Bigfoot 5K has highs and lows

METALINE FALLS – Despite the cold damp weather, 191 runners participated in the Bigfoot 5K race to kick off the fourth annual Bigfoot Festival in Metaline Falls Saturday morning.

Maddox Hodges, 13, of Greenacres won first place overall with a time of 20:31.5. His father Joseph Hodges, 42, finishing up second at 21:04.

Ryan Pelke, 21, of Ione was the highest finishing local runner. He took sixth overall with a time of 23:44. Also finishing in the top 10 was Jonathan Mathes, 39, of Metaline Falls, who finished ninth overall with a time of 24:18.3.

Sarah Hawkes, 40, of Spokane, who spends part of the year in Metaline Falls, used the race as a family event, running with her two sons Justin, 14, and Brandon, age 12.

“My boys are more runners than I am,” she said.

The course took runners from downtown Metaline Falls, up and down Lehigh Hill with its mountain views, past the Cutter Theatre, along the Pend Oreille River, and finished at the town’s Busta Park.

“The first mile was very tough. It’s just straight uphill,” Hawkes said.

Hawkes placed 98 overall and her sons Justin and Brandon placed 20 and 46 respectively.

Emma Johnson from Ione was one of the youngest to run the race. At age 9, Johnson placed 44 running the 3.1-mile race in 36:05.1.

William Prater, 77, of Newport was one of the oldest placing 180 at 1:11:51.

Havyn Mathes, 12, from Metaline Falls placed first in her age category, ages 1 to 12.

Barb Hedrick, 37, of Cusick also placed first in her age group ages 30 to 39.

Sandra Kiss, 71, of Newport finished first in her age group, 70-98, turning in a time of 43:52.4.

Participants came from all over including Ann Knoyle, 56, from Peoria, Arizona, who finished in first place in her age category running to the finish line at 29:52.3.