EDWARDSVILLE - It was a beautiful morning for a run.
One of the oldest and most well-attended race events in the Edwardsville and Glen Carbon area, the Run for Bonifest 5K and 2-Mile Walk serves as the official start of summer in the region.
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The chipped race, timed by Final Lap Race Management, brings runners from around the Metro East to participate. Those wishing to sign up had five options of registration, including the standard 5K run/walk, 2-mile walk, and family and team options for both the 5K and 2-mile walk.
"The general purpose of the event is so people can come out, participate in a nice 5K or 2-mile walk and enjoy a beautiful day," Incumbent race director Kylie Tobin said. "As of last night, we were close to 600 runners and we saw a lot of walk-ups, and hopefully that we get close to last year's numbers which were at 700."
New for 2017, runners had the opportunity to enter the run as part of the Goshen Triple Crown Series, which contains entry to the Run for Bonifest, Route 66 10K and the Covered Bridge 5K, for one low price.
The race serves as a wonderful tie-in to the 33rd Annual Bonifest carnival and music festival, hosted at St. Boniface Parish. Members of the parish, along with those from around the community, are invited to enjoy a great weekend of music, food, carnival rides, raffles and fun.
Luke Padesky, 24, of St. Louis, finished first overall and was the top male finisher with a chip time of 16:26.1 at a 5:18 minute-per-mile pace. Jaycie Hudson, 15, of Edwardsville, was the first female across the finish line, with a chip time of 20:33.9 at a 6:38 minute-per-mile pace.
