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CATOOSA — Many 14-year-olds spend their Saturday mornings sleeping in.
Esther Hanchett spent hers outrunning every woman in a field of 505 runners, 296 of them being female.
The Verdigris teenager crossed the finish line as the top female finisher at the Blue Whale Run 5K in Catoosa, navigating a challenging course near the newly renovated Blue Whale Park along historic Route 66 to post a time of 24 minutes, 29 seconds and finish 28th overall.
Hanchett held off a late challenge from Tulsa 50-year-old Muge Park, who finished just 11 seconds behind in 24:40.
"It was really hard because there were a lot of hills," Hanchett said. “I was trying to hurry and finish so [Park] couldn’t pass me.”
Given the course profile, that assessment was understandable.
The race began with an uphill climb and featured terrain that Hanchett said was considerably more difficult than a typical personal-record course.
“My stomach hurt really bad, probably from the hills,” Hanchett said. “They were just making it upset, but then when I finished, it felt better.”
Despite the challenge, she still finished within about a minute of her personal-best 5K time, which sits around 23 minutes.
That focus has become second nature.
Hanchett has been running since about age 8 and comes from a family deeply rooted in the sport. Her mother, Ashley Hanchett, coaches cross country at Verdigris, while her father is also an avid runner.
Running has become a family activity as much as a competitive pursuit.
Cross-country training sessions before the school year begin soon, and Hanchett will be participating in morning practices and logging regular mileage as she prepares for another season.
Unlike many runners her age, however, Hanchett's ambitions already extend well beyond traditional youth races.
While she competes in 2-mile cross-country events during the school season, she has also ventured into longer distances.
Saturday's race came after she had already completed two half marathons, including a 1:59:06 performance at the Jenks Half Marathon. She also finished the Andy Payne Half Marathon in Claremore on April 11, posting a time of 2:07:43 despite not feeling 100%.
Aside from the cross-country season, her next big challenge will come in February when she plans to run another half marathon alongside her mother at Disney World.
For now, though, Hanchett remains focused on balancing her cross-country training with her growing interest in longer-distance racing. Saturday's performance provided another indication that she is capable of excelling at both.
Against a field dominated by adults, one of the youngest female contenders proved to be the fastest.
Continue reading...
Esther Hanchett spent hers outrunning every woman in a field of 505 runners, 296 of them being female.
The Verdigris teenager crossed the finish line as the top female finisher at the Blue Whale Run 5K in Catoosa, navigating a challenging course near the newly renovated Blue Whale Park along historic Route 66 to post a time of 24 minutes, 29 seconds and finish 28th overall.
Hanchett held off a late challenge from Tulsa 50-year-old Muge Park, who finished just 11 seconds behind in 24:40.
"It was really hard because there were a lot of hills," Hanchett said. “I was trying to hurry and finish so [Park] couldn’t pass me.”
Given the course profile, that assessment was understandable.
The race began with an uphill climb and featured terrain that Hanchett said was considerably more difficult than a typical personal-record course.
“My stomach hurt really bad, probably from the hills,” Hanchett said. “They were just making it upset, but then when I finished, it felt better.”
Despite the challenge, she still finished within about a minute of her personal-best 5K time, which sits around 23 minutes.
That focus has become second nature.
Hanchett has been running since about age 8 and comes from a family deeply rooted in the sport. Her mother, Ashley Hanchett, coaches cross country at Verdigris, while her father is also an avid runner.
Running has become a family activity as much as a competitive pursuit.
Cross-country training sessions before the school year begin soon, and Hanchett will be participating in morning practices and logging regular mileage as she prepares for another season.
Unlike many runners her age, however, Hanchett's ambitions already extend well beyond traditional youth races.
While she competes in 2-mile cross-country events during the school season, she has also ventured into longer distances.
Saturday's race came after she had already completed two half marathons, including a 1:59:06 performance at the Jenks Half Marathon. She also finished the Andy Payne Half Marathon in Claremore on April 11, posting a time of 2:07:43 despite not feeling 100%.
Aside from the cross-country season, her next big challenge will come in February when she plans to run another half marathon alongside her mother at Disney World.
For now, though, Hanchett remains focused on balancing her cross-country training with her growing interest in longer-distance racing. Saturday's performance provided another indication that she is capable of excelling at both.
Against a field dominated by adults, one of the youngest female contenders proved to be the fastest.
Continue reading...
