SANTA CRUZ — The lung-burning, strength-sapping hill between Miles 2 and 3 has become the cornerstone of any conversation concerning the annual Firecracker 10-kilometer race at Harvey West Park. Winners and runner-ups alike can't help but describe what happened when they hit the wall of a climb.
Tuesday's winner, Jeff Gardina, was no different. Except, instead of cursing the hill's rapid elevation gain, he couldn't help but boast about how he beat the race pacer, who was leading the way via mountain bike, to the top.
"I did drop him on the uphill," said Gardina, 24, a UC Santa Cruz graduate student in chemistry.
The bikers shouldn't feel bad. Gardina had less trouble dropping the rest of the race's 300 participants. He ran most of the race alone and finished in 35 minutes, 11 seconds — 2:05 faster than his friend, 16-year-old Chris Profitt of Santa Cruz, who took second. Triathlete Tim Johnston of Los Gatos ended up third in 37:53.
Women's winner Katrin Tobin, 44, of Santa Cruz, also didn't have too many problems dropping the competition on her way to claim her first crown with a time of 41:27. Women's second-place finisher, and first-time Firecracker runner, Laura Home of Santa Cruz hung with Tobin until the hill and finished a minute back. Birgit Johnston of Los Gatos was third in 43:57.
"Laura hung with me. I saw her pigtails in the shadows," Tobin said. "I just said OK, here comes the hill, don't slow down.
"It felt great to win," added Tobin, who was 16th overall. "I was really glad I wasn't pushed. It was really nice because I could enjoy it more."
Lloyd Anderson successfully returned to the race a year after he suffered a heart attack on the course. Cheered on by his wife, Carolyn, his daughter, step-son and two granddaughters, Anderson, 75, crossed the finish line in 1:09:09. He was second of four in the men's 70-over division.
| Several of the Aptos-La Selva Beach firefighters who interrupted their own races last year to help save Anderson also got a chance to finish. Captain Jeremy Gilbert, Mike Kretsch and Ryan Peters finished together in 50:32. |
Gardina had plenty of reasons not to be stymied by the hill. He's an accomplished runner who is a member of the Asics Aggies track and cross country teams and finished eighth at the Wharf to Wharf last year. He trains regularly on the hills behind UCSC. And until he found out he had to work late at his job at Seascape Resort, he was expecting to run the Kenwood Footrace on Tuesday in his hometown of Santa Rosa, which he says has even more difficult hills.
Despite his speed, Gardina said his performance disappointed him.
"Last year there was a guy who ran it in 34:30. I was hoping he would be out there," Gardina said. "But it was fun. I liked talking to the bike guy."
The bike guy probably felt the same — until Gardina left him in the dust.
Contact Julie Jag at jjag@santacruzsentinel.com.
