SUPPORTING THE PARTICIPANTS … A group of volunteers stand ready to distribute water to the race participants as they work their way through Homecoming Park.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
A Wauseon teen with a pace of less than six minutes per mile won a resounding victory at the Wauseon Chamber of Commerce’s annual Firecracker 5K.
Zach McWatters, 19, completed the course in 17:33 seconds for a pace of 5:40. Second and third places were taken by 19-year-old Isac Riegsecker of Archbold and 31-year-old Philip Roth of Wauseon with times of 19:17 and 19:25, respectively.
Nineteen-year-old Wauseon graduate Grace Rhodes was the top female, taking fifth overall with a time of 21:36.
The course started in the downtown business district and headed to Homecoming Park then Indian Hills Trail through the woods, returning downtown to finish. All proceeds from the event go to the Wauseon Fire Department to fund Wauseon’s annual Independence Day fireworks.
This year’s race, held on May 16, also saw the stabilization of participation which had been declining since its inception. The race drew 144 runners in 2021, 93 in 2022, and 62 in 2023. That trend ended this year, with another 62 completing the race.