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PLEASANT MOUNT — The weather and course conditions couldn’t have been better in northern Wayne County for one of the summer’s most eagerly anticipated races.
Boy Scout Troop 407 played host to the 12th annual Firecracker 5K, which kicked off a full slate of Independence Day activities in bucolic Pleasant Mount.
The festivities began promptly at 7:30 a.m. on July 4 as a big crowd gathered outside the Community Center to cheer on the 165 participants in this year’s event.
“I don’t think we could have asked for a better day,” said race co-director Ellen Rosenfeld. “Everything went very smoothly and we just want to say thank you to all our volunteers, our sponsors, all the runners and everyone who came out to support us.”
More: Beach Lake's Amy Neugebauer has now run 85 marathons in her illustrious career
Also by Kevin Edwards: 38th Annual Dr. William Perkins 5K draws runners and walkers from all over the region
All of the proceeds from the Firecracker 5K go to help defray the costs of summer camp for the local Boy Scouts. This year’s weeklong camp is slated for July 7-13 at Duck Harbor.
Next up on the local summer 5K agenda is the Dr. William Perkins Memorial Run. The 39th annual event is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. start Saturday, July 12 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds.
The Firecracker 5K features an out and back course that’s slightly uphill at the start and downhill all the way home.
This year’s pace was lightning quick due to ideal weather, pristine road conditions and a talented field of competitors.
Benjamin Gillespie of Lancaster was the overall race winner, covering the 3.1-mile course in a time of 16:59. It was his second straight victory at the Firecracker 5K.
“I’m pretty happy with how I ran today,” Gillespie said. “My family has a house on Lowe Lake so I’m always really excited to come up here and run this race. It’s a lot of fun and the people are great.”
Gillespie, who stars in both track and cross country at McCaskey High School, shaved a whopping 40 seconds off last year’s winning time. He crossed the line more than a minute and a half ahead of his closest pursuer.
Patrick Blaskiewicz earned runner-up honors, posting a time of 18:32. He was followed in by Dylan Kopa of Mayfield (19:00), Union Dale’s Hunter Thompson (19:11) and Kyle Curtis of Bethany (19:42).
Rounding out the men’s Top 10 were: John Conlogue (19:47), Nicholas Liuzzo (20:14), Bryan Smith (20:40), Stephen Glynn (21:03), Joey Cardascia (21:25).
Honesdale’s own Tiffany Leventhal was the top finisher in the women’s division. A teacher at the Preston Area Elementary School, Leventhal stopped the clock at 20:52.
“A lot of my Preston kids were here today so it’s really awesome to hear them cheering for me when I’m dying right around mile two,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful course and I love running it.”
Leventhal was chased home by 13-year-old 5K phenom Kaitlyn Kloss who finished second in a time of 21:38. Also cracking the front five were: Susan Branco of Arlington, Virginia (24:17); Martha Curtis of Bethany (25:01); Charlotte Tama of Bethesda, Maryland (25:48).
The remainder of the women’s Top 10 included: Katie Shemanski Moro (26:11), Eliza Myers (26:20), Lindsey Burdick (26:21), Leah Lemon (26:41), Carolann Schwartz (27:13).
Following the Perkins Run, several other local races loom large on the local 5K calendar.
This year’s Wayne County Habitat for Humanity “Run for the Roses” is scheduled for Saturday, August 23 at the Daniel J. O’Neill Sports Complex.
The 2025 Wayne County YMCA’s “Run to the Music” 5K is slated for Saturday, Sept. 13 in White Mills.
Last but not least is the 2025 “Run to Read 5K” which is hosted each year by the Hawley Public Library. This year’s edition of the race is set for Saturday, Oct. 5 at Bingham Park.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Boy Scout Troop 407 Pleasant Mount 12th annual Firecracker 5K 4th of July
Continue reading...
Boy Scout Troop 407 played host to the 12th annual Firecracker 5K, which kicked off a full slate of Independence Day activities in bucolic Pleasant Mount.
The festivities began promptly at 7:30 a.m. on July 4 as a big crowd gathered outside the Community Center to cheer on the 165 participants in this year’s event.
“I don’t think we could have asked for a better day,” said race co-director Ellen Rosenfeld. “Everything went very smoothly and we just want to say thank you to all our volunteers, our sponsors, all the runners and everyone who came out to support us.”
More: Beach Lake's Amy Neugebauer has now run 85 marathons in her illustrious career
Also by Kevin Edwards: 38th Annual Dr. William Perkins 5K draws runners and walkers from all over the region
All of the proceeds from the Firecracker 5K go to help defray the costs of summer camp for the local Boy Scouts. This year’s weeklong camp is slated for July 7-13 at Duck Harbor.
Next up on the local summer 5K agenda is the Dr. William Perkins Memorial Run. The 39th annual event is scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. start Saturday, July 12 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds.
On the podium
The Firecracker 5K features an out and back course that’s slightly uphill at the start and downhill all the way home.
This year’s pace was lightning quick due to ideal weather, pristine road conditions and a talented field of competitors.
You must be registered for see images attach
Benjamin Gillespie of Lancaster was the overall race winner, covering the 3.1-mile course in a time of 16:59. It was his second straight victory at the Firecracker 5K.
“I’m pretty happy with how I ran today,” Gillespie said. “My family has a house on Lowe Lake so I’m always really excited to come up here and run this race. It’s a lot of fun and the people are great.”
Gillespie, who stars in both track and cross country at McCaskey High School, shaved a whopping 40 seconds off last year’s winning time. He crossed the line more than a minute and a half ahead of his closest pursuer.
Patrick Blaskiewicz earned runner-up honors, posting a time of 18:32. He was followed in by Dylan Kopa of Mayfield (19:00), Union Dale’s Hunter Thompson (19:11) and Kyle Curtis of Bethany (19:42).
Rounding out the men’s Top 10 were: John Conlogue (19:47), Nicholas Liuzzo (20:14), Bryan Smith (20:40), Stephen Glynn (21:03), Joey Cardascia (21:25).
You must be registered for see images attach
Honesdale’s own Tiffany Leventhal was the top finisher in the women’s division. A teacher at the Preston Area Elementary School, Leventhal stopped the clock at 20:52.
“A lot of my Preston kids were here today so it’s really awesome to hear them cheering for me when I’m dying right around mile two,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful course and I love running it.”
Leventhal was chased home by 13-year-old 5K phenom Kaitlyn Kloss who finished second in a time of 21:38. Also cracking the front five were: Susan Branco of Arlington, Virginia (24:17); Martha Curtis of Bethany (25:01); Charlotte Tama of Bethesda, Maryland (25:48).
The remainder of the women’s Top 10 included: Katie Shemanski Moro (26:11), Eliza Myers (26:20), Lindsey Burdick (26:21), Leah Lemon (26:41), Carolann Schwartz (27:13).
The road ahead
Following the Perkins Run, several other local races loom large on the local 5K calendar.
This year’s Wayne County Habitat for Humanity “Run for the Roses” is scheduled for Saturday, August 23 at the Daniel J. O’Neill Sports Complex.
The 2025 Wayne County YMCA’s “Run to the Music” 5K is slated for Saturday, Sept. 13 in White Mills.
Last but not least is the 2025 “Run to Read 5K” which is hosted each year by the Hawley Public Library. This year’s edition of the race is set for Saturday, Oct. 5 at Bingham Park.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Boy Scout Troop 407 Pleasant Mount 12th annual Firecracker 5K 4th of July
Continue reading...
