Smoke drifting over from the Swan Lake Fire near Sterling obscured the normally picturesque view of Kachemak Bay that local runners have come to expect, but that didn’t stop a horde of athletes from enjoying this year’s Spit Run on Saturday.

The 10k to the Bay and Cosmic Half Marathon saw a total of 152 participants. New this year, there were also 14 people who signed up for the untimed 10k walk, which they could start at any time.

Christopher Walker of Anchorage cruised to first place in the half marathon in 1 hour, 34 minutes and 50 seconds. He was followed by the first woman to cross the finish line in the half marathon, Homer’s Stacey Buckelew, with a time of 1:40:45.

This was Walker’s second time running the race.

“It’s a great course,” he said. “It’s so fun running up and down the Spit. It’s just absolutely beautiful. We’ve just been super lucky, the weather’s always gorgeous.”

Asked what his strategy was heading into the race, Walker said, “Don’t fall down, don’t throw up.”

“I thought I’d have a good race today, everything was kid of clicking this week,” he said. “But I didn’t expect to win. So this is awesome.”

Buckelew, though she lives in Homer and runs half marathons, had never run the race before this year.

“It just was a matter of timing,” she said. “Summer’s a busy time, and it just worked out that I was in town this weekend. But I’m a huge fan of the Kachemak (Bay) Running Club.”

Buckelew said the course was fun and that it was good to see such a high turnout.

“Well I did hear that Homer Saw and Cycle was giving away a free pair of shoes (or the winner) and my shoes are falling apart, so that was extra motivation to run fast,” she said of her win.

Christopher Gardeline of Anchorage and Homer’s Mike Illg rounded out second the third place for the men in the half marathon, with times of 1:50:48 and 1:54:16, respectively. For the women, Homer runners dominated the half marathon, with Elizabeth Roedl taking second place in 1:45:26 and Kristen Buckwalter in third with a time of 1:47:02.

In the 10k that ran from Homer High School down to the end of the Spit, Kristyn Turney and her husband Taylor, both of Anchorage, were the first man and woman across the finish line. Taylor Turney completed the 10k course in 38:43 while towing their 1 1/2-year-old son Levi behind him, while Kristyn Turney nabbed first place for the women with a time of 44:12, just three seconds ahead of the second place woman finisher, Melanie Weatherly of Anchor Point.

Homer’s Annie Ridgely took third place in the 10k for the women with a time of 46:58.

“It was super fun,” Turney said of the 10k course. “It was actually perfect for pulling (my son) in the kid runner, because the first mile or so was lightly downhill, and then it was flat all the way. So it made it a lot easier to run while pulling him. It was kind of hot today, but gorgeous weather.”

In the men’s 10k, John-Mark Pothast of Soldotna was second at 41:49 and Benjamin McGarry of Soldotna was third with a time of 43:09.

Runners young and old came out for the annual event. Evan Markelz, 13, ran it for the very first time this year while his family looked on. One of his cheerleaders was his father, Todd, who was born and raised in Homer. The family has since moved away, but is back for the whole summer. Another family member held a photo of Todd Markelz at the finish line of his own very first Spit Run, which he ran at age 12.

Spit Run 10k to the Bay results:

10K to the Bay results

WOMEN

1. Kristyn Turney, Anchorage, 44:12; 2. Melanie Weatherly, Anchor Point, 44:15; 3. Annie Ridgely, Homer, 46:58; 4. Katie Johnson, Homer, 48:31; 5. Anna Williams, Homer, 49:58; 6. Bronsyn Rulison, Garden Grove, 50:39; 7. Amber Riggs, Anchorage, 51:44; 8. Sidney Barbier, Steamboat Springs, 51:51; 9. Janelle Spurkland, Homer, 52:24; 10. Charity Williams, Portland, 53:07; 11. Eryn Field, Homer, 54:36; 12. Katie Gatica, Homer, 55:21; 13. Terri Mach, Homer, 55:22; 14. Alecia Stengel, Homer, 55:59; 15. Brennan Berry, Homer, 56:35; 16. Rebecca Ravin, Homer, 57:04; 17. Isabelle Hickman, Nikolaevsk, 57:22; 18. Sarah Miller, Homer, 57:40; 19. Sachi Kwon, Anchorage, 57:42; 20. Sara Bundy, Soldotna, 57:56; 21. Sarah Hobart, Soldotna, 58:11; 22. Mallory Karp, Anchorage, 58:36; 23. Joy Hobart, Soldotna, 59:16; 24. Amanda Miotke, Homer, 59:28; 25. Tara Schmidt, Homer, 59:50.

