Co written by Jonathan Birek
It was a rainy morning in Cullowhee for the annual Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5k run. The cloudy skies and muddy conditions however did not prevent a successful race.
“Rain is definitely in the forecast,” said Shauna Sage, Director of Campus Recreation and Wellness. “But we should be fine come race-time.”
The weather turned out to be favorable as the rain eased up just before the start of the half marathon and held off for the duration of the event. The rain earlier in the morning and the days leading up had an impact on the course, one of the runners described the conditions.
“It felt like a mud-run after the first mile marker,” said Raeven McCrodden, sophomore at WCU. “But, it definitely added to the experience.”
Tyler Watterson, 16 year old from Sylva, North Carolina, came first overall in the 5k with a time of 18:40.9. He had almost a full minute lead on the next runner.
Thirty-one year old Andrew Thrasher came first overall in the half marathon with a time of 1:27:32.9. He was followed closely by 28-year-old Paul Anderson with a time of 1:31:46.9 and Matthew Anys with a time of 1:34:52.8.
The money raised from race registration is being used to help support student professional development and the goal was to raise $7,000. According to our calculations, they exceeded their goal but the final amount is still to be determined.
Film provided by Morgan Miller and Lucy Jones
Video co produced by Jonathan Birek and Garrett Readling
