TAZEWELL, Va. — It was a warm Saturday morning in picturesque downtown Tazewell. What better way to spend part of it than running through the streets for a good cause?

It’s just part of the allure for running that brought Doug Fender to Tazewell for the 36th Annual Young Life Heritage Classic 5K/10K run.

“You get a good sense from it, everybody is trying do the same thing,” said Fender, a Marion, Va., native, who won the men’s 10K run for a sixth straight year. “Everyone is pushing themselves to try and get to that next level so when you come to a place like this you get a good energy and vibe, it motivates you.”

More than 100 long distance runners — of all ages, sizes and genders — gathered for an event that is meant to raise funds to help Young Life of Tazewell to fund a director — currently it is John Ball — whose role is to bring non-churched high school and middle school children of the community to Jesus Christ.

Among the participants was State Delegate James W. “Will” Morefield, R-Tazewell, who finished first in his 25-29-year-old age group with a time of 26:55 in the 5K (3.1 mile) event.  

“This is the first time I have ever participated in this race, but this is for a good cause,” said Morefield, who finds time to run about five miles every other day. “Young Life is involved in the community here, not only in Tazewell, but all across the county and in Southwest Virginia.

“I think it is a good program to come out for and we are glad we can be here today.”

Among the top finishers were Fender and his girlfriend, Dena Spickard, who won the women’s 5K for a third straight year.

“I just came to have fun,” Spickard said. “It is a tradition too.”

Both ran cross country at Marion High School, and now live near Columbia, S.C. Both continue to dominate this race in their respective events.

“It was good, I started out a little quick because it is all down hill, but it was a good race,” said Spickard, who isn’t a fan of the final steep hill that requires a climb prior to the start/finish line. “I kind of died on that last hill, it is a tough one.

“I haven’t really been training on the hills, I have been training in South Carolina so the heat didn’t really bother me, but the hills killed me.”

The other two winners included Nick Whited of Bluefield, Va., and Bluefield State athletics department employee Vonda Wilson. Whited captured the 5K men’s race, while Wilson won the 10K on the women’s side, her fifth win of the year.

It also marked a personal record, completing the 6.2 miles in 47:14, finishing ahead of Keri Quesenberry of Bluefield, Va. (47:45).

“I ran this (race) before, but this is the first time I ran the 10K,” said Wilson, who has won 5K events this year at Bluefield State, Wytheville, Grundy and Bluestone Lake. “It was pretty hard, but I had a P.R. (personal record) for a 10K.

“I have been running the hills of Bluefield, but that is about it. I am glad I have been running the hills because there are a lot of hills on this course.”

Much like the other winners on this day, Whited is a regular in local running circles, recording his third win in this event. He won the 10K in 2006 and 5K in ‘04 and this year.

“This course is long, but it is what it is,” said Whited, who finished in 18:15, edging out Jarod Bailey of Pounding Mill (19:01), who recently won the Varmint 5K and then also ran the half-marathon in Burkes Garden. “I guess they have the logistics with the 10K and the 5K.

“It is a 10th long, but it is a fast course until the last mile when you have to come up that steep uphill and you just lose your momentum.”

Whited ran in the West Virginia 5K championships last weekend in Huntington, finishing 24th out of 680 runners on a “pancake flat” course. Yet, he wasn’t happy and planned to take it out on the competition in Tazewell.

“I wanted to come out here and try to get a little redemption for last week...,” Whited said. “I ran 17:19 and got smoked so I thought I would come out here, not to sound arrogant, but I thought I would come out here and try to smoke this and get a little bit of redemption.”

In all, 105 runners participated in the event, the same as last year. Most left with some type of hardware for their efforts.

Fender also left with bragging rights. He came to Tazewell determined to win his sixth straight 10K event after Smyth County Commonwealth Attorney Mike Jones — who Fender is working for as an intern in Marion — told him he couldn’t do it again. Fender (40:21) finished ahead of Bluefield’s Michael Collins (41:57).

“I think it adds a little bit of pressure, obviously this is just for fun, but I set the expectations for myself,” Fender said. “My supervisor for my internship bet me that I could not do it so a lot of my motivation was just spite for him...I don’t get in a ton of races, but I like to run.”

Spickard was quickly put on the spot prior to the race when race director Brad Pyott brought up her name. Spickard (22:53) defeated Evan Ferrell (23:56) of Cedar Bluff, who won the 5K last month at the Varmint.

“It put a little pressure on me when he said ‘Dena Spickard, are you here’, I was like ‘Oh no’.” said Spickard, who had planned to run the 10K. “When I wake up in the morning, I am like ‘I think I will just stick with the 5K’ but it’s good.”

Whited, who is 95 percent recovered from Achilles surgery on this right ankle, has tried to expand his reach in terms of running events. He’s been known to run everything, having recently finished fifth in a marathon in Roanoke, and fifth at a half-marathon in Martinsville.

“I am trying to start traveling regionally because I have won most of these local races and I just thought I would try to go somewhere and get my butt kicked, “ Whited said. “I have been doing it, and I like it.

