Ice, ice, baby!

At this morning’s ERC New Year’s Day 5-miler, the spoils went to those who remembered to bring their “snow tires.”

I happened to have recently picked up a pair of StabilIcer Lite Ice Cleats (below) at the Erie Sports Store for $21 and they served me very well for those 5 slippery miles. Dan wore his Yaktrax and said they didn’t do him much good on the ice. Seems Yaks are better for snow and StabilIcers for ice? Hmmm….sounds like a good Friday question, eh?

Despite the icy conditions, nearly 400 people finished the race and kicked off their new year the right way! I can’t imagine a better way to start my year than a 5-mile run with hundreds of friends.

Top finishers were a husband-and-wife team who, if I’m not mistaken, are professional runners (Christie is the sister of Erie runner, Jenny Turak):

* 1st male – Kenny Foster, 26, with a 25:21 (5:04 miles!)

* 1st female – Christie Foster, 24, with a 30:04 (6:01 pace)

* 1st female master – Amy Bowen,44, with a 37:22 (7:28 pace)

* 1st male master – Eric Walsh,44, with a 29:04 (5:49)

See complete New Year’s Day results here.

Also, check out this super cute video that runner Katie Mihalak’s husband, Kirk, made:

katie news years race vimeo from katie mihalak on Vimeo.

BTW — Katie wrote a great blog post about her New Year’s Day run here (reminds me of my first days as a newbie walker/runner).

Here are 100 photos from the GoErie Street View photographer, Mike Conway.

And here are a few (mostly lousy) photos I took. Hey, I was RACING will I took these, you know!