NORTH WEBSTER – Victory was had before the first runner crossed the finish line at Saturday’s Dixie Days Dash 5K.

Race directors were totaling the entrant figures as the runners were working through the course, and the number ‘101!’ sent several into a much better mood. That 101 was the number of entries for this year’s running of the 11th annual race, which nearly doubled last year’s total.

A pirate theme also accompanied the trail, as several runners and their kid fans donned attire from the briny deep in support. The race Saturday morning held a slightly different route than normal, as the start and finish lines originated at Dixie Park whereas year’s past had started up the hill at the North Webster Community Center. With construction ongoing at the center, the race made its way from the park up and around the neighborhood, south toward the edge of the lake, and then back to the park to finish.

Winning the 5,000-meter run was Chuck Wysong, who ran unopposed to the finish with a fine time of 16:39. In second place, and fitting as the female champion, was Dorothy Cohee at 18:48 as the pair were the first two through the Run KRA chute. Wysong was last champion of the race in 2017 with a time of 16:35.

My Team Triumph had two Angels involved in the event, with Captain Gambit and Captain Nona both completing the course.

Complete results for the Dixie Day Dash 5K will be made available from Run KRA.