Runners from the local area made their marks in the finals standing of the Bigfoot Boogie, two taking top honors in their divisions and several others recording top 10 finishes.
Jan Vincent of Blue Ridge went home with the first place trophy in the 50-59 year old male division from the Saturday, November 8, race. Vincent covered the course in 27:14, giving him a 30th place finish among all 380 registered runners.
Lana Riggle of Blue Ridge captured first place in the 60-69 female division with a time of 30:22, placing her 59th overall.
The 5K event is part of the Riverwalk Run Series, a trio of races through the Twin Cities of McCaysville and Copperhill that bills itself as America’s only 5K, two-state series.
Also placing in the top 10 in the same division was Michael Stuart of Copperhill who finished ninth.
Other local, top 10 finishers by division included:
•Male, 1 to 9 years old; Tate Bradburn, Blue Ridge, fourth; Christopher Cestero, Blue Ridge, fifth; and, Mason Townsend, Blue Ridge, ninth;
•Male, 10 to 19 years old; Knox Floyd, Mineral Bluff, fourth in the division and 12th overall with a time of 23:14; Briar Hicks, Mineral Bluff, sixth; Cody Stewart, Epworth, seventh; and, Nathanel Cestero, Blue Ridge, eighth;
•Male, 20 to 29 years old; Andres Alonzo, Cherry Log, fourth; Jacob Kern, Copperhill, seventh; and Chaise Sorrow, Copperhill, tenth;
•Male, 40 to 49 years old, Adam Johnson, Copperhill, fourth; and Derek Stewart, Epworth, seventh;
•Male, 50 to 59 years old; finishing behind Jan Vincent in ninth place was Michael Stuart of Copperhill;
•Male, 60 to 69 years old; Anthony Rivera, Mineral Bluff, second and 17th overall with a time of 24:47; Jeff Himebaugh, Blue Ridge, third and 18th overall with a time of 25:02; and Jerry Hauck, Copperhill, fourth;
•Male, 70 to 79 years old; Bill Heikkila, Morganton, fourth;
•Female, 1 to 9 years old; Mayleigh Cline, Copperhill, first; Alyssa Johnson, Copperhill, second; Emma Johnson, Copperhill, third; and, Leah Hughes, Morganton, fourth;
•Female, 10 to 19 years old; Nathalie Sowers, Blue Ridge, third and tenth overall with a time of 23:07; Hailey Stewart, Epworth, fourth and 13th overall with a time of 23:44; Kylee Bohnert, Blue Ridge, fourth; Jacquelyn Cline, Morganton, fifth; Adeline Johnson, Copperhill, sixth; and Molly Howard, McCaysville, ninth;
•Female, 20 to 29 years old; Emma Wood, Copperhill, tenth;
•Female, 40 to 49 years old; Marie Cline, Morganton, sixth; Alicia Stewart, Epworth, seventh; and Elizabeth Bradburn, Blue Ridge, tenth; and,
•Female, 60 to 69; finishing behind Riggle was Karen McKenzie, McCaysville, sixth.
In the Kyle Pease Foundation competition, Boyd Weeks and Brady Smith, both of Mineral Bluff ,crossed the finish line in the exact time of 30:05 for a second place tie. Both were running for Team Brady. Stacy Rhodes of Mineral Bluff finished seventh and Adrian Chambers of Morganton clocked an eighth place finish.
The Kyle Pease Foundation empowers athletes with disabilities through inclusive sports experiences. These “in chair athletes” are paired with “push assist volunteers” to promote teamwork, awareness, and community inclusion.
The Bigfoot Boogie marked the grand finale of the 2025 Riverwalk Run Series. With 404 paid participants this year, 316 crossed the finish line in this, the sixth annual, race. The overall male winner was Lucas Blasbery, 14 from Chattanooga who finished with a time of 19:51. Another Chattanoogan, Jenna Picou, 36, was the overall female winner with a time of 21:42.
“This was among our most memorable 5ks,” Race Director Matt Cole said. “Seeing Kyle Pease Foundation athletes ouf front, the incredible turnout of our biggest 5K yet, plus the support from our small businesses continues to make this series a real gem for our region.”