Macdonard Ondara has walked everywhere most of his life. He soon started running, and he hasn’t stopped.
“In Kenya, we don’t use gas, so we walk to school,” he said. “It’s a natural thing.”
Ondara was the first man to cross the finish line Saturday during the 10K run portion of The Medical Center 10K Classic.
It was the 31st year for the downtown race, which also features a 5K run, a 10K wheelchair race and a 1.5-mile fun walk. About 2,400 people from across the nation competed Saturday, which is about the same number that participated last year, said Doris Thomas, vice president of marketing and development for Commonwealth Health Corp., the parent company of The Medical Center.
“I think it’s going great,” she said. “We could not have asked for better weather, and we’ve had a great turnout.”
Hundreds of people lined the sidewalks of Western Kentucky University’s campus, clapping and cheering for walkers and runners as they neared the finish line next to the football stadium. Groups of volunteers encouraged runners and handed out bottled water as they whizzed past.
“I’ve done it every year for the last 20 years, and it’s just fun,” said Alene Denning of Bowling Green, who participated in the walk. “It’s the walking. It’s a daily thing for me.”
Patsy Pillow of Smiths Grove smiled as she crossed the finish line – something she’s been doing for around 30 years.
“I’ve done it almost as long as it’s been going on,” she said. “It’s an event that I look forward to every year. I enjoy everything about it.”
Nathan Thomas traveled from Prestonsburg to participate in the 5K run. Some friends from Glasgow encouraged him to take part in the event, which is different from anything he has participated in, he said.
“There’s more hills than I’m used to,” he said. “But I like that you can see the finish line and go downhill to the finish line. That’s pretty cool.”
Supporters and audience members clapped and shouted as Chad Johnson zoomed across the finish line. Johnson won the wheelchair race, tackling the course in a three-wheeled device he calls a running chair.
Johnson, of Charlestown, Ind., travels the country to take part in wheelchair races. He has won the local race three or four times, he said.
“This is just a way in which someone who can’t use their legs would run,” he said. “It’s an impact sport.”
Johnson got involved in the sport by accident, he said, after someone suggested he give it a try.
“I found out it was really hard. Bodybuilding is easy to me. Basketball is easy to me,” he said. “But this one, I’m completely (puzzled). I don’t understand it yet.”
Still, he gives it his best effort because it strengthens him physically and mentally, and he hopes to inspire other people, whether or not they have a disability, he said.
“Yeah, being in a wheelchair sucks, and it’s tough. But everybody has their struggles,” he said. “I can put my wheelchair on just like anyone puts on their shoes.”
Like Ondara, Janet Cherobon was born in Kenya, and she snagged a track scholarship at Harding University in Arkansas.
Now she lives in Rome, Ga., and runs 90 to 100 miles a week – a workout that pays off. She won the female division of the 10K run for the third consecutive year.
Ondara has been racing for the past seven years, traveling across the nation and in Europe and Africa. He trains in New Mexico.
“It’s my first time to win (here),” he said. “So, I’m feeling good.”
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