I know that I’m a strength runner, so I knew if I got out good, then at the end I had my strength that I could rely on, so I just had to get good position. – Taylor Ward
SALT LAKE CITY — For the second year in a row, Jason Lynch captured the 10K title at the 2017 Deseret News Classic on Pioneer Day morning.
“I’ve done it in years past. It’s always been a good event, it’s always good competition, always fun to run. It’s fun to go down the parade route, everybody gives good support, it’s just a really fun race,” Lynch said of the Deseret News Classic 10K.
Lynch, who recently graduated from Utah Valley University, where he was a member of the track team, finished with a time of 28:58.8, besting last year's time of 29:15.
“Obviously, I wanted to beat my time, that’s always the goal, but my main goal today was more of the place than the time. I knew there was a lot of good competition in the field, and so I knew getting a good place would lead to a good time,” Lynch said.
Lynch said that he paced himself from the start of the race to conserve energy.
“I’ve done this course quite a few times, and I know that the first two miles are a little bit quicker than the rest of the course,” Lynch said. “One of my strategies was to not go out too fast, to kind of be more reserved, because I know it’s a long race.
Josh Collins of Midway, Utah, finished second with a time of 29:30.1. Collins is a member of the cross-country team at Southern Utah University, where he is entering his junior season. In his sophomore cross country season, Collins finished in 61st place at the NCAA National Championships.
Rounding out the top three men was Nico Montanez, who ran cross-country for Brigham Young University. Montanez finished the Deseret News Classic 10K with a time of 29:37.
Former Weber State runner Taylor Ward, who qualified for Olympic Trials in 2015, took home the top prize in the women’s division — and was 23rd overall — finishing the 10K with a time of 33:22.2.
Ward was all smiles when she crossed the finish line at Liberty Park.
“It felt awesome, the race went out really fast, so it was nice to be able to hold onto that pace and come out with the win today,” Ward said.
Ward ran the 10K in preparation for an upcoming marathon that she’ll be running.
“I’m just actually about to start training block for the marathon, so I just wanted to get a race in, get a little bit of turnover in my legs before I start my training,” Ward said.
Ward, who won the Deseret News Classic 10K in 2014, recently moved back from Alabama and wanted to keep the tradition of running the race alive.
Ward said the hardest part of the race was a stretch down South Temple.
“That’s when I made a move and really tried to break away,” Ward said.
Ward’s strategy to win the race was to get out to a good start.
“I know that I’m a strength runner, so I knew if I got out good, then at the end I had my strength that I could rely on, so I just had to get good position,” Ward said.
Finishing in second in the women’s division was Rachel Perkins Young, a former Dixie State runner who was recently inducted into the Dixie State Athletic Hall of Fame. Young finished the 10K with a time of 34:33.9. Taking third place out of all women was Polina Carlson, from Kailua, Hawaii, who participated in her first marathon in 2012. Carlson crossed the finish line with a time of 34:40.3.
The Deseret News Classic 10K, labeled “This Is The Race,” started at Research Park on the campus of the University of Utah, and continued gradually downhill. The finish line was located at Liberty Park, with runners coming down 900 South, along the Days of ’47 parade route, being cheered on by hundreds of early-arriving paradegoers.
Email: jcoles@deseretnews.com
Twitter: JoeAColes