KAILUA-KONA — What better way to get out and active than a morning stroll in paradise.
Club Rehab hosted their second Ohana 5K Fun Run on Saturday with a few changes from the previous year. The first run drew 103 participants, while starting and finishing at the Hale Halawai on Alii Drive. This year’s race, which saw a expansion to 164 runners, started and finished in front of the Royal Kona Resort.
“Royal Kona Kona was great to host us. They really wanted to get out and be involved in the community,” race director Barbie Nakamura said. “We like the Alii Drive out and back, the setting is beautiful and there is more shade for people to sit and enjoy.”
Club Rehab was also able to get Eddie-O to DJ this year’s race.
Konawaena High School long distance standout Lawrence Barrett took first overall in the 5K with a time of 19:11.
“The run was nice and I evenly paced everything. It was a good tempo run,” Barrett said. “I was hoping to finish in the top five or top three. My time was pretty splendid despite the fact that I was just having fun and running to run.”
Barrett was followed by Tim Heaton (20:37) and Alec Ankrum (21:05).
Keili Dorn finished in 12th place overall, good enough for first female honors with a time of 23:33. Last year she finished second overall with a time of 20:21, which would have netted her a second place finish this year.
“It wasn’t my finest time,” Dorn said. “I cramped really badly and started walking. I had to take deep breaths to get the cramping to go away so that I could finish.”
Laura Ankrum took second in the female division with a time of 23:49. Sydney Copeland (24:26) was third.
Club Rehab started the 5K run last year after noticing there were not a lot of running events being held in the summer.
“We wanted to help people be more active and get motion back in their lives,” Nakamura said. “We thought it would be a good idea to hold an event for both our patients and the community.”
