Turnout one of the many highlights of championship run

Athletics Yukon's five-km road race championship on Tuesday night was hotly contested in more ways than one.

Athletics Yukon’s five-km road race championship on Tuesday night was hotly contested in more ways than one.

Held in the 25 C. heat of a sunny summer evening, the event saw almost 50 runners and walkers vying to win their age class category.

This annual event is hosted by every July by Athletics Yukon to determine the fastest Yukon runners in each age class.

In the first kilometre of Tuesday’s run, a few of the younger runners ran as if they had been blasted from a cannon. One of those was teenager Logan Roots who won the Juvenile Men’s category (16-17) with a time of 18:29, a sizzling sub-six mile per minute pace.

Carleton University cross country skier Brittany Smith placed first in the Junior Women’s category (18-19)m in a time of 20:51. Smith was also the second fastest woman of the evening.

Not surprisingly, the fastest group of runners were those in the Open Men’s category (20-39).

A trio of accomplished athletes, Rodney Hulstein, Ryan Leef and Ray Sabo, were at the front of the race from start to finish.

Hulstein (17:02) held off the storied Leef (17:22) and a charging Sabo (17:34) to win the category and post the fastest time of the evening.

Not too far behind were two big guys, Teslin’s Karl Blattman (18:42) and Rob Westberg (18:48), who finished in fourth and fifth position with impressive times.

The Masters Women category (35-44) saw Colleen Lathem literally run away from her competitors with an awfully fast first place time of 19:02

Lathem’s running looked so effortless powered by her V-8 turbo engine into the seventh fastest time overall.

A couple minutes behind Lathem was stalwart Sue Bogle (21:28). Bogle fended off Amy Riske (21:31) who was just seconds behind.

The other two runners who finished in the top five in this category were Sandra Orban (22:58) and Megan Phillips (24:07).

In the Masters One Women category (45-54), Robin Fairburn had a signature moment taking first place (25:56).

Fairburn kept well ahead of a star studded group of female Master One runners.

Trailing Fairburn were Brenda Dion (27:38), Nicole Hulstein (28:35) and Barbara Scheck (29:38).

Amongst the masters men, there were all kinds of interesting battles.

In the Masters Two category (60+), noted masters cyclist Bob Bowerman took the crown in a time (21:31) that most runners half his age would be happy with.

In the Masters One category (50-59), venerable runner and coach Don White captured first place (20:23).

In the Masters Men category (40-49), Tom Ullyett (19:34) was more than a bit lucky to hold off Klondike Road Relay teammate Doug Mayr (19:40), marathon sensation Keith Thaxter (19:55), crafty Chris Locke (20:49) and trail running specialist Darren Holcolme (21:21).

The next running event is the 30th annual Atlin Mini-Marathon on Saturday.

See the Athletics Yukon website (http://www.athleticsyukon.ca/) for more detail.

Submitted by Tom Ullyett on behalf of Athletics Yukon.

Complete results:

Bantam Men (12-13)

1. Sam Bonar (27:56)
____

Juvenile Men (16-17)

1. Logan Roots (18:29)

2. Jonquin McWatters (19:54)

3. Kyle Risby (22:15)
____

Juvenile Women (16-17)

1. Heidi Brook (23:15)
____

Junior Men (18-19)

1. Graydon Parry (23:49)
____

Junior Women (18-19)

1. Brittany Smith (20:51)
____

Open Men (20-39)

1.Rodney Hulstein (17:02)

2. Ryan Leef (17:22)

3. Ray Sabo (17:34)

4. Karl Blattman (18:42)

5. Rob Westberg (18:48)

6. Boris Hoefs (19:58)

7. Stephen McGovern (19:59)

8. Brad Magnesson (20:06)
____

Open Women (20-34)

1. Holly Goulding (21:47)

2. Julia Gerlach (26:14)

3. Justine Scheck (30:12)
____

Masters Men (40-49)

1. Tom Ullyett (19:34)

2. Doug Mayr (19:40)

3. Keith Thaxter (19:55)

4. Chris Locke (20:49)

5. Darren Holcolme (21:21)

6. Clark LaPrairie (26:39)

7. Randy Lamb (27:52)
____

Masters Women (35-44)

1. Colleen Latham (19:02)

2. Sue Bogle (21:28)

3. Amy Riske (21:31)

4. Sandra Orban (22:58)

5. Megan Phillips (24:07)

6. Janet Gallant (24:55)

7. Melanie Bonar (28:09)

8. Kristie Muller (28:34)
____

Masters One Men (50-59)

1. Don White (20:23)

2. Grant MacDonald (26:19)

3. Tim Shoniker (30:39)
____

Masters One Women (45-54)

1. Robin Fairburn (25:56)

2. Brenda Dion (27:38)

3. Nicole Hulstein (28:25)

4. Barbara Scheck (29:38)
____

Masters Two Men (60+)

1. Bob Bowerman (21:31)

2. Brian Mottus (24:11)
____

Masters Two Women (55+)

1. Ginny MacDonald (27:30)
____

Male Five-km Walkers

1. Rick Griffiths (35:08)

2. Maggie Griffiths (39:51)
____

Female Five-km Walkers

1. Bonnie Love (33:19)