Surfin' Santa 5-Miler in Bethany candy apple red hot

The Surfin’ Santa 5-Miler and 2-Mile Run/Walk Dec. 27 in downtown Bethany Beach was "slammin' and jamming" downright balmy for wintertime with race temperatures hovering near 60 degrees with no biting breeze off the Atlantic Ocean. Real time millennium Santa would have come loose from his red hot suit and run in a beater.

"We had a great turnout,” said race director Tim Bamforth. "Two hundred and eighty-three ran the 5 miler and another 175 elected to do the 2 mile race."

Alex Taylor, 25, from Chicago, easily won the 5 mile race taking the lead early on the way to a 27:19 time. Blake Hundley, 13, of Bethany, was second in 29:59 followed by Tyler Lawson, 15, from Burke, Va., in 30:20, and Ryan Wilson, 18, a Cape senior, who ran 30:27.

Emily Ritter of Millsboro and Rider University was the first woman in 30:54, followed by Jodie Wedel, 46, of Dover in 35:10; Samantha Busillo, 20, of Rehoboth, in 35:23; Holly Scott, 54, of Dover, in 35:27 and Emma Barthelmess, 13, of Bethany Beach, in 35:38.

The 2-mile race was won by Nathan Gibeault, 15, of Middletown, in 12:5. Elise Covas of Rehoboth Beach was the first female in 15:52.

The 12th annual Race into the New Year 5K and Kids Dash is Wednesday, Dec. 31 in Rehoboth at noon. The start and finish is at the Rehoboth Beach Running Company at the Cultured Pearl, Fourth Street and Rehoboth Avenue.