Dole Great Race draws 5,000
Runners come from far and wide to participate
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers 'AND THEY'RE OFF!'- Runners in the Old Agoura 10K take off at the start of the 23rd Dole GreaRace of Agoura Hills on Sat., April 5. The race, which had more than 5,000 participants, included five different races and a Sports and Fitness Expo with food, music, games and awards.

The 23rd annual Dole Great Race of Agoura Hills was once again a crowd pleaser, attracting runners from all over California, Washington, Arizona and New Mexico. Even a runner from Australia participated.

The April 5 event gave marathon enthusiasts the chance to compete in a variety of races. There were winners aplenty, categorized by overall run time, gender and age, from youngsters to senior citizens.

Chesebro Half Mile The Chesebro Half Mile had 1,266 participants competing for the best time. It was a hairline finish for Josh Spiker, 26, from Ventura and Mark Dodson of Los Angeles, with Spiker taking first place.

Local runners made the top 10 in the Chesebro Half Mile. Andrew Thompson of Thousand Oaks came in sixth; Myles Cockburn from Westlake Village finished seventh. David Whitworth, a Thousand Oaks resident, came in 10th overall. Half Marathon overall female winner was Jennifer Todd, 33, from Thousand Oaks.

QUITE A CROWD- Runners and walkers fill the street as they head up Thousand Oaks Blvd. during the 23rd Dole Great Race of Agoura Hills on Saturday. The race, which had more than 5,000 participants, included five different races and a Sports and Fitness Expo with food, music, games and awards. WENDY PIERRO Acorn Newspapers

Deena Kastor 5K The Deena Kastor 5K run, named after the Olympic marathon bronze medalist, pitted more than 1,109 runners in the race to the finish.

Brendan Whelan, a runner from Runcorn, Queensland, Australia, captured the top spot in the 5K competition.

Three Calabasas runners made the top 10, including Brandon Severson (No. 3), Dan Brown (No. 4), and Aaron Arigiso (No. 7). Eric Schwartz of Agoura Hills came in 10th.

Women also performed well in the 5K. Heather Worden of Westlake Village placed 18th, followed by Katie Klezek of Agoura Hills at 19th.

Old Agoura 10K

The Old Agoura 10K race brought out 1,235 competitors.

Out-of-towners captured the top spots. Sergio Reyes of Palmdale took first place, followed by Tedge O'Conner of Santa Barbara and Christian Hesch, a 30-year-old runner from Morro Bay. Two Camarillo men, Leroy Thomas (No. 5), and Joe Nordin (No. 8), placed in the Top 10 overall. Joshua Arden of Oxnard finished 10th overall.

In the Women's division, Mary Akor of Hawthorne captured first place, followed by Grace Padilla of Los Angeles in second and Laura Conley of Woodland Hills.

Camp Keystone 1 Mile The Camp Keystone run is considered one of the largest youth runs in California. Kyle Friedman, 12, of Agoura Hills came in first, followed by Alex Bachman, 11, of Moorpark and Brian Gaul, 10, of Agoura Hills.

Young racers who finished in the Top 10 included Matthew Bevan, 12, Agoura Hills (No. 4); Erin Matsumoto, 12, Oak Park (No. 5); Jake Friedman, 10, Oak Park (No. 6); Nathaniel Driggs, 10, Oak Park (No. 7); Kendall Engelhardt, 11, Oak Park (No. 8); and David Maslan, 12, Westlake Village