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Scores of striding Santas saturate the Run with Santa 5K

Hot cider and chili and custom awards highlight festive race
December 12, 2017

One week after Seashore Striders Race Director Tim Bamforth managed the 10th Rehoboth Seashore Marathon with 3,000 runners, he was enthusiastically sounding the horn at Cape Henlopen State Park for the 12th annual Run with Santa 5K, featuring a total of 61 runners.

“We put the word out to run in Santa suits,” Bamforth said on a cold Sunday morning from an icy state park trail network. “We had about 50 Santas, and after the race, there was hot cider and chili and Santa awards, from plaques designed by Half Stockey to custom Christmas tree ornaments by Monique Bamforth.”

Martin Rodriguez, fresh off a 2:57 Boston Marathon-qualifying time in the Rehoboth Marathon, won the race on a slippery slow track in a time of 18:55. Rodriguez was chased by UPS driver Chris Stanley, who has been running packages to front doors for a solid month, in 20:13.

Frank Cannon, 41, of Felton was third in 21:19, while John Blackford, 41, garnered fourth in 22:26.

Alex Arnold, 12, of Millsboro nailed down the fifth spot in 23:00.

Mikayla Cannon, 16, of Felton was the first overall woman in 23:31. She was followed by Jackie Quigley, 50, 23:59; Eugenia King, 34, 24:52; Jessica Barr, 32, 25:31; and Gabrielle Cannon, 13, 26:37.   

“It may seem like a lot of work for [61] athletes, but they are the nucleus and glue that keep the scene together all year round,” Bamforth said.

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