Ravenswood 5K Run. Credit: Jack Lydon
Early Sunday morning, area runners took to the streets of Ravenswood for the 15th Annual Ravenswood Run five kilometer race. Beginning at 8A, from the corner of Hermitage and Wilson over 3,500 runners ran down Heritage to Irving Park Road and then back north up Paulina, west on Leland before returning to east on Wilson to the finish at Ravenswood.
Wearing number 4, James Akita finished first overall with a time of 15:07. Appropriately wearing number 2, Brent Alexander came in next, thirteen seconds behind. Brent placed second in 2010 as well.
Andrew McCann finished third overall with a time of 15:36 but first in the mens’ 20 to 24 year old division.
The fastest woman was Heather Precop (#3) with a time of 17:35 and eighteenth place overall. Melissa Hadesty (18:10, 27th overall) and Kalina Michalska (18:50, 46th overall) rounded out the top three female finishers.
In what was surely one of his last public appearances as alderman, outgoing 47th Ward Alderman Gene Schulter held the tape as James Akita crossed the finish line.
47th Ward Alderman-elect, Ameya Pawar, ran the race appropriately wearing number 47, and finished with a very respectable time of 24:52.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Ravenswood Community Services Food Pantry at All Saints Episcopal Church the Student Health Centers at Lake View and Amundsen High Schools. Last year, the race raised $35,000.00.