26. Kathy Sarns, Homer, 59:58; 27. Karalyn Veihdeffer, Kasilof, 1:00:31; 28. Linda Suthard, Homer, 1:00:40; 29. Erin Westfall, Denver, 1:00:53; 30. Kimberly Conkling, Eagle River, 1:00:53; 31. Donna Aderhold, Homer, 1:01:54; 32. Gabbie Tews, Kenai, 1:02:40; 33. Jodi Andrews, Homer, 1:02:49; 34. Lou Rock, Naples, 1:03:51; 35. Kelly Hostetler, West Glacier, 1:04:11; 36. Pamela O’Brien, Anchorage, 1:04:12; 37. Brandy McGee, Homer, 1:05:31; 38. Julie Deboard, Seward, 1:05:31; 39. Molly Hart, Anchorage, 1:06:47; 40. Cristy Millington, Kenai, 1:07:32; 41. Karen Carney, Wasilla, 1:08:42; 42. Sheilah-Margaret Pothast, Soldotna, 1:09:19; 43. Amanda Cherok, Homer, 1:09:48; 44. Dalena Mckay, Homer, 1:10:09; 45. Victoria Gutschow, Homer, 1:10:09; 46. Danna Keifer, Soldotna, 1:10:21; 47. Melinda Erickson, Homer, 1:11:30; 48. Kate Swaby, Soldotna, 1:11:43; 49. Veronica Lebresh, Anchorage, 1:12:09; 50. Kate Crowley, Homer, 1:12:46.

51. Emily Moss, Homer, 1:12:52; 52. Amanda Barth, Homer, 1:13:01; 53. Jamie Beever, Soldotna, 1:13:29; 54. Camelle Bickish, Eagle River, 1:14:22; 55. Pamela Finch, Chugiak, 1:14:29; 56. Betsy McKitrick, Anchorage, 1:17:32; 57. Brenda Beesley, Anchorage, 1:17:33; 58. Amy Warfle, Kenai, 1:18:06; 59. Allison Rulison, Garden Grove, 1:18:12; 60. Nancy Black, Palmer, 1:18:24; 61. Laurie Fievet, Kansas City, 1:18:43; 62. Nicole Rednose, Anchorage, 1:19:17; 63. Nichole Haynes, Homer, 1:19:34; 64. Abby Shealy, Homer, 1:19:36; 65. Uran Christensen, Homer, 1:19:39; 66. Alexis Trombley, Chugiak, 1:21:39; 67. Rory Molacek, Bozeman, 1:22:27; 68. Mindy Rulison, Garden Grove, 1:24:59; 69. Julie Aldrich, Montesano, 1:26:17; 70. Merri McPherson, Olympia, 1:26:18; 71. Bessie Lincoln Narcross, Seward, 1:26:20; 72. Elsa Milne, Homer, 1:26:27; 73. Minadora Reutov, Homer, 1:26:28; 74. Leah Dunn, Homer, 1:26:39; 75. Kathy Hobart, Soldotna, 1:27:12.

76. Denise Demetree Trombley, Chugiak, 1:28:43; 77. Robin McPherson, Tumwater, 1:30:11; 78. Karen Weston, Homer, 1:30:11; 79. Cassie Ostrander, Anchorage, 1:32:11; 80. Kelly J. Lincoln, Bethel, 1:32:17; 81. Penny Furnish, Kenai, 1:32:20; 82. Brooke Shafer, Anchor Point, 1:38:24; 83. Tabitha Piek, Homer, 1:41:47; 84. Mary Liston, Homer, 1:59:33; 85. Johanna Alvarez, Anchorage, 2:12:23.

