Participation was up more than 10 percent at this year’s Chase County Fair Run held early in the morning Aug. 19.
    Race Co-Director Jonathan Beverly reports 105 men, women and youths finished in four competitive races in the 39th annual event. That’s up from 90 last year.
    The 5K, 10K and mile started and ended in front of Chase County Schools, while the kids’ half-mile was run on the CCS track nearby.
    As in years past, the largest participation was in the 5K with 66 runners. Nine ran the 10K, four finished the mile and an estimated 25 youths ran the kids’ half-mile.
    Imperial native Lyndsy Schultz of Denver was the overall 10K winner with a time of 39:44, which Beverly believes is the fastest women’s 10K time in race history.
    In 2006, Beverly said Schultz ran the 10K in 40:55, when the fair run started and ended at the fairgrounds. His records show her 2006 time was just seconds off of Susan Bennett of Holyoke, Colo., who held the 10K women’s record at 40:40 up until this year.
    The fair run has followed the new course from the school since 2013.
    Scott Lambley of Benkelman holds the overall best 10K time in fair race history at 38:46, which he ran in 2013.
    Compared to 2016, Beverly said runners this year faced a warmer day at 68 degrees that morning, with 68 percent humidity, but runners overall said it felt comfortable.

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