Participants, Organizers Call 2nd Annual Trailblazer A Success
Janice and D. Wayne Bearbower don’t take the cheers at the finish line lightly.
The couple, in their mid-70s, trained for the second annual Trailblazer for 10 weeks. Despite D.Wayne’s injury, they worked hard and finished the 5K on March 18 with success.
“We’ve always been pretty active,” D. Wayne said. “But we needed to get moving again.”
Janice, who is 75, and D. Wayne, who will turn 75 in May, decided to take matters into their own hands and stepped up their game. They began walking more, remodeling a house and utilizing their Wii at home.
They also began training with the CWR Fitness group. They say Tony and Andrea Blair – and the group – have been extremely instrumental in their journey.
“We wouldn’t be here today without them,” Janice said. D. Wayne said the Blairs work with everyone at their own level, and have really helped him train with his existing injury.
The two were all smiles the morning of March 18 and received cheers as they crossed the finish line.
They said anyone who wants to start exercising should just jump in. “You just have to do it,” D. Wayne said.
Janice said her 83-yearold brother walks five minutes on his treadmill daily. “Everybody can do five minutes,” she said. The two stressed that beginning exercisers can start small and work up to a longer routine.
The morning’s events were filled with cheers as each participant — a 5K runner, 10K runner or 13-mile bike rider – crossed the finish line at the Pineville Square. With rock music blaring in the background, participants finished the race and gathered to congratulate each other and pose for pictures.
Proceeds from the Trailblazer benefit a cause to build a trail connecting Pineville and Anderson. Pineville Mayor Gregg Sweeten said race totals are still incoming. Donations from area businesses help offset the race costs, so entry fees can go to the trail fund.
William Sharples took first place in the male division in the 13-mile bike ride, with a time of 43:25. Trish Wilson took first place in the female division, with a time of 1:05.
In the 10K race, Jerry Acklin took first with a time of 49:42, and Carrie Ruby took first with a time of 54:20.
Leo Feregrino was the overall male winner in the 5K with a time of 25:14. Kylie Littlefield was the overall female winner of the 5K with a time of 26:33.
Andrea Blair, with MacCounty Running, said several factors came together for the day’s successful event.
“This morning has gone really well,” Blair said. “We tripled our numbers for participants for the 10K and almost doubled our numbers for participants for the bike race. And the weather has been cooperative.”
The temperature at 8 that morning was a little cool for Charles Thacker, who put in 13 miles on his bike as part of the event.
His hands stayed kind of cool during the ride, but with no wind, the ride went fairly smoothly.
Thacker, who rides with a group of about six people, loves to exercise and enjoy the outdoors.
The Trailblazer, his second, can be described as spending time with friends who encourage each other.
His buddies – Buddy Cole and Ryan Crawford – sometimes compete with each other, yet it’s all friendly, spirited competition.
The group members are all part of the same church, First Baptist Church in Pineville. The friends were all riding independently but began riding together.
“It’s more fun and it keeps you more motivated,” Cole said.
Crawford teasingly said the others are competitive in a fun way.
“Put in there that they let the air out of my tires,” he joked, amid laughs from his friends.