Katherine Beiers has run marathons, half marathons, 10k’s; you name it; she’s most likely run it! So it was no surprise to see her, along with a record number of runners at last week’s Bean Creek Run in ScottsValley.
Under overcast skies with cool temperatures and absolutely no wind, perfect conditions for running, over 100 participants conquered the scenic and challenging five-mile course which started at the ScottsValleyCommunity Center and finished at Scotts Valley High. In between, runners enjoyed the serene setting of Bean Creek Road on a quiet Sunday morning. “This was a great way to start a Sunday,” said Denise Hitezman, President of the Falcon Club which organized this year’s event.
“With the community coming together, this was the best part,” noted Hitezman as she passed out gift bags which included a ‘Bean Creek Run’ t-shirt, beautifully designed by her daughter Maddie, a Scotts Valley High senior, as a keepsake to remember the special day.
Eric Su, 19, and Ruby Wood, 20, both members of the UC Santa Cruz Cross Country Club were the overall men’s and women’s winners, respectively. Su, running in his first Bean Creek race finished in 30.09 minutes, beamed as he described his run. “It was great, a really scenic course. I liked the hill at the end, that was pretty sweet,” said the sophomore from San Diego.
Wood, running in her second Bean Creek Race, finished in 34.20 minutes. “It’s pretty challenging with the hill but very fun,” said Wood, a junior from Truckee who hopes to be back next year to defend her title. Su and Wood were joined by twelve of their fellow Banana Slug teammates.
Bean Creek Run Chairperson Nancy Franich couldn’t have been happier with the race day which serves as a major fundraiser for Scotts Valley High athletics. “Everything went smoothly, everyone had a great time and we had more runners than ever before,” said Franich, who has coordinated this event with the Falcon Club since 2011.
As Beiers, the 83 year old former mayor of Santa Cruz relaxed after the race, she too couldn’t say enough positive things about the race. “It was a great run and I had a good time. I did it last year and I just knew I’d be back because it was so special.” Beiers, who has completed eleven Boston Marathons and is a local running legend said, “I’m not from ScottsValley, I don’t know Bean Creek so I’m busy looking at all the houses, cows and horses as I run. It’s a beautiful course.”
Macy Craft, an eighth grader from Scotts Valley Middle School competing in her third Bean Creek Race, finished first in her age group (under 14), and received a medal and four-pack of FitAid, as did all first and second place finishers for their respective age groups. Craft, whose mom Kathy was second overall in the women’s division, offered her assessment of the race. “It’s not a super-duper hard course but it’s pretty challenging with the big hill. I like this course.”
Craft’s sister Kaylee, a member of the Scotts Valley High Cross Country team, did not run this year but instead chose to be a volunteer. Many volunteers from various Falcons’ sports teams along with parents, helped before, during, and after the well-organized race.
All runners were treated to a warm welcome at the finish and enjoyed refreshing water, Starbucks coffee, orange juice, bagels, and assorted breakfast goodies.
As the awards ceremony concluded and the runners departed via shuttle back to the Community Center, a tired but completely satisfied Franich said, “We’re looking forward to even more runners next year.”
