Focus is on family and fun at annual Westfest run

Putting the focus on family and fun, the Westfest Family Classic 5K drew almost 150 runners to the fourth annual competition on June 23. With awards in 14 different age divisions, as well as for the overall male/female winners, the Classic attracted an eclectic group of competitors.

"The emphasis is really on families and getting out with your family. That's why we have divisions like the stroller division," West Valley City Councilman Steve Vincent said. "We really want people who have never run a 5K to come out and have a good time."

Blake and Marie Williams exemplify the types of runners Vincent wants the competition to attract every year. Marie Williams ran her first 5K earlier this year at the Race for the Cure event, and after completing that race, she caught the 5K bug. For the Westfest 5K, Marie competed in the stroller division, and she managed to get her husband to run his first 5K with her. She plans on competing in as many races as she can this summer.

"She wants to make a quilt out of all the T-shirts she'll get. I'll make more like a pillow," Blake Williams said.

The director of the West Valley City Family Fitness Center, Nancy Day, and her staff help organize and manage the competition every year. For the second year in a row, they have implemented a Kids Fun Run for children 8 and under that immediately follows the 5K.

"Everyone gets a ribbon and a gift bag," Day said. "We want to make sure that everyone gets to participate in something and that everyone who comes out has a good time."

The 5K competition included a diverse group of participants with runners ranging from 8 to 70 in age. Logan Jackson, one of the race's youngest competitors, finished second in the 11-and-under division. Only 9, Jackson has already competed in six 5Ks.

"It's just fun," Jackson said. "I usually run around the track and school, but I like to do the 5Ks more."

Deborah Biesinger won the overall women's race with a time of 21:39. A mother of four young children (Kimerly, 6; Holly, 4; Joseph, 2; and Frederick, 1), Biesinger competed in cross country in high school but only recently began training for 5Ks again. The Westfest Family Classic was only Biesinger's second competition this year, and she dominated, beating the nearest female competitor by almost a minute and a half.

"I was just trying to beat a time — 22 minutes," Biesinger said. "I was not expecting to win because there were a lot of people competing. It's a bonus to win it all."