I like tradition, so count me as a fan of the Butler Road Race.

I covered Saturday's 44th annual event, which attracted over 400 participants, and came away with several lasting impressions.

Here are just a few:

All four overall winners — Nick Edinger and Becca Pennington in the 5-mile races and Jake Taciuch and Samantha Cornell in the 2K — are natives of Butler County. Edinger is a Mars High product, Pennington starred at Karns City and Taciuch competed at Moniteau during his high school days. Cornell will soon be running for Butler High School.

The road race attracts many runners from outside the county, so congratulations to the winning quartet on defending their home turf.

My interview with Edinger was particularly interesting. Here's a guy who runs 120 miles per week in hopes of reaching the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the marathon. He has not been able to keep up that pace recently due to an injured back, but hopes to be back to his old self by the end of the summer.

Edinger comes across as a very determined and dedicated athlete, so don't count him out moving forward.

Most of the road race's entrants don't train for and run in full marathons. The vast majority didn't show up looking to win their event. Some simply chose to walk the 2K course.

Whatever their motive was, kudos to all who took part, young and old. We live in an age when there is no shortage of reasons to stay parked on the couch — television, computers, cell phones, video games ... you get the idea.

Some came with friends, some with family while others were alongside strangers the whole time. No matter, these people chose to get out and get moving and I admire that.

Aside from the camaraderie, sense of achievement and awards that are earned, the road race highlights downtown Butler.

When I interviewed at the Butler Eagle in February 2002, it was only the third time I had ever been in Butler. But living in a town for 11 years and working there for 17 has a way of attaching you to a place. In one respect, Butler is home for me. Anything that shines a positive light on this town should be applauded.

Main streets all over the country have struggled to stay afloat over the last few decades and I think Butler has done well in that regard.

The road race was in danger of going under a couple of years ago, but due to the Butler YMCA, it now seems to be an event that will be a staple every late June in Butler for years to come.

Thank you to Butler Road Race, Inc. for creating such a great event over four decades ago and likewise to the Butler YMCA for recognizing that it's a tradition that needs to continue.

Derek Pyda is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle