Firecracker 5K won by Benbow and Veneziano

The weather was as heavy as a 300-pound sea clam June 28 as 210 runners toed the line at Grove Park in Rehoboth for the 23rd running of the Beach Paper Firecracker 5K Run and Walk.

High humidity hung heavy, and runners looked washed out and hung out to dry returning to the finish line.

Enos Benbow, 32, won the race in 17:10 followed by Victor Schultz, 18, of Mountpelier, Vt., in 17:15; Nolan Tadie, 17, of Hamilton, Va., in 17:39;  Mike Sewell, 44, of Camden in 17:42; and Greg Cauller, 53, of York, Pa., in 18:09.

Lisa Veneziano, 48, a regular vacationer from Fenton, Mich., won another Firecracker race in 19:07. Cindy Conant, 52, of Kensigton, Md., was second in 19:34. Lynn Knothe, 36, of Wilmington was the third woman in 20:12.

A total of 17 runners broke 20 minutes while 77 ran faster than an 8-minute pace.

Cheryl Weir, 44, won the masters race in 22:21 while her cartwheeling gymnastic daughter Olivia, 11, ran 22:03.

Luke Burton, 8, of Lewes just beat Tim Ennis, 7, across the finish line by a second, running 25:24.

Another crazy competitive age group was the 10-13 boys' division won by John Best in 21:41, followed by James Parana in 21:52, D.J. Farren in 21:58 and Miles Stump in 21:56.

Joe Link, 62, the former West Catholic Burr who lives in Cape May, N.J., won his age group in 20:56.

Jack Huxtable, 75, of Rehoboth continues to amaze, running 24:28.