Feb. 1, 2015
For immediate release
SRA athletes sweep 10k, 5k titles in festive start to big football day
The Super Sunday Run started with live music, footballs tossed and kicked around and a pair of kids’ races to set the tone for a fun, festive day.
At the end of the sixth annual event, participants lingered to partake in a tailgate party featuring free food and beer to prepare for the Seattle Seahawks-New England Patriots showdown.
In between, athletes from the Sacramento Running Association’s Elite Team dominated the competition, winning all four individual races.
Sacramento’s Chris Stehula and Folsom’s Allison Maxson captured 10k titles and Auburn’s Josh Gruver and El Dorado Hills’ Danielle Domenichelli took home 5k honors on a mild, pleasant Sunday morning at Sacramento State.
More than 2,500 runners participated in the event, put on by the Sacramento Running Association and presented by California Family Fitness. The races helped support local school, youth and community sports and fitness programs.
Stehula, 30, cruised to an easy victory in the men’s 10k, covering the 6.2-mile course through Campus Commons and the Sacramento State campus in 32 minutes and 33 seconds. George Price of Citrus Heights finished second in 33:08, with Sonoma’s Nick Spector third in 33:49.
“My excitement came from the kids’ races,” said Stehula, who before his race served as announcer for the UC Davis Children’s Hospital Future Stars 1K and the Pee-Wee 40-Yard Dash. “It was great. All the parents were super stoked.”
Stehula moved from San Luis Obispo four years ago to start a swimming company, Boost Swimming.
“I came up here for a job and stayed,” he said. “It’s fantastic.”
Maxson, 28, won the women’s 10k in 34:05, well ahead of Fresno’s Molly Friel (37:04) and Sacramento’s Jenny Hitchings (37:06).
“It actually went better than I planned,” said Maxson, a physical therapist. “Perfect conditions, a really fun atmosphere.
“I’m from Seattle. I have extra adrenaline for the Seahawks today.”
Gruver, 22, stuck to his strategy of getting out quickly in the men’s 5k, covering the course through Sacramento State’s campus in 14:24. Sacramento’s Osamu Tada finished second in 14:42 and Orangevale’s Steven Brown was third in 14:44.
“It was really good, really comfortable,” Gruver said. “I wanted to get out super fast, put in some separation.
“It was really fun.”
And his Super Bowl rooting choice?
“The 49ers aren’t in it,” he said. “I like to go against the Seahawks. Let’s go against them for sure. Patriots.”
Domenichelli, who works as the SRA’s Elite Athlete Coordinator, sounded pleased with her effort after winning the women’s 5k in 16:13.
“It was good,” she said. “I’m trying to get back in race shape … A hard effort. It went well.
“There was a good group of guys that went out; I gradually started working up through them.”
Folsom’s Morgan Pugh placed second in 16:58, with Roseville’s Stephanie Artis grabbing third in 17:13.
Domenichelli, 27, sounded a common northern California theme when asked about her Super Bowl preference.
“Probably the Patriots,” she said. “Because I don’t like Seattle.”
The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding new ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.
Other SRA events include the Credit Union SACTOWN Five- and Ten-Mile Run on April 12, the Gold Rush 50k on May 9 and the California International Marathon on Dec. 6.