Race Report

RACE REPORT GET IN GEAR RECAP Records fall at 2019 Get in Gear race

Texan Silas kipruto won the overall 10k with a time of 29:32 at the Get in Gear race this april. the women’s winner, vicoty chepngeno broke her own 10k record by 25 seconds.

The dire blizzard forecast for the 42nd Annual Rite of Spring, Get in Gear (GIG), overhung the race like a raven all week. Executive Director Paulette Odenthal said, “The forecast never once budged and continued to get progressively worse.” Then the Spring snowstorm diverted at the final moment on Saturday, April 27, presenting the event and competitors a near perfect environment for a race. “That was the most amazing gift.”

Texas runner Vicoty Chepngeno broke her own 2018 10K record by 25 seconds in near perfect conditions, a time that had withstood 26 years of attempts to surpass Dr. Janis Klecker’s

BY PHILLIP GARY SMITH

1992 mark. Chepngeno’s 32:15 led Minnesota 2018 Runner of the Year recipient, Katy Jermann, by 28 seconds.

Texan Silas Kipruto took the overall 10K with a sub-30 minute mark (29:32) edging GIG’s 2018 overall winner Sammy Rotich by five seconds.

Four Team USA Minnesota members bolstered the elite field: Danny Docherty, Dakota Lindwurm, plus Katy and Tyler Jermann. The two first Minnesotans to cross the line in each class, Sammy and Katy, picked up checks of $250 for this honor.

Added to the venue back in 2009, the GIG Half Marathon found University of Minnesota Cross Country alumni Troy Koivisto winning in 1:14:14. Paul Swim held off Joe Arnold at the line in 1:15:02 to complete the top three overall.

Lindsey Zimmer utilizing her marathon experience took a top ten overall (7th) along with the class win at 1:20:56.

The popular 5K, added in 2005, attracts veteran runners and young ones, too. The female class winner, 12 year old Claire Vukovics, already sporting an admirable race registry, nailed twelfth overall. Collegeville’s Tremayne Collins won the overall in 16:22. In 2018 he ran border to border across Minnesota’s North Country to raise funds for wounded warriors and veterans.

Save the date for GIG 2020, Saturday, April 25. Early bird registration is open.