EDWARDSVILLE – For Edwardsville runner Krista Arnold, it was a chance to make a bit of history. And that’s exactly what she did on Saturday evening.
Arnold won the women’s Elite division of the first-ever Downtown Dash, a road race held as a part of the ninth TheBANK of Edwardsville Rotary Criterium Festival in downtown Edwardsville. Arnold won the two-lap event with a time of 7:10, 12 seconds ahead of her teammate and training partner Crystal Harriss. The race was held on the closed street course that was also used for the bicycle races held throughout the afternoon and evening.
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Arnold’s strategy was very simple.
“To move my legs quick,” Arnold said with a smile and laugh. “It’s a short race, a little shorter than I’m used to in a long time, so just do a little right-left action, and keep them moving.”
Arnold also had a lot of fun with the race as well and hopes that it becomes an annual event.
“it was, this was a really fun event,” Arnold said. “I hope that the number of participants builds up. It’s just really fun to have the whole community here, and it’s fun to have people cheering you on.”
Arnold’s fall schedule is building up as she continues to train for possibly racing in an Olympic Trials qualifying marathon, the California International Marathon, which will be held Dec. 2 in Sacramento.
“I’ve got my training partner, Crystal, still,” Arnold said, “and we’re just putting in the miles and trying to do all the hard work that goes into it at this point.”
And that hard work will no doubt pay off for Krista Arnold as she pursues her goal of running in the Olympic Trials qualifier.
