King of the road

By John Enrietto Eagle Sports Editor

June 27, 2016 Last Updated: June 27, 2016 03:09 PM Amateur

Mars native Nick Edinger, who now lives in Kent, Ohio, breaks the tape as the winner of the men's 5-mile event at the Butler Road Race Saturday.

Edinger cruises to 5-mile victory at Butler Road Race

Hoping to make an impact on the national stage, Nick Edinger did a pretty good job on the local one Saturday.

The 2009 Mars graduate, now living in Kent, Ohio, cruised to victory in the 5-mile portion of the Butler Road Race Saturday, beating runner-up Jed Christiansen of Grove City by nearly a full minute.

Edinger, 25, finished the course in 25 minutes, 25 seconds. Christiansen, 29 — who set the national 5-mile record time of 31:37 for an 8-year-old at the BRR — crossed the finish line in 26:24.

“I came here to win, so I can't say I'm surprised that I won,” Edinger said. “But I don't usually run well in the heat, so I am surprised that way.”

Edinger won the 2013 BRR with a time of 26:12 and bettered that mark by 47 seconds Saturday.

Christiansen said he was running alongside Edinger “maybe two miles or so in” before the winner began pulling away.

“He ran a good race,” Christiansen said. “But I'm disappointed. My time was really slow for me. It's been years since I've run this slow.”

Christiansen ran the BRR for the first time since 2004.

“I've been battling some injuries,” he said. “An achilles, a hip flexor ... It limited my preparation for the race. I could do two weeks light training, go two weeks without training, and so on. That wasn't nearly enough time.”

Edinger's next big race will be the Monumental Marathon Nov. 5 in Indianapolis. He finished 15th in the USA 25K Challenge in Grand Rapids, Mich., in May. He's finished among the top 65 overall at the Chicago Marathon.

“My ultimate goal is to qualify for the Olympic Trials and make the Olympic team in 2020,” Edinger said. To do that, I have to keep improving.

“I do enjoy the Butler race. Any year I'm in town when it's going on, I run it.”

Malcom East won the Butler Road Race five times during its early years as a 10K. Now 60 and living in the United Kingdom for the past six years, he returned to run this year's event.

East had heart surgery in February and had a pace-maker installed.

“A year ago, I couldn't run at all,” East said. “I came back this year to visit. This is home to me. This road race is the first one I ever ran in the United States.

“Today, all I wanted to do was finish. That's it. I've been physically able to train a few weeks on and off. It's been tough.”

The course was tough as well.

“I had to stop and walk here and there,” East admitted. “I did what I was capable of doing. But as I saw that finish line, the last 200 yards ... I mustered up what I could and ran the rest of the way.

“I had to at least jog across that line,” East said, his voice cracking. “I guess that's just my pride. Too many memories here. This was an emotional day for me.”

Leah Anne Wirfel, a Johnstown resident and a physical therapy graduate student at Slippery Rock University, won the women's 5-mile in 29:46. She finished seventh overall.

Competing in the BRR for the first time, Wirfel beat out runner-up Tina Seech of Upper St. Clair by nearly four minutes.

“I've always been a runner,” Wirfel, 23, said. “I broke the 5k school record at High Point (University). Now that my college career is over, I'm trying to keep running on my own.

“This is a good start to that.”

There were 465 total runners registered for the 2016 Butler Road Race.

“People keep coming back because we try to make it a first-class event,” BRR president Mike Franko said. “We were blessed with great weather and we got a bonus with a newly paved Main Street.

“It was just a good day.”

BUTLER ROAD RACE

5-mile

Top Ten Overall

1. Nick Edinger, 25 (Kent, Ohio) 25:25, 2. Jed Chrtistiansen, 29 (Grove City) 26:24, 3. Matthew Puleio, 12 (Meadville) 27:54, 4. Zac Tingley, 16 (Stoneboro) 29:22, 5. Ben Willey, 21 (Meadville) 29:23, 6. Noah Bowser, 18 (Sarver) 29:31, 7. Leah Anne Wirfel, 23 (Slippery Rock) 29:46, 8. Matthew Slagle, 22 (Karns City) 29:52, 9. Josh Rader, 20 (Butler) 30:03, 10. Noah Meigh, 21 (Butler) 30:21

Top 5 Women

1. Leah Anne Wirfel, 23 (Slippery Rock) 29:46, 2. Tina Seech, 54 (Upper St. Clair) 33:38, 3. Tammy Slusser, 51 (Monroeville) 34:10, 4. Maggie Welty, 16 (Butler) 34:38, 5. Marilyn Gregory, 41 (Twin Rocks) 36:07

Age Division Winners

Masters Men — David Wilt, 49 (Pittsburgh) 31:46

Masters Women — Debbie Deddo, 58 (Valencia) 39:20

Men Under 12 — Owen Schessler, 11 (Mars) 38:34

Men 12-15 — Aden Dressler, 14 (Evans City) 33:17

Men 16-19 — Noah Bowser, 18 (Sarver) 29:31

Men 20-29 — Matthew Slagle, 22 (Karns City) 29:52

Men 30-39 — Jason Sittler, 38 (Valencia) 32:05

Men 40-49 — Roger Lutz, 44 (Butler) 33:47

Men 50-59 — Tim Monfre, 56 (Butler) 33:17

Men 60-69 — Dean Rowland, 65 (Pittsburgh) 35:04

Men 70-Over — Jim Lombardi, 73 (Meadville) 39:37