MISSOULA — The Missoula Marathon's jam-packed weekend continued Saturday as runners flooded the finish line for the Tony Banovich 5K and Missoula Kids Marathon.
The Tony Banovich 5K, named in honor of the marathon's late race director, kicked off at 8 a.m. in downtown.
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Blake Baker, a 29 year old from Portland, Oregon, earned first place using a "him vs. him" mentality.
“I wasn't after first place," he said. "No, I was just trying to get a new PR [personal record.] I don't know if I got the PR, but I got a check. But yeah, it's fun winning.”
Every runner who crossed the finish line Saturday morning had a different source of motivation. Two-time breast cancer survivor Rochelle Lee said she was motivated by gratitude.
"I don't take it for granted. I don't take my health for granted. I don’t take the ability to be able to run for granted," she said.
Lee is not the only 5K participant who persevered.
"It feels great considering I had a neck injury last year, so it's a great achievement to get myself out there again," Barbara Finley, another runner, said.
At 10 a.m., the Missoula Kids Marathon took off for a 1.2 mile run around the Clark Fork River. During the race, the kids learned to never doubt themselves.
"I felt like I couldn't do it, but then when I got off of it, I knew I could do it," Hunter Clark, a kids marathon participant, said.
Karen Robles, a 5K competitor, shared the same attitude, saying there's nothing to be afraid of when competing in a race.
"It's a great experience. There's people cheering, motivating you, sharing some words of wisdom. I think it's a great experience that you should try at least once," Robles said.
Support was key for Missoula Kids Marathon winner James Jence, who had his soccer teammate at his side heading into race day. When MTN asked Jence if he knew he'd get first place, he responded, "Yeah."
Caras Park still offered plenty to do once Saturday morning's events wrapped up. The featured more than 40 booths offering everything from fitness apparel to healthy snacks to sponsor information.
Kristen Sackett, the marketing and events director for the Downtown Missoula Partnership, said everything a runner could possibly need was offered at the expo.
"Even if you're not running this weekend, the expo is great to come check out and people watch and it's super fun," she added. "I mean, marathon weekend is the best weekend in Missoula. Let's be real."
Marathon weekend continues Sunday with the full and half marathons. The full marathon starts at 6 a.m. in Frenchtown while the half takes off at 7 a.m. from Blue Mountain Road just west of Missoula.
Click here to read more about the Missoula Marathon.
