Hundreds of runners make their way town Cedar Canyon during the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
CEDAR CITY — Hundreds of athletes of all ages ran down Cedar Canyon on Saturday morning for the ninth annual Cedar City Half Marathon.
New course records were established by both the men’s and women’s top finishers, race chairman Bryan Dangerfield said.
The overall first-place winner was Joel Hackett, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia. Hackett, who was in Utah on vacation and is currently training for the New York Marathon, crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 14 minutes and 10 seconds.
Devan Savage placed second in the men’s race with a time of 1:17:31, Ryan Wierzba was third with 1:17:59 and Matt Kynaston was fourth with 1:18:34.
The fifth-place overall finisher was also the women’s category winner; Cedar City resident Ashley Hawks, 26, finished in a time of 1:19.08, a new female course record. Sarah Skeem placed second among women with a time of 1:22:54 and Jenne Wittwer was third with a time of 1:25.25.
Of this year’s nearly 700 registered entrants, more than 550 runners completed the 13.1-mile race, which started near Woods Ranch, made its way down the canyon via state Route 14 and ended at Cedar City’s Bicentennial Soccer Complex.
At the end, finish line director Ben Davidson gave each runner a high-five, and race volunteers placed medals around each finishing athlete’s neck.
The youngest finisher was 8 years old, while the oldest was 75.
Besides the half marathon, approximately 30 runners completed the shorter 5K trail run, with 9-year-old Tyler Christian winning that race in a time of 21:19.
Dangerfield said race organizers decided to add an auditory dimension to the “sensory overload” the runners experienced as they ran through the spectacular canyon.
“We thought we’d add a few twists to this year’s magnificent run down the canyon by adding the bagpipers standing on Leap Rock by the Flanigan’s Arch Curve and having (local band) Fenwick Way rock the runners home at the 12-mile mark at the Little League fields,” Dangerfield said.
“We hope to get better every year and keep the focus on quality experiences,” he said.
Dangerfield thanked the many race volunteers and organizers, including race director Ashley Wardle, for their efforts in making the event a success.
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Female winner Ashley Hawks, who set a new course record, competes in the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
L-R: Third-place overall female finisher Jenne Wittwer, winner Ashley Hawks and second-place finisher Sarah Skeem pose with custom sandstone trophies following the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
Aid station volunteers hand cups of water to runners during the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
L-R: Third-place overall finisher Ryan Wierzba, winner Joel Hackett and second-place finisher Devan Savage pose with custom sandstone trophies following the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
Dan Jones and Miles Gillmore play the bagpipes on Leap Rock to inspire runners just after mile No. 3 of the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
Finish line volunteers present medals to runners at the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
Finish line chairman Ben Davidson prepares to give high-fives to approaching runners at the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
Race chairman Bryan Dangerfield and race director Ashley Wardle pose at the finish line of the Cedar City Half Marathon, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 9, 2018 | Photo by Danny Stewart and courtesy of Cedar Half Marathon, St. George News / Cedar City News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have two young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.