No rabbits to chase, James Roach established a torrid pace early and never looked back Saturday.<\/p>\n
Just as he did a year ago in the rain, the 31-year-old Auburn man ran freely and in front of the crowd to capture the 34th annual Christmas Rush Fun Run\/Walk on a chilly, party sunny morning at Hogan Park at Russell Road.<\/p>\n
Roach dominated the pack, repeating his 10-kilometer title by stopping the clock at 34 minutes, 13 seconds – a little quicker than his finish last year when he covered the same relatively flat, 6.2-mile loop course in 34:35.<\/p>\n
“Nice not having the rain this year,” said Roach, who reached the finish line nearly a minute sooner than the runner-up, Seattle’s 47-year-old Ben Savage (35:04). “I had some help at the front (of the race) last year with a few (swift) kids up there … but I didn’t see anybody around me after a half-mile (today).”<\/p>\n
Roach kicked it into high gear, something he knows how to do.<\/p>\n
Roach, who competes for the Seattle Running Club, is a former All-Academic Great Northwest Athletic Conference cross country performer at Central Washington University. Roach competed at Highline College and coached in the area.<\/p>\n
He frequently competes in road races, from half-marathons to full marathons, where he has posted a personal-best 2:42. He also enjoys competing on the oval come spring.<\/p>\n
Roach, a health and physical education instructor at Madrona Elementary School in SeaTac, actively trains on rugged terrain with the Cascade Orienteering Club.<\/p>\n
“I felt good,” Roach said of his repeat win on Kent pavement, a course that included the Interurban Trail, which he is very familiar with. “I like running here.”<\/p>\n
Seattle’s David McCulloch, 46, was third (35:29), followed by a pair of Kent runners – Carlos Zaldivar, 24, (36:43) and Maamoon Sulah, 17, (36:49).<\/p>\n
Puyallup’s Ruth Perkins, 36, was the women’s overall winner in 36:59, which was sixth overall. Port Orchard’s Kristi Houk, 32, was second (39:26) and Seattle’s Julia Reade, 36, was third (44:26).<\/p>\n
In the 5K, Seattle’s Tyler Flannery, 22, captured the men’s title (15:56), followed by Issaquah’s Jake Knoblich, 18, (16:32) and Kent’s Eric Brill, 28, (16:40).<\/p>\n
For the women, Renton’s Brigette Takeuchi, 18, was the 5K winner (18:31). Stanwood’s Rachel Cundy, 22, was second (19:24) and Renton’s Dhamanpreet Kaur, 16, was third (19:24).<\/p>\n
The 5K race had 941 runners, the 10K field posted 285 finishers.<\/p>\n
Kent Parks, Recreation and Community Services hosted the run, a Kent tradition.<\/p>\n