Patrick Beebe wins Kelly Fritchman 5K

The Fourth Annual Kelly Fritchman 5K held July 13 in Lewes attracted a record 277 runners, most of whom knew each other.

“I couldn’t get around to talk to all the people I know here this morning,” said Todd Fritchman. “It’s great friends still come out to honor Kelly’s memory.”

Both of Kelly and Todd’s children, Melanie, 10, and CJ, 8, ran in the race.

Kelly was a lifelong athlete, graduating from Dover High and the University of Delaware with a degree in exercise physiology.

Kelly, who was a swimmer at the University of Delaware, died of cystic fibrosis June 7, 2009, one month shy of her 33rd birthday. Proceeds from the race go to a University of Delaware swim scholarship named in Kelly’s honor.

Patrick Beebe of Lewes won the overall title in 19:16.

Beebe then ran back onto the course to escort his daughter Myranda Beebe, 9, across the finish line “I felt like a Sherpa for runners," Patrick joked.

The first woman to cross the finish line was Jessica Moyer in a time of 21:20.

Jack Huxtable, 75, of Rehoboth Beach set an age-group state record on the certified course with a time of 24:16. Huxtable, a graduate of Cornell University, is a retired employee of the State Department, having worked all over the world as a member of the foreign service. Jack laughed when reminded he enjoyed no diplomatic immunity in Sussex County.