The weather threw everything it had at the inaugural Spruce Railroad Run on Saturday, but in the end, the skies cleared, the sun came out and more than 270 people enjoyed the newest event in the Run the Peninsula series.
Heavy rain and winds tried to throw a wrench into the race as East Beach Road was closed to clear downed trees, forcing traffic to divert to Joyce and Piedmont Road, which was already being used by shuttle buses.
A handful of runners started late because of the weather snags.
However, other than that, the race, which took place entirely within Olympic National Park, went off without a hitch. It began Saturday morning in heavy rain, but as the first 5K runners crossed the finish line at the Spruce Railroad trailhead the sun poked out, the wind stopped and the rain came to a halt.
The Peninsula Daily News and Sequim Gazette are title sponsors of the event and the Olympic Medical Center is the presenting sponsor. The event is put on by the Port Angeles Marathon Association, the same group that runs the North Olympic Discovery Marathon from Blyn to Port Angeles every June.
Winning the first Spruce Railroad 10K was a familiar name and repeat winner of multiple Run the Peninsula and Peninsula Adventure Sports events, John Mauro of Port Townsend. Mauro, a former winner of the North Olympic Discovery Marathon, took first in a time of 37 minutes, 40.09 seconds. Winning the women’s 10K was a first-time winner, Sara Kuethe of Bainbridge Island in a time of 45:10.05.
Kuethe said she has had some top-10 finishes before, but had never won a 10K.
“I was feeling strong. It was so beautiful when the sun came out and there was this beautiful rainbow over Lake Crescent,” she said. “A big thanks to my husband for watching our two little girls while I ran.”
The Spruce Railroad Run does contain a relatively sizable hill of about 150 feet of elevation between the starting line and the McFee Tunnel a mile down the trail. The 5K runners went through the McFee Tunnel while the 10K runners went through the Daley-Rankin Tunnel three miles down the trail.
“That was a real heartbreak hill at the end,” Kuethe said.
Winning the 5K was another Kitsap County runner and familiar name in cross-country circle, Sawyer Roark of Klahowya High School. He took first in 19:36.97.
“This was really fun. It’s right up my alley with the hill. It adds some spunk to the race,” Roark said.
Winning the women’s 5K was a familiar high finisher, Katherine Braun of Port Angeles, who had a time of 24:53.57.
“It’s so nice to have these local races and not have to go to Seattle,” Braun said. “I love this trail, I spend a lot of time swimming in this lake. It’s an amazing place.”
A total of 168 runners completed the 5K and another 104 the 10K. To get full results, go to https://tinyurl.com/SpruceRailroadResults, although those results are unofficial and not final.
Run the Peninsula also includes the Elwha Bridge Run in February, the Sequim Railroad Bridge run in April, the NODM in June and the upcoming Jamestown S’Klallam Glow Run on Dec. 7 in Blyn.
