Race raises nearly $240,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Over 2,000 runners took to the streets of Sacramento on Sunday morning for the UC Davis Children’s Hospital Miracle Mile, the SACTOWN 5k and the SACTOWN 10-mile races.
The event’s featured race, the 10-miler, saw American Sid Vaughn and returning champion Jane Kibii, originally from Kenya, take out strong elite fields to claim $2,000 for their first place finishes.
Vaughn, a 23-year-old who trains in Boulder, Colo. and runs for Hudson Elite, ran with the lead pack for most of the race before making a move just before mile eight to pull away from second and third place finishers Nico Montanez (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Matt Llano (Flagstaff, Ariz.), respectively.
“I thought that the race was an awesome event to compete in and be a part of,” said Vaughn. “Finishing off of Tower Bridge and into the Capitol was the coolest finish I have ever done. The course was challenging and the field was competitive and very tough. I hope to be back next year!”
Early leader and Davis, Calif. resident, Brendan Gregg pushed the pace over much of the first half of the race, coming through mile one in 4:37.
“I wanted to run hard from the gun. I think I paid for it a little there at the end, but it was great to get in a hard effort and it is always fun to race locally,” said Gregg.
Gregg would finish fourth in 48:22 behind Vaughn’s winning time of 47:46, Montanez’s 47:56 finish and Llano 47:58 effort.
The women’s race saw a familiar face return to the top of the podium with Kibii defending her SACTOWN 10-mile titles from the past three years.
“I love this race and the support I get when I run in Sacramento. It is great that my daughter can be there too,” said Kibii who is currently training in Auburn, Calif. and was greeted by her 4-year-old daughter at the finish line.
Kibii didn’t take much time to separate herself from her competitors. By mile one she had an estimated 10-second lead on the chase pack of women.
“I knew the other ladies were strong. My legs were tired, so I wanted to push from the start instead of waiting for a kick,” added Kibii.
Jane extended her lead to nearly a minute by the five-mile mark, where the race looped back through Capitol Mall to start the second half of the course. Kibii continued to build on her lead to the finish line, where she crossed in 55:22.
Kibii has now won five SACTOWN 10-mile titles in the event’s eight-year history (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).
Sacramento local Alycia Cridebring moved up to second place over the second half of the race and finished her debut 10-mile race in 56:43. El Dorado Hills, Calif. native Lauren Totten placed third in 56:50. All three women—Kibii, Cridebring and Totten—run for the Sacramento Running Association’s elite team, SRA Elite.
The event served as the 10-mile championship for USA Track & Field’s Pacific Association. Unofficial scoring looks to have the SRA Elite women and the HOKA Aggie men winning the team titles.
SRA Elite’s Rachel Mitchell won the women’s 5k race in 17:54, a new course record. Isaias Escobedo won the men’s 5k in 16:28.
Credit Unions for Kids (CU4Kids) is the brand under which America’s credit unions and affiliated organizations fundraise for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. To date, credit unions have raised more than $160 million since the introduction of the CU4Kids program in 1996.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is an affiliation of children’s hospitals throughout the country. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals treat more than 17 million patients each year, including 98 percent of all children needing heart or lung transplants and 88 percent of all children with cancer. Each year these non-profit hospitals provide state-of-the-art care, cutting edge research and preventative health education.
Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding 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 recently completed Super Sunday Run, the Gold Country Half on June 10, the Capital Cross Challenge on September 29, the Run the Parkway on November 4 and the 36th annual California International Marathon on December 2.
Sunday, April 8
Men:
1) Sid Vaughn 47:46
2) Nico Montanez 47:56
3) Matt Llano 47:58
4) Brendan Gregg 48:22
5) George Alex 48:50
Women:
2) Alycia Cridebring 56:34
3) Lauren Totten 56:50
4) Mara Olson 57:28
5) Kayla Knapp 58:08
Link to full results: runsactown.org
Sid Vaughn post race interview: youtube.com
Jane Kibii post race interview: youtube.com