Young, old walk to health

FARMINGTON — Almost an hour and a half after the 5K began, Grace Marsden entered the parking lot to finish the final few meters of the event.

Occasionally she got down on her hands and knees and crawled to keep moving forward, but the 81-year-old from Centerville would rise with a twinkle in her eye and a bounce in her step. The crowd awaiting Marsden — most participants had finished much earlier — gave her a hero's reception. She was cheered and applauded and received a bouquet of balloons as she crossed the finish line.

Marsden was the final finisher of the annual Davis County Walks 5K, a unique event designed to include everyone who wants to build a healthier lifestyle.

Davis County Walks is a program sponsored year-round by the Davis County Health Department for the improvement of health of the residents of Davis County. Annie Wiseman, the event organizer, said that the program began four years ago because of a startling statistic: 50 percent of the Davis County adult population was either obese or morbidly obese.

"We developed the program to promote healthy lifestyles," Wiseman said.

Participants are encouraged to track their walking with pedometers, working up to taking 10,000 steps every day. Each of the 15 cities in Davis County is highlighted as part of the program, with the finale being the yearly 5K at the Davis County Fairgrounds.

This year the 5K, sponsored by Davis County Senior Services, put special emphasis on senior participation.

"We wanted to encourage them to be more active because they are the most at risk," Wiseman said. "They are more likely to be less active or even inactive."

To do so, the county provided a couple of incentives. They waived the entry fee for those 60 and older, which included a T-shirt and pedometer, and provided a separate race division for prizes.

The incentives appeared to have worked; there were nearly 100 more participants Saturday than there were at the last race.

Walkers and runners were undaunted by age or fitness level. Val Russell, 66, of Layton, carried oxygen in a backpack as he ran the course. He gave up a life of smoking two years ago and said he is now addicted to running.

"It's the best thing for me," Russell said.

The first-place male senior finisher, 71-year-old Harry Ewing, finished with a time of 21: 27. He completed the race only four minutes after 17-year-old Bryce Larsen took first for the younger age division.