA, 51:23.24; 3. Jordan Higgins, Sequim, 55:35.4; 4. Jessica DiBari, PA, 55:17.9 (54:26 chip time); 6. Julia Taylor, Bainbridge, 55:40.21; 7. Harieta White, PA, 55:45.56; 8. Lillie Phillips, PA, 56:05.99; 9. Alma Sisk, Poulsbo, 56:11.57; 10. Hannah Mead, Bainbridge, 10th, 56:23.9

• Men’s 5k — 1. Langdon Larson, PA, 17:14.61; 2. Oliver Westendorf, Maple Valley, 18:56.42; 3. Dylan Zehr, Maple Valley, 19:19.48; 4. Owen Armstrong, Maple Valley, 19:26.40; 5. Stuart Howard-Smith, Sequim, 19:34.27; 6. Jackson Laboy, Sequim, 19:51.99; 7. August Bourque, Hansville, 20:26.26; 8. Bryant Laboy, Sequim, 21:00.05; 9. Ross Beuchereau, PA,, 23:02.54; 10. C.J. Daniels, Sequim, 24:12.46

• Women’s 5k — 1. Eleanor Jones, Sequim, 19:20.47; 2. Alexis Neal, Bremerton, 22:49.44; 3. Katherine Braun, PA, 23:55.11; 4. Aimee Olbu, Marysville, 25:20.92; 5. Jennifer Barrows, Sequim, 26:43.23; 6. Pollyanna Kasten, PA, 27:24.9; 7. Rachel Chard, PA, 27:25.2; 8. Lindsey Robinson, Sequim, 28:02.15; 9. Chrissy Brown, Sequim, 29:12.86; 10. Michele Leslie, Seattle, 29:45.06.

Men’s 5k winner Langdon Larson of Port Angeles reaches the finish line at the Sequim Railroad Bridge Run on April 27. Larson won the 5k by nearly two minutes.

Men’s 5k winner Langdon Larson of Port Angeles reaches the finish line at the Sequim Railroad Bridge Run on April 27. Larson won the 5k by nearly two minutes.

Kathryn Johnson of Oak Harbor (424), Sarah Wilson of Port Orchard (178) and Christine Thurston of Gig Harbor (123) take off at the beginning of the Sequim Railroad Bridge Run on April 27.

Kathryn Johnson of Oak Harbor (424), Sarah Wilson of Port Orchard (178) and Christine Thurston of Gig Harbor (123) take off at the beginning of the Sequim Railroad Bridge Run on April 27.

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim mother-daughter winners at the Sequim Railroad Bridge Run on April 27 are Laura Gould (10k) and Eleanor Jones (5k).

Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell / Sequim mother-daughter winners at the Sequim Railroad Bridge Run on April 27 are Laura Gould (10k) and Eleanor Jones (5k).