MEN

1. Taylor Turney, Anchorage, 38:43; 2. John-Mark Pothast, Soldotna, 41:49; 3. Benjamin McGarry, Soldotna, 43:09; 4. Evan Markelz, Mountain View, 43:30; 5. Jan Spurkland, Homer, 44:03; 6. Silas Firth, Anchor Point, 44:06; 7. Lance Seneff, Homer, 44:18; 8. Lance Williamson, Fritz Creek, 44:27; 9. Lukyna Day, Homer, 45:50; 10. Jonathan Rulison, Garden Grove, 46:05; 11. Thomas McDonough, Homer, 46:30; 12. Tannen Berry, Homer, 46:42; 13. Andrei Tsyganenko, Homer, 48:11; 14. Kent Peterson, Soldotna, 48:36; 15. Larry Deboard, Seward, 49:29; 16. Dean Ravin, Homer, 51:05; 17. Greg Lincoln, Bethel, 51:10; 18. Eric Brunelle, Anchorage, 51:24; 19. Edgar Montero, Rome, 51:59; 20. Mark Hemstreet, Homer, 52:08; 21. Bill Taylor, Kenai, 52:29; 22. Thomas Wang, Anchorage, 52:34; 23. Trevor Tew, Anchorage, 53:48; 24. Zachary Knott, Homer, 54:36; 25. Larry Tews, Kenai, 54:58.

26. Tanner Stengel, Homer, 55:59; 27. Bryan Kirby, Willow, 58:43; 28. Thaddeus Lingenfelter, Kenai, 59:48; 29. Ralph Broshes, Homer, 59:57; 30. Matthew Willison, Homer, 1:02:53; 31. Alan Goins, Ninilchik, 1:03:05; 32. Rio Saunders, Homer, 1:05:31; 33. Joel Moss, Homer, 1:06:03; 34. John Pothast, Soldotna, 1:09:20; 35. John Erickson, Homer, 1:11:30; 36. Parker Finch, Chugiak, 1:12:02; 37. Mike Fievet, Kansas City, 1:18:43; 38. Niko Sulczynski, Homer, 1:38:22; 39. Dennis Mackulin, Homer, 1:42:01; 40. Kevin Keifer, Soldotna, 1:50:58.

Spit Run Cosmic Half Marathon results:

WOMEN

1. Stacey Buckelew, Homer, 1:40:45; 2. Elizabeth Roedl, Homer, 1:45:26; 3. Kristen Buckwalter, Homer, 1:47:02; 4. Becky Hauser, Anchorage, 1:50:28; 5. Maryam Norton, Seward, 1:58:34; 6. Lindsay Wolter, Homer, 2:04:17; 7. Emilie Otis, Homer, 2:06:01; 8. Ashlynne Bachman, 30-34 Homer, 2:07:00; 9. Tiffany Lawrence, Brooklyn, New York, 2:07:16; 10. Shawna Arend, Chugiak, 2:09:56; 11. Angela Head, Homer, 2:10:38; 12. Casey Marsh, Anchor Point, 2:19:40; 13. Amy Baxter, Soldotna, 2:31:32; 14. Ashley Beach, Anchorage, 2:32:34; 15. Juliette Veerman, Anchorage, 2:35:45; 16. Calmille Thomas, Tacoma, Washington, 2:58:04; 17. Kirsten Rasmussen, Homer, 2:59:27; 18. Alice Rademacher, Homer, 3:05:38.

MEN

1. Christopher Walker, Anchorage. 1:34:50; 2. Christopher Gardeline, Anchorage, 1:50:48; 3. Mike Illg, Homer, 1:54:16; 4. Willi Moody, Anchorage, 2:04:39; 5. Carl Kincaid, Sterling, 2:04:46; 6. Jon Marsh, Anchor Point, 2:11:49; 7. Richard Rulison, Garden Grove ,2:12:47; 8. Joseph Horazdovsky, Anchorage, 3:04:51; 9. Fred Lau, Homer, 3:11:36.

Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.

Taylor Turney of Anchorage runs to the finish line of the Spit Run 10k to the Bay to claim first place on Saturday, June 29, 2019 in Homer, Alaska, with his son Levi in tow behind him. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

Participants in this year’s Spit Run 10k to the Bay take off from the starting line at Homer High School on Saturday, June 29, 2019 in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)