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By all accounts, the Big Bear Memorial 5K Run on Monday, May 27, was more difficult than participants expected.
Event producers Matt Smith and Blake Cauthen advertised the event as “a run through the residential areas behind the village with some interesting sized small hills.”
Isaac Romero, 35, an active-duty U.S. Marine Corps soldier stationed in San Diego, said it's much more than that.
“It was awesome, but it was also really hard,” Isaac said. “The hills can be deceiving. My wife, Josie, and I came over for Memorial Weekend and we were like, 'Whatever.'
Isaac and Jotzi, 32, both won first place in the military men's and women's divisions. Jotzi is a retired Marine.
The altitude may have also contributed to the unexpected difficulty of the 5K street race. Ron du Preez, 72, of Banning, said it was the toughest 5K race he's completed in his life, out of 50 total.
“It was so well organised,” du Preez said. “When I found out about the race at 2:30 last night I thought, 'Am I crazy? I just finished a marathon yesterday'. But seriously, I think they should change the name to Memorial Day Masquerade or Masochistic.”
It's been tough, acknowledged Jacqueline Sanchez, 33, of Victorville. “She's won a lot of medals,” her son, Luis Salazar, said proudly.
“The hills were a little scary,” said Om Kudalkar, 22, of Las Vegas, “but it was worth it. Every hill you go up, you come down.”
Oceanside residents Shelby Imhoff, 30, and Jason Imhoff, 42, said it was their first time in Big Bear Valley. “I can run, but I can't run hills. I want to run a half marathon,” Shelby said.
My husband disagreed. “Now we can run up hills,” said Jason, as he pushed a stroller with their 1-year-old daughter, Willa, inside.
“I made him use the stroller,” Shelby said.
Cale Jex, 17, of Big Bear City, and Hope McCaffrey, 33, of New York, won the overall championships with times of 18 minutes, 15 seconds and 21 minutes, 17 seconds, respectively.
But every participant returned to the finish line out of breath and smiling. Every participant received a special race T-shirt and every finisher received a commemorative finisher dog tag. Prizes were awarded in each age group.
Smith and Cauthen are reviving the Memorial Day race after a 10-year hiatus, and are hoping to grow turnout from this year's 184 participants.