“It kind of makes you dig down a little bit and dig so that is what I have been trying to do.”

Morefield who was wearing — as were several of his running mates — “Morefield for Delegate” shirts. He is currently in campaign mode for the upcoming election.

“Absolutely, that is the downside to running every two years, you only have a year to work and the other year you are campaigning,” Morefield said. “We are just excited we could be out here and talk to some folks and promote Young Life.

“It is a very good run, I originally signed up for the 10K and decided to run the 5K and ran 26:55 which is a good time for me. The goal is to keep it at least under 10 minutes a mile.”

Pyott was pleased with the turnout. The race has been taking place since 1976, with Young Life taking it over from the town of Tazewell in 2000.

“The last hill is pretty tough, but it is a fun location,” Pyott said. “We have a lot of good help that put a lot of good food and fruit and drinks together for the runners. They seem to come back every year so we must be doing something right.”

For many, running wouldn’t considered fun. For those in the running community, nothing could be better.

“I think there is just a great feeling about running, just to get out in the woods or on a country road and you have the wind in your hair and it feels so great,” Fender said. “Then you come to something like this and it is really not about whether you win or lose or your time.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com 

*****

36th Annual Young Life Heritage Classic

At Tazewell

Women’s 5K (3.1 miles)

Overall: 1st: Dena Spickard, Elgin, S.C. 22:53; 2nd: Evan Ferrell, Cedar Bluff, 23:56.

Age 14-under: Jane Niemhuis 29:40, Grayson Absher 33:58, Leanne Thomas 36:55; 15-19: Hayleigh Wolfe 30:25; 20-24: Megan Kaylor 28:11, Tabatha Robins 29:06; 25-29: Lynsey Artrip 34:32; 30-34: Kendra Johnson 38:43; 35-39: Tresha Frye 36:47; 40-44: Annette Looney 29:47; 45-49: Marie Appleby 31:08, Colleen Ferrell 32:01; 50-54: Susan Nunley 35:48, Janet Coleman 37:42; 55-59: Jan Lutz 39:28, Gaylene Hess 35:20, Vicki Nuckels 37:21.

Men’s 5K (3.1 miles)

Overall: 1st: Nick Whited, Bluefield, Va 18:15; 2nd: Jarod Bailey, 19:01 Pounding Mill.

Age 14-under: Jaron Goodman, 27:01; 15-19: Taylor Monk, 20:54; 20-24: Channing Hardin 24:23, Trey Lambert 24:26; 25-29: Will Morefield 26:55, Otis Mitchell 27:30, Travis Terry 33:07; 30-34: Matt Shortridge 25:32, Jason Artrip 26:03, Donnie McCoy 30:34; 35-39: Steve Pruitt 23:00; 40-44: Jim Childress 28:17, Gary Akers 31:12; 45-49: Jeff Keene 26:25, Randy Conley 35:02; 50-54: Tim Kaylor 21:30, Desi McClung 27:42, Steven Hunt 29:54; 55-59: Ron Rogers 21:51, Gary Booker 22:42, Bob Collins 29:50; 60-up: Curtis Alford 24:51, Tom Davis 27:57, James McMillan 28:00.

Women’s 10K (6.2 miles)

Overall: 1st: Vonda Wilson, Bluefield WVa 47:14; 2nd: Keri Quesenberry, Bluefield, Va 47:45.

Age 15-19: Lexie Warner 54:20; 20-24: Amanda Lollar 50:49, Madison McCall 56:27, Brienna Rhodes 1:06.0; 25-29: Betsy Conaway 51:15, Genesis Oliver 57:00, Erin Brown 1:03.07; 30-34: Amy Queen 1:02.00; 35-39: Jill O’Quinn 53:28, Carlene Absher 56:30; 40:44: Teresa Griffith 51:52; 45-49: Mary Beth Conley 53:40, Donna Weaver 54:25, Pam Roberts 1:01.35; 60-up: Donna Akers 1:00.0, Terri Street 1:08.50.

Men’s 10K (6.2 miles)

Overall: 1st: Doug Fender, Marion/Columbia, S.C. 40:21; 2nd: Michael Collins, Bluefield, WVa 41:57.

Age 15-19: Joshua Goodman 42:13, Ryan Thomas 43:22; 25-29: Wesley Brown 1:03.07; 20-24: 30-34: Michael Helton 48:04, Billy Mullins 49:13, Michael Justice 51:52; 35-39: Mark Oliver 45:25, Scott Yates 49:21, Antony Roop 51:36; 40-44: Paul Pennington 45:26, Jonce Culbertson 45:33, Bradford Johnson 50:35; 45-49: Philip Cook 1:01.29; 50-54: Roger Coleman 56:51, Lee Scruggs 57:30; 55-59: Bruce Blankenship 50:34, Randy Lester 51:24; 60-up: Danny Keatley 46:34, Doc Craddock 49:02, King Boyce 1:08.03.