Woodward Beats Heat, Field in Race for Cure

Nicole Woodward of Portland, Ore., fought off the early-morning heat and made up a 20-yard gap between her and the front-runners to win the sixth annual Orange County 5K Race for the Cure Sunday at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

Woodward, 26, stayed with the top four runners through the first mile of the race, but was then content to fall back with Colorado’s Valerie Vaughan, while Ruth Wysocki and Albuquerque’s Shelly Steely battled for the lead.

But shortly after the two-mile mark, Woodward made her move and sprinted by the two leaders to win the race in 16 minutes 23 seconds, seven seconds ahead of second-place finisher Steely.

“I felt bad the whole race,” Woodward said. “I felt really bad. I’m from Oregon and I’m not used to this heat. I was hoping it would be pouring rain. But it’s nice, because now I can spend the rest of the day in the sun.”

Wysocki, from Canyon Lake, and Steely stayed neck and neck through the early part of the race, hitting the two-mile mark in 10:30, but the pace was too quick in the heat and both fell back when Woodward made her move. Steely held on for second, with a 16:30 finish and Wysocki took third in 16:44. Vaughan, the defending champion, finished fourth (16:52).

The top county finisher was Huntington Beach’s Kelly Flathers, who was seventh (17:48). San Clemente’s Elisa Cuellar was ninth (17:57).

For her victory, Woodward, who finished third in 1994 and ‘95, received $1,500; Steely took home $1,000, and Wysocki $800. Wysocki also won $500 for taking first in the master’s division.

Included in the 16,547 participants, was a division for breast cancer survivors. For the sixth straight year, Laguna Beach’s Sandi Carter won the division.

Despite the fact there was not an age limit in the division, Carter, 52, had no problem with this year’s competition. She finished the race in 23:24, more than one minute ahead of second-place finisher Susan Homberger (24:47) of Huntington Beach. Aliso Viejo’s Sandra Burns (26:32) and Roberta Sweeney (26:54) took fourth and fifth.

Proceeds, which were expected to exceed $400,000, are donated to local and national Susan G. Komen programs dedicated to eradicating breast cancer.

Other finishers:

*Laguna Hills’ Edith Allen, 86, won the 80-and-over division in 37:25. Helen Durocher, 81, was second in 1:03:53.

*Tustin’s Dorie Smith, 66, won her division in 28:39.

*Huntington Beach’s Sally Adam, 55, won the 55-59 group in 20:59.

*In the 18-24 division, former UC Irvine runner JoJo Yaba, 23, of Costa Mesa won in 18:31.

*Brea’s Marilyn Broady finished first in the 30-34 division in 18:59.

*Santa Margarita’s Marina Jones, 45, finished in 24th place in 19:30, first in the 45-49 division.