A polo player and a school teacher were the top finishers at Saturday’s Running of the Squares 5K road race at Spanish Springs Town Square.
English-born Nick Johnson was the first racer across the finish line with a time of 17 minutes and 7 seconds.
The 28-year-old said the cold front that pushed through Friday night gave him an added spring in his step. The temperature at race time was 58 degrees. Johnson was the top finisher this past October in the Brownwood edition of the Running the Squares 5K. He ran the race in 18 minutes and 10 seconds that day.
His boss, 30-year-old Paige Boone McCabe, wasn’t far behind Saturday, finishing the race in 21 minutes and 3 seconds. The head of polo in The Villages was the winner of the 30 to 34 age group. She is a past overall female finisher in the Running of the Squares 5K.
The overall female runner on Saturday was Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School physical education teacher Gabrielle Suver. The 28-year-old finished the race in 20 minutes and 7 seconds.
Villager Patti Swain started the race about three minutes late but made up for it with a big smile as she neared the finish line. The 67-year-old finished in 34 minutes and 9 seconds.
A total of 601 racers laced up for Saturday’s Running of the Squares 5K. The popular racing series is marking its 10th anniversary.
