Chris Cruzan, left, eventual second-place finisher in the 8K with a time of 31:00, leads the pack early in the race.
Two dozen runners gathered at the Twin Cities Senior Center Saturday morning before the fair to participate in races that benefited the Greater Lewis County Habitat for Humanity, ultimately raising about $500 for the organization.
The Run for Humanity, either a short 1.1-mile run or the longer 8K (about 5 miles), has been held during fair week since 1996, according to event organizer Jim Kostelecky.
All runners got a free fair ticket for their participation.
Kostelecky said race involvement has dipped in recent years — especially this year with only 24 runners — but he and his assistant Beth Caskey are hopeful that more runners will partake in future events.
Nonetheless, the event raised about $400 from participants and another $100 from a Knights of Columbus donation.
Sponsored by Thorbeckes FitLife Centers, the race began just south of the fairgrounds entrance.
The short race looped around the block via Hampe Way while 8K racers continued south along National Avenue, back north along Kresky Avenue to Washington Elementary School and returned under the viaduct along Gold Street. All runners finished across the street from the starting location at Security State Bank.
The first person to cross the finish line was Charles Garrity, running the 1.1-mile race with a time of 8:13, followed by Kris LaLonde at 10:37.
Roman Kivkov won the 8K, finishing at 30:02. Less than a minute later, Chris Cruzan crossed at 31:00. For comparison, the all-time 8K record is held by Alberto Salazar with a time of 22:04, according to USA Track & Field.
