A lot of athletes believe that if you have a weakness, you don’t avoid it, you embrace it.
If you struggle with hills, run more of them.
If finding a kick at the end of the race is an issue, make that a focus of your training.
And for Savannah Berry, who said she realized at a very young age that speed was her weakness, the Deseret News 10K gives her a chance to battle that demon.
“I kind of always knew as a kid, and getting coached by several coaches through junior high, high school and college, that I needed to focus on aerobic-based longer distances. I had a weakness in speed stuff. I knew post college, if I was going to continue, based on longer efforts,” she said.
But that didn’t mean she was going to surrender to her speed issues. After graduating from UVU in 2018, she included shorter races to bolster her speed.
It has paid off, including on Wednesday, when Berry, 28, won the Deseret News women’s 10K race with a time of 32:18. It was her second consecutive victory in the race.
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Habtamu Cheney, 25, wins the 2024 Deseret News men's 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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A T-Rex competes in the Deseret News 10K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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The Hall family cheers on Lorelle Hall as she competes in the Deseret News 10K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Andrew Pullens cheers on competitors in the Deseret News 10K as he waits to compete in the 5K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Kirsten Schwartz competes in the Deseret News 10K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Emelia Call competes in the Deseret News 10K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Andrew Pullens cheers on competitors in the Deseret News 10K as he waits to compete in the 5K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Scott Hall competes in the Deseret News 10K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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The Hall family high-fives Lorelle Hall as she competes in the Deseret News 10K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Kelsi Cottrell competes in the Deseret News 10K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Lorelei Hall competes in the Deseret News 10K in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
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Tyler Hall pushes himself to cross the finish line as he finishes the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Donald Brown yells as he finishes the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Maxine Thomas crosses the finish line pushing her child in a stroller during the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Sachi Osterloh, left, races with Kukimm Ryyther crosses the finish line as he finishes the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Anne Alred receives a medal while dressed up like a pioneer at the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Kandi Rasmussen and the finish line as he finishes the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Lindsey Flatebo crosses the finish line as she finishes the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Savannah Berry crosses the finish line in first place in the women’s 10K race during the Deseret News Marathon at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Hyrum Johnson skips as he crosses the finish line in the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Levi Dennis crosses the finish line as he finishes the Deseret News Marathon 10K race at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Habtamu Cheney crosses the finish line in first place in the mens 10K race during the Deseret News Marathon at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News
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Habtamu Cheney cruises to a win in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Christopher Kennedy and Holly Ashby head for the finish in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Anna Pardee and others head for the finish in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Habtamu Cheney cruises to a win in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Habtamu Cheney wins the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Krizia Avina celebrates as she nears the finish line in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Runners pass the Olympic flame at Rice-Eccles Stadium as they compete in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Habtamu Cheney begins to pull away from the pack as he went on to win the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Runners begin the race as they compete in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Savannah Berry wins the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Runners compete in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Habtamu Cheney begins to pull away from the pack as he went on to win the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Habtamu Cheney begins to pull away from the pack as he went on to win the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Shonda Morse heads for the finish line in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Garrett Corcoran and others run in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Kandi Rasmussen and Kirsten Schwartz carry American flags as they finish the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Runners begin their warmups before they compete in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Runners compete in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Runners begin the race as they compete in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Habtamu Cheney begins to pull away from the pack as he went on to win the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Runners compete in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Runners compete in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Daniel Humble races toward the finish in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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McKenzie Nordquist and Leah Larsen race for the finish in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Isabella Cram and Kim Urmaza run in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Megan Buell celebrates as she nears the finish line in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Levi Dennis looks toward the finish line as he runs in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Kandi Rasmussen and Kirsten Schwartz carry American flags as they run in and complete the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Jess Woodbury, Eduarda Rocha and Paige McKee laugh and clap as they near the finish line in the Deseret News 10K on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
She isn’t thinking about a career in 10Ks — at least not just yet.
“This is kind of training for a bigger race,” she said, noting she’ll be running the 20K US Championships in New Haven, Connecticut, later this year.
“I’m also doing the New York Marathon to help me develop a little more speed,” said Berry, who works part time as an elementary school principal and part-time as an athlete mentor for UVU.
“I loved working at the elementary school, but I felt like there was something missing not having the athlete part of it,” she said.
Like every athlete, Berry knows competing isn’t “a forever thing.”
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“But I came from California to a place where I didn’t really know anyone, a new environment, and needed to find people to push me in workouts. It was a difficult transition, and I kind of wanted to help those athletes because I’ve been through the same thing,” she said.
Wednesday’s women’s 10K race was very competitive with Angie Nickerson, 28, earning second place with a time of 32:55. Crossing the line in third place was Lindsey Bradley, 27, who ran the course in 33:13.
In the men’s race, Habtamu Cheney, 25, earned the victory with a time 27:59.
Joey Nokes, 23, was second with a time of 28:09, while JaQuavious Harris, 27, a runner for Salt Lake Community College who won the half marathon last year, was third with a time of 28:15.
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