Bolton, Kibby win “Kick Your Ass-paragus 5K Run”

By Jack Gyr
Race organizer

The coveted prize to the winners of the Asparagus Festival 5K race wasn’t available this year, so we made the best substitution. The event is appropriately called the “Kick Your Ass-paragus Run” because it starts at the beach and in the first mile rises to peak elevation above Empire, the top of Wilco Road at the parking lot for Empire Bluffs. That’s a huff and a puff for anyone and this year we had one contestant of the 120 with a competition baby stroller, complete with baby inside. I warned her of the steepness of Wilco Road and examined, if she made it to the top, whether her three-wheeled device had brakes or not. It did so we felt she (and the baby) had a chance of making it back down without injury.

Back to the coveted prize. Normally there is a pound of local asparagus given to the winner of both the men’s and women’s category (along with a trophy, but that’s secondary). Local wasn’t available this year and I sure wasn’t going to substitute that stringy imported stuff. Deering’s Market, thankfully, got in a special shipment of green stalks from a Grand Rapids area grower.

In the intro to the start of the race I mentioned to all contestants gathered that we almost had a snowshoe race this year, given a snowfall the day before. I also mentioned that given that snowfall, and many before it this winter, there was no local asparagus available for prizes. A murmur of discontent rolled through the crowd and I feared many might leave. But a cheer went up when I said we at least had Michigan asparagus. Another cheer filled the air for Tim Lewis, the great local artist (he returned after 35 years as an artist in New York) who has done terrific Asparagus Festival art every year.

The overall men’s and women’s winners are pictured here, Zack Bolton from Detroit and Kennedy Kibby from Kingsley. Correction, that’s the male and female categories. Kennedy is just 11 years old and ran a blistering 23:27. (Remember the mountain. No one gets a personal best on this course.) Zack’s time was 18:38. Winners for the age categories are for female 12 and under, Kennedy Kibby; 13-17, Jane Lively; 18-29, Maddy Brown; 30-45, Kimberly Schwander; 46-55, Kathy Lantzer; 56-65, Mary Raymer; and over 66, Mary Skrocki. The men winners are: 12 and under, Josh Jackson; 13-17, Jacob Robinson; 18-29, Zack Bolton; 30-45, Nathan Biacquiere; 46-55, Ron Zywicki; 56-65, Ken Brown; and over 66, Michael Novak.

Thanks to Beryl and Frank Skrocki for organizing every Asparagus Fest Run up to this year. Oh, and the mother and baby arrived back at the finish line full of smiles.