By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Caren Ware has been running her whole life. It is said her interest in running was sparked by her having run the most laps at an elementary school jog-a-thon.
Green Valley Lake was teeming with runners on Aug. 2, there for the events staged by Caren Ware.
Today she is a world-class athlete, a USA Track & Field Level II coach, a national champion and one of the nation’s most experienced experts in race timing and events.
For 20 years, Ware lived in Lake Arrowhead, where she raised her two children and six inner city youth. After a sojourn in Jackson Hole, Wyo., she returned to the mountain and now lives in Green Valley Lake.
She brought with her her passion for running and staging running events. She recently staged her fourth 5K, 10K and half marathon in Green Valley Lake with Pam Camacho. Pam and Ernie Camacho – who lost their daughter, Janice, to a brain illness at the age of 21 – have a horse ranch in Running Springs and a cabin in Green Valley Lake. Ware is in the process of purchasing that cabin.
On Saturday, Aug. 2, several hundred runners – from the mountain communities and beyond – gathered in Green Valley Lake to run in one of the three races. Those running in the half marathon who expected to take more than 3.75 hours took off at 7:00 a.m., followed by the standard start at 7:30 a.m. The 5K and 10K participants all took off at 8:30 a.m.
The course started with a scenic ¾-mile “out and back” along the lake, followed by a gradual climb up Green Valley Lake Road, onto a Forest Service road. The course was partially paved and transitioned to dirt roads and a trail.
Among those runners was the Arjonilla family from Running Springs: Mom Julie; Madelyne, 16; and Lucas, 14. Madelyne and Lucas are both on the cross-country team at Rim High. All three placed in their age divisions, with the teens both placing second in the 5K.
Roosevelt Cook of Hesperia proudly displays his trophy and medal, which he was awarded as the first-place finisher in the half marathon.
Other local runners who placed in their age divisions in the 5K included: male 15-19, Dylon Richardson, Green Valley Lake, third; male 60-64, Sabro Foster, Running Springs, second; male 65-69, James Jure, Green Valley Lake, first, Tony Wetmore, Crestline, second, Dan Roddick, Running Springs, third; male 70-74, Paul Labarrere, Lake Arrowhead, first, Steven Hethcoat, Crestline, second, Dave Rainey, Green Valley Lake, third.
And for females in the 5K local runners who placed included: 10 and under, C. Parcells, Running Springs, second; 11-14, S. Roberts, Crestline, second; 25-29, Serenity Monfreda, Running Springs, first; 40-44, Nicole Dobson, Lake Arrowhead, first, Binu Cloud, Running Springs, third; 55-59, Angela Godsey, Running Springs, third; 60-64, Marquita Foster, Running Springs, first.
In the 10K, John Stehmeier of Lake Arrowhead finished first in the male 55-59 age bracket. And in the female 60-64 age group, Karen Roszyk of Skyforest finished third.
In the half marathon, Roosevelt Cook of Hesperia came in first with a time of 1:30:34.4. He was followed by Matt Dobson of Blue Jay at 1:38:52.0. And third place went to Alejandro Quezada of Fontana at 1:45:42.2.
Jessica Meyle of Crestline was the second-place finisher for females in the half marathon at 2:06:48.
Other local half marathoners included Rojelio Perez of Twin Peaks, first in the male 20-24 age group; Kevin Bacio, Lake Arrowhead, first, male 30-34; Steven Guzman-Ayala, Twin Peaks, third, male 30-34; Kevin Bigley, Blue Jay, third, male 35-39; Evelyn Guerra, Crestline, third, female 30-34; Renee Wetzel, Blue Jay, second, female 40-44; Jessica Meyle, Crestline, first, female 45-49.
Ware said she and Pam Camacho started the races “to bring life to the town.” She described it as “a mix of mountain, my running audience from SoCal and my other races.”
The races, she added, draws everyone from “avid runners to couch potato walkers to everyone in between.”
Proceeds from the race entry fees benefit the Children’s Forest through the Southern California Mountains Foundation, “empowering youth to become leaders in environmental stewardship.”
Following the races, the participants gathered in the community garden in Green Valley Lake where they were treated to the music of Wake the Bard.
The Arjonilla family of Running Springs – mom Julie, Madelyne and Lucas – all placed with their age divisions.
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