A record number of 527 women participated in the 27th annual Women’s Distance Festival 5K run/walk. The races were held on Saturday July 12 at Rockland Lake State Park in Congers, NY.
“The event has become one of the true feel-good highlights of the summer,” said Mike Seidenfrau, one of the race directors. This was the second time that Seidenfrau and Carissa Coslit co-directed the event.
Grace Kahura, 21, of High Falls stole the winner’s cup, running the flat and fast course in 17:21, a pace of 5:36 per mile. Caroline Pennacchio, 16, of Briarcliff Manor placed second in the run, finishing over a minute after Kahura. Pennacchio’s time was 18:25.
Caitrin Demchko, 24, of Nanuet, the run’s reigning champion for the past two years, placed third and set a course personal best of 18:31. Lorri Eskenazi, 54, of New City won the 5K walk in 36:18.
The event raised over $8,000 for the Center of Safety and Change’s mission to end violence against women and children in Rockland County.
This year’s race t-shirt phrase was “I know I run like a girl, try to keep up!” Rockland Road Runners is having a contest to find a women’s running phrase for next year’s race t-shirt. The contest will end Friday August 15, 2014. Individuals should submit their phrase to wdf@rocklandroadrunners.org.
Next year’s race will take place on Saturday July 11, 2015. The race is Rockland County’s only women’s running and walking event.
Click here for a list of race results.
Click here for race photographs by Joe Golden.