Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Running down that hill
Red Wolf finds gear, wins race
The winner emerged late, but the frontrunners were clear from the start.
Coleman Wilson, an Arkansas State University track and field and cross country runner from Bentonville, pulled away first from Jared Touart and then from Cameron Beckett in the final half-mile to win the Firecracker Fast 5K in Little Rock on an Independence Day Monday morning.
Wilson, 21, won in 14:49.5. Beckett, 32, of Little Rock, finished second in 15: 03.0, and Touart, 22, of Conway, was third in 15:26.7.
Erin Woodward, 23, of Conway, was first among women in 15:59.5. Gracie Hyde, 22, of Benton, finished second in 17:23.9, and Sara Steimel, 21, of Conway, was third in 17:28.0.
A total of 858 runners, walkers, and wheelchair athletes finished the Firecracker.
“I’m really happy,” Wilson said. “I was expecting a 15:30. All I’ve done is just mileage. I haven’t done any real workouts. All I’ve done is some running. I just hope my coach isn’t mad at me because I’ve been running.”
With a comfortable lead late in her fourth Firecracker attempt, Woodward’s goal was to finish under 17 minutes.
“I always want to win, of course, but I really wanted to get 17,” Woodward said. “I knew if I was going to do it, it might be today.”
Beckett, winner of the Little Rock Marathon in March, led early in the Firecracker on a relatively flat stretch through the Heights business district. Wilson and Tourant ran together, a few seconds back, but as they crossed Cantrell Road and approached the one-mile mark, they had closed to within 10 yards.
Wilson said he relaxed early.
“I was just sitting,” he said. “I was just floating.”
Touart, who runs track and cross country for the University of Central Arkansas, said he was bothered by the steep descent into the Hillcrest neighborhood and slowed as he watched Wilson and Beckett run away.
“I felt pretty good at the start, but that downhill started to wear on me,” Touant said. “They were gapping me, so I thought I would just work hard by myself from then on out. I tried to stay with them, but it just wasn’t there today. I haven’t done any hill work at all, up or down. I just don’t have the strength yet.”
Wilson and Beckett ran nearly abreast through two miles in 9:36. Just before they crossed Markham Street into War Memorial Park, Beckett asked Wilson if he was ready to kick to the finish. They both laughed.
“I knew he was about to come past me,” Beckett said.
Wilson said he did not at first know Beckett has spoken in jest.
“I thought, ‘Oh no, He has something left in the can,’ ’’ he said. “I thought I’d wait a little longer just to make sure.”
“No,” Wilson “I knew he was about to run away.”
Renowned for its overall descent of approximately 340 feet from its start in the Heights to the finish near War Memorial Stadium, the Firecracker is usually decided on the steep incline along Zoo Drive, in the final half-mile. Wilson saw Zoo Hill coming.
Wilson moved early, accelerated, and opened two seconds on Beckett at the base of the hill. His lead quickly became insurmountable.
“I knew if I put distance on him before the hill, psychologically, it’s harder to catch someone on the hill,” Wilson said. “I tried to open 10 meters before the hill. Once you reach the hill, you’re hurting, and all you have to do is hold it.”
“It worked,” Wilson said. “I didn’t have it. In my mind, it was just, ‘Conquer the hill.’ When I got to the top of it, had he been half the distance, I might have tried to give it a little bit of a jolt and tried to catch him, but he had a 13-second gap, and I’m not catching 13 seconds.”
It was the first Firecracker attempt for Wilson, a second- team All- Sun Belt Conference cross country selection for the Red Wolves in 2021.
“I have some buddies who all live down here,” said Wilson, who completed his sophomore season at ASU in May. “I’m in Jonesboro this summer, and we all wanted to come down here for the Fourth. They said, ‘ Do you want to run the race?’ I said, ’Sure.’ I have a couple of buddies who ran it themselves.”
As evidence of the Independence Day holiday, Wilson said he and his friends played volleyball Sunday night. Beckett said he left a brisket smoking at his home as he drove to the race.
“It’s the Fourth of July,” Beckett said. “You have to prioritize.”