Someone forgot to tell more than 200 running enthusiasts it was okay to sleep in on Monday.
The early risers were primed and ready for Lake Orion’s Sixth Annual Resolution Run, a 5K race through the streets of the downtown district.
Sponsored by the Lake Orion DDA, the event drew another large and hard field of participants, including a spirited few male competitors dressed in kilts.
With a stiff breeze coming from the north, the runners nevertheless got off to a quick start. As expected, some Resolution Run veterans set the pace early and stayed out front.
In the men’s division, the first to reach the finish line was Justin Deskets, who clocked in at a speedy 16 minutes and four seconds.
He was followed in second place by 1999 Lake Orion High School graduate, Eric Lohr, while Adam Frezza, another Lake Orion grad, finished the course in third place.
In the women’s division, winner Danni Ashford paced the competition, followed by Samantha Kaufman in second place and Laura Rohde, who finished third.
Deskets, a 1997 graduate of LOHS, currently resides in Berkley. An avid devotee of running, he has been a regular participant in the Resolution Run since its inception.
As one of the kilt-attired competitors, who also ran shirtless in the race, Deskets said the brisk, but dry conditions were ideal for running.
Race coordinator Ron Kalso agreed. ‘We’ve been blessed with good weather for this event just about every year,? he said.
Fifteen-year-old Samantha Kaufman, a current athlete at the high school, participates in cross-country and soccer. She admitted to getting an assist from her dog, Xena.
‘This is the second year I’ve run this race,? said Kaufman. ‘It’s fun because there’s really no pressure to win. I was lucky that my dog dragged me along the course.
Each of the top runners received ribbons and gift certificates. All runners who registered early were recipients of free t-shirts commemorating the event.