Road Race

     Fayetteville, NC

      cincodemayo10k@aol.com

       NEWS AND EVENTS

The following is a piece featured in the Fayetteville Observer after the inaugural Cinco De Mayo 10K in 2002

By Sammy Batten, Staff writer for the Fayetteville Observer

      Like the postman, Mike Barnes delivered in the wind and rain Saturday to win the inaugural Cinco de Mayo 10k in Fayetteville. The 44-year-old Army master sergeant ignored the elements and held off a strong challenge from several runners to place first in 35 minutes, 55 seconds. Barnes won on the 6.2-mile course, which began and ended downtown on Hay Street. In between, the course meandered through the city's historic Haymount district.

     As a Special Forces instructor at Fort Bragg, Barnes has done more than his share of training in harsh weather conditions. He did not seem bothered by the cold, steady drizzle. In fact, he ran the entire race shirtless.

      “Most of us are in the Army anyway, so we're used to training in this kind of stuff,” Barnes said. Still, many competitors deviated from their normal running attire, wearing waterproof jackets and hats. One runner even draped herself in a plastic garbage bag in an attempt to stay dry.

      Barnes, who is from Maine, traded the lead with competitors several times before the decisive stretch run.

      “Myself and another guy (Miguel Viera) were back and forth almost the entire way”, Barnes said. “I went ahead coming up the hill next to the Greek Orthodox church, then he passed me coming up Hay Street on that hill. We were neck and neck right there for a long stretch.”

      Barnes finally pulled away when the course went up Old Street to Ramsey and looped around the Market House circle to the finish line on Hay Street.

      “We both kind of died at the end. I just died a little less”, Barnes said. “It was a hard run. We were pushing each other the whole way. I think that, more than anything, that probably got us half-decent times today.”

      Viera finished just five seconds behind in 36 minutes for second place. James Gregory was third in 36:26. Terri Bradley was the top women finisher.

      It was the second 10k victory in two weeks for Bradley, who also won the YMCA Dogwood 10k last Saturday. The 33-year-old posted a time of 38:49. Susan Pierson was a distant second in 43:05.

      “I guess the guys are becoming my competition”, Bradley said. “One of these days I'll be in front and they can all be behind me. If you are a girl you have to work 110 percent harder than they do. You have to put forth more effort because you are genetically disadvantaged, I think.” Bradley actually considered not competing Saturday when she woke up and saw the weather outside. “It was raining when I got up at 5, and I was like, Hmmmm, maybe I'll skip it”, she said. “But I've been in worst conditions than this, so I said, Oh, what the heck.”