Hospice Run winds through Blissfield

The crowd gradually stretched into a line at least a mile in length, with those in front running at a breakneck pace and those in back walking briskly. They headed west from the high school, making their way down Sugar Street and then heading north on Jipson Street. They cut back west on Cherry Street before turning north on Depot Street. They then took Veterans Avenue to Giles Street, where they went all the way to U.S. 223. From there they went to Lane Street, making their way past downtown and back to the high school, where the finish line waited.

Ten minutes after the 150-plus 5K participants left, another 40 runners set off on the longer, more circuitous 10-kilometer route.

Many were surprised to see the first-place female come running in. Twelve-year-old Isabel Cueto, an incoming seventh-grader at Blissfield Middle School, finished in 22 minutes, 33 seconds – 45 seconds ahead of the nearest female runner. Isabel placed 15th overall.

Husband and wife Rick and Debbie Wobrock, of Onsted, each took first in their respective categories.

Soon after the last of the 5K participants walked in, the 10K runners, who had started at 8:40 a.m., began to show up. Leading them was Tom Romanowski.

Maritza Valdez, 28, was the first woman to finish the 10K.

Vickie Kegerreis finished first among women aged 50 to 55.

There were also two non-competitive events. At 9 a.m. about 40 bicyclists departed on a 50-kilometer course that took them from Blissfield to Secor Metropark in Holland, Ohio, and back. At 9:45 a.m. there was a one-mile run and walk through Blissfield.

Copyright 2011. No reproduction without express permission by The Advance Publisher. For the rest of the story including interviews and more, please see James McClenathen's full story in The Advance, June 29, 2011, edition. Also in that paper is the Blissfield River Raisin Festival Guide.