KOLOA — After many years of snow and cold in Madison, Wisc., Sue Fafard and her husband decided that they had enough. They sold everything they owned and moved to Kauai. “We thought, why put up with Wisconsin’s winter when we
KOLOA — After many years of snow and cold in Madison, Wisc., Sue Fafard and her husband decided that they had enough.
They sold everything they owned and moved to Kauai.
“We thought, why put up with Wisconsin’s winter when we love Kauai so much,” she said.
On Sunday, Fafard planted her roots on island a little deeper and ran the 5K course in the Koloa Plantation Days family fun run.
The Koloa woman, a runner for more than 30 years, enjoyed the 3.1-mile race on a warm, somewhat cloudy morning with some rain that cooled runners on a muggy morning.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Fafard, who is also a volunteer with monk seal response team on Kauai.
She felt solid throughout the mostly flat course, which started and ended at Poipu Beach Park.
“I haven’t been training quite enough to really feel good, but I felt OK, just enjoyed it,” she said. “I was out there to have a good time.”
About 400 people competed in either a 10 miler, a 10K, the 5K or a keiki run for those 10 and under. The runs are put on as a fundraiser by the Kukuiula Outrigger Canoe Club. Participants were treated to food and drinks afterward and the top men and women in each race received medals.
Race director Fran McDonald said the idea of four different distances is to provide plenty of options and attract a range of runners and walkers.
“There’s a course for everybody, whether you’re a serious runner or a walker or just getting into fitness,” she said.
Residents from Japan and England competed, too. One man flew in just for the 10 miler but missed the starting gun.
“He got his number and still headed out on the course,” McDonald said, laughing.
But 52-year-old runners Paul and Therea Foster of Houghton Le Spring, England were there on time. Paul clocked a solid hour and 3 minutes for the 10 miler to be among the top finishers, while Theresa posted 29 minutes in the 5K.
Both are teachers, on vacation and avid runners, looking for races abroad. When they read about the Koloa Plantation Days run, they decided to join in.
Paul Foster found the course “lovely,” though he said the hill passing Spouting Horn leading to the turnaround point wasn’t so nice.
“That was a little bit nasty,” he said, smiling.
Foster, with a personal best of 2 hours, 46 minutes for the marathon, broke the 3-hour mark when he turned 50 years old after clocking a 2:56 at the Rotterdam Marathon.
“I was delighted,” he said.
There were several locals who also did well.
Pierce Murphy, an Island School graduate and University of Colorado runner who is home for the summer, cruised through 10 miles in 55 minutes to easily claim first.
He said while it more of a training run than a race, he was pleased to win, fighting through headwinds and hills on the second half of the course.
“It got kind of hot toward the end, but I felt good,” Murphy said.
Janet Snyder of Kilauea surprised herself and topped the women’s 10K, winning in 45 minutes.
She felt good about the effort but said it definitely wasn’t easy.
“It’s always hard when you’re racing,” she said.
Snyder was “a little concerned” about the many turns on the course that stretched from Poipu Beach Park to the gates at the National Botanical Tropical Garden.
“But they were marked well and there were people telling you where to go,” she said.
Connie Lutkevich of Kalaheo covered the 10-mile course in an hour and 12 minutes to win the women’s division.
“I ran faster than I thought I would,” she said.
Lutkevich is training for an Ironman in Whistler, B.C., in four weeks, so like Murphy, she wasn’t really racing on Sunday. She started slow and worked her way through the field.
“As I saw people ahead of me, I’d go one person at a time,” she said.
In the men’s 5K, the top two finishers were Nick Privitelli and David Avila, both from California.
Privitelli pulled away early and held on for the win. The rain, he said, helped cool things down.
Avila rallied down the stretch.
“I kind of fell away from Nick in the beginning of it but made a run toward the end and got back near him, at least,” he said.
Emcee Koko Kanealii said people from off-island who won their race aren’t done running on Kauai.
“Next year, you have to come back and defend your title,” he said.
Koloa Plantation Days Family Fun Run Top Winners
5K men/boys
1st overall, Joseph Privitelli, 17:06
2nd overall, David Avila, 17:07
3rd overall, Matt Heesh, 17:09
1st 12 & under, Sean Bethke, 25:34
1st teens, Ryan Perez, 17:59
1st 20s, Austin Boney, 23:21
1st 30s, Pat Driscoll, 18:33
1st 40s, Mike Scherer, 21:11
1st 50s, Adam Moore, 24:30
1st 60s, Walter Dwar, 25:53
1st 70+, Tom Russell, 26:51
5K women/girls
1st overall, Laura Wind, 19:48
2nd overall, Allison Garein, 20:43
3rd overall, Joy Claypoole, 21:24
1st 12 & under, Megan Lee, 29:36
1st teens, Claire Giradeau, 22:02
1st 20s, Kaella Wold, 24:59
1st 30s, Rebecca Newton, 26:36
1st 40s, Cathleen Bethke, 25:36
1st 50s, Lisa Mudell, 22:52
1st 60s, Lisa Ignaciao, 35:20
1st 70+, Sue Fafard, 35:17
10K men/boys
1st overall, Caleb Javier, 34:35
2nd overall, Nick Gault, 39:17
3rd overall, Hunter Hart, 45:30
1st 12 & under, Henry Scherer, 54:27
1st 20s, Orrin Goldsby, 1:08:57
1st 30s, Tyler Krietz, 49:25
1st 40s, Tim Hart, 46:36
1st 50s, Jeff Kuhn, 58:27
1st 60s, Tom Glenn, 46:35
10K women/girls
1st overall, Janet Snyder, 45:29
2nd overall, Ashley Guarras, 46:23
3rd overall, Erin Krietz Schirey, 46:45
1st teens, Kelly Culliney, 57:58
1st 20s, Micha Forbes, 50:05
1st 30s, Jennifer Smith, 48:54
1st 40s, Stacy Levoit, 55:25.85
1st 50s, Katie Britzman, 51:59
1st 60s, Mary Daubert, 1:01:32
10 mile men/boys
1st overall, Pierce Murphy, 19, 55:36
2nd, Derreck Ledesma, 1:02:25
3rd, Paul Foster, 1:03:04
1st teens, Layton Medina,
1st 20s, Brandon Jacinto
1st 30s, Joel Punzal
1st 40s, Dax Ross
1st 50s, Bill Buley
1st 60s, Scott Olsen
10 mile women/girls
1st overall, Connie Lutkevich, 1:12:40
2nd, Courtney Myers, 1:13:37
3rd, Ericka Larson, 1:14:02
1st 20s, Lauren Denton
1st 30s, Christine Theis
1st 40s, Mikki Fonseth
1st 50s, Christy Ray
1st 60s, Alice Davis
1 mile keiki run/boys
1st, Seth Hutchinson, 9
2nd, Tyler Jumper, 8
3rd, Koa McDaniel, 6
1 mile keiki run/girls
1st, Kate Levoit, 8
2nd, Marissa Ong, 8
3rd, Kaila Levoit, 10
• Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
