HAMLET – Even before Saturday’s 35th annual Seabaord Festival got underway, people were running down McDonald Avenue in Hamlet in the hopes of being the top finishers in the 33rd annual Seaboard Festival 5k.
People came from all over North Carolina and neighboring states to participate in the race. Racers came from Ohio, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and of course many counties in North Carolina.
“We had 246 registered runners with 212 finishers,” said Duke Smith, race director. “This is the largest field in the event’s 33-year history. I hope to see the race keep growing. I would love to have 500 runners in the next few years.”
Top finishers in the male and female categories were both Hamlet residents.
In the male division, leading the way was Dylan Carpenter (1) of Hamlet, who was also the overall winner with a time of 19:42; Jimmy Arnold (2) of Rockingham; Brian Povish (3) of West End, N.C.
For the ladies, it was Megan Hahner (1) of Hamlet who finished with a time of 22:44, Jade Ado (2) of Cameron, N.C., and Kitty Shaw (3) of Sylvania, Ohio.
The Seaboard Festival 5k, much like the Seaboard Festival, is helping the community grow and helping the individuals in the community as well. Charitable contributions will include two $1,000 scholarships to Richmond Community College for the 2018-2019 academic school year, and donations to Calvary Baptist and Second Baptist churches for their many years of helping with the race.
The 5k will also donate $1,000 towards the Hamlet stage project.
The Seaboard 5k is an annual event that takes place in Hamlet the morning of the Seaboard Festival on the third Saturday in October. For those who would like to participate in the event next year, it’s never too early to start running.
