'Awesome experience': More than 300 take part in Run the Runway 5K race at airport
· Yahoo Sports
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – More than 300 people participated in the first 5K race on a runway of the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport.
The inaugural Run the Runway 5K run and walk drew many runners for the more than three-mile race Saturday while others walked a two-mile course through the airport property in Richland Township.
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The event was co-hosted by the airport authority and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 258th Combat Airfield Operations squadron, which conducts air traffic control at the airport.
First across the finish line was Josh Daly, 37, of Richland.
"It's obviously a cool experience to see the airport up close," Daly said. "It's neat to see the different aspects and how much room there is out here. I think it was a well-organized event, especially for a first year. They did a good job of laying out the course."
Carrie Waldron, of Nanty Glo, walked the course.
"A plane took off from another runway during the race," Waldron said. "It was an awesome experience."
Among the runners of the race was also Tim McIlwain, an airport authority board member.
"It's got to be the only flat race in this region of Pennsylvania," McIlwain said.
Cordell Yerty, 90, of Johnstown's West End, finished the race in his wheelchair, propelled through the course by his granddaughter Ashley Stufft.
"He said he wanted to do a race, so we said 'why not now?,' " Stufft said. "This is the perfect venue to do a 5K."
Proceeds of the race benefit Aerium, the airport's affiliated 501 nonprofit for aviation education and workforce development, Airport Manager Cory Cree said.
"We had a tremendous amount of participants for this first race," Cree said. "We are thrilled. We expected 100 people, but we got more than 300."
The race was supported by more than 20 business sponsors.
Among the racers were some recruits of the Air Force National Guard.
Erik Mendes, an air traffic controller and military air field operations officer, had initially approached Cree with the idea to host the race and generate participation from among military members.
"Cory wanted to open it up to the community and that was a great idea," Mendes said. "The people in Johnstown have been nothing but supportive."