A returning competitor and a brand-new participant raced to the finish line Saturday morning at the Lake Sumter Landing edition of the Running of the Squares 5K in The Villages.
A total of 721 runners stood poised at the starting line of the race at 8 a.m.
Among those braving the 36-degree weather was 23-year-old Joseph Fitzpatrick, a returning competitor and the overall winner of the 3.1-mile race. His pace of 5 minutes and 36 seconds earned him a time of about 17 minutes and 21 seconds. He beat 14-year-old Miles Tobin of Citrus Springs by a mere two seconds.
“I love running, and I’ve been doing it for many years,” said Fitzpatrick. “I just wanted to get back at it.”
The overall female winner, 30-year-old Maggie McCloskey of Gainesville, finished the race in 21 minutes and 1 second with a pace of 6 minutes and 47 seconds. She beat Villager Una Broderick, 56, by about 20 seconds.
A previous Running of the Squares 5K winner, 16-year-old Kamarius Worthen of Wildwood, finished with a time of 17 minutes and 26 seconds, beating his time from last year by 14 seconds. Worthen also ranked first for his age group and was part of this year’s winning team, the Wildwood Wildcat Boosters.
Worthen said he loves the atmosphere of the 5K, and he plans to return for next installment of the Running of the Squares.
“The sound of everyone cheering me on encourages me to keep coming back,” said Worthen.
Chuck Emmit, 90, of Lady Lake was the oldest participant this year. Several four-year-olds also participated in the 5K, making them the race’s youngest runners.
