Florence’s young track fill top of race standings

May 26, 2023 — The streets of Florence were alive with runners on Saturday, May 20, for the 44th annual Rhody Run. As part of the festivities for the Rhododendron Festival, hundreds of athletes ran or walked in both 5K and 10K races, sponsored by Florence Habitat for Humanity.

In the 10K, Siuslaw Middle School 7th-grader Yair Brito Xilot, took top honors, with an impressive time of 44:15.9. Lucas Rector, 40, from North Bend, closely followed him, finishing in 44:23.7. Jennifer Fedorov, 51 and also of Florence, was the first woman to cross the finish line in the 10k race, her time of 45:37.8 also earning her first place in the women's 50-54 years division. Next for women was another Florencian, Paige Roe in 48:25.8.

The 10K saw a strong performance from Florence locals, with eight of the top ten finishers hailing from the city. Notably, Phillip Larson, 67, finished in sixth place overall and first in the men's 65-69 division, with a time of 48:14.8.

Siuslaw High School freshman Camden Linton from Florence emerged victorious in the 5K race, momentarily diverting his attention from the district champion Viking track team. Clocking in at an impressive 17:28.6, Linton's exceptional performance secured him the well-deserved first place. Following closely behind, Brian Schofield, 27, hailing from Westlake, secured second place, posting an admirable time of 18:18.4.

The 5K women's division was won by another Siuslaw Viking freshmen, Adylin Holbrook, who clocked in at 20:52.6. 

For full results go to eclecticedgeracing.overallraceresults.com/overall-results/710.