Record numbers and fast times highlighted the annual Yorktown Freedom Run 5K Wednesday morning in historic Yorktown. There was $2,400 in prize money, which went five deep in the open category ($250-150-100-50-25), also five deep in the masters (ages 40-and-over) category ($150-100-75-50-25), and three deep in the grandmaster category ($100-75-50).

Part of the Yorktown Fourth of July festivities, the Peninsula Track Club event is organized by the Yorktown Rotary Club. Conditions were mostly sunny and comfortable, with temperatures in the 70s, low humidity, and a slight breeze. The re-certified and historic course starts at the National Park Service Visitor Center parking lot, crosses Route 238 down to the Colonial Parkway for 1 3/4 miles; exits, then goes past the Yorktown Victory Center, down the beautifully-renovated Water Street, then up the infamous Buckner Street hill, to a left turn on Main Street and a finish at the Yorktown Victory Monument.

There was a record turnout of 852 finishers, bettering the previous marks of 739 finishers in 2005 and 733 in 2006. The National Park Service limited the entrants this year to 900, and registration cut off shortly before 7:30 a.m. for the 8:00 a.m. start.

At first glance, it looked like all but one of the ten overall prize-money award winners were without local ties, but half had area connections.

The top five open men were Stephen Mutisya (22) of Richmond (15:14), Allen Carr (24) of Herndon (15:23), Jason Spong (30) of Richmond (15:37), Guy Alton (23) of Richmond (15:52) and Charlie Hurt (24) of Scottsville (16:16). Mutisya, from Kenya, is an engineering student at Virginia Commonwealth University, who just completed his first year, but has only two years remaining collegiate eligibility (due to being over age, according to NCAA regulations). He was injured during most of cross country and track, with modest best times of 15:27 (5,000 meters) and 4:06 (1,500 meters), but is now healthy and training well. Carr was a 2001 graduate of nearby York High School, who competed for five years at James Madison and was all-NCAA Southeast region in cross country. Spong is a professional duathlete and triathlete from South Africa. Alton was a track and cross country star for New Kent High School, went to community college part time, and has now completed one and one half years at VCU, where he broke the 3:50 barrier for 1,500 meters (a 4:07 mile equivalent) and ran 1:53 for 800 meters and sub-15:00 for 5,000 meters. Hurt was a former William and Mary runner, who competes for the Williamsburg- based Team Blitz. Neither Mutisya (1st place, $250) nor Alton (4th place, $50) accepted prize money in order to retain their NCAA eligibility. Last year's winner Ed Moran (in a near-record 14:39), an assistant track coach at W&M, has recently been named to the Pan-American team for USA in track (5,000 meters).

For the women, it was 2007 Shamrock Marathon winner Cheryl Anderson (25) of Richmond winning in front of 2006 Shamrock Marathon winner Renee High (25) of Virginia Beach. Both Anderson (2:42:56) and High (2:45:32) have qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon. Defending champion Anderson, a William and Mary graduate, improved her time from 17:12 last year to 16:49 on Wednesday, the second-fastest time in race history. W&M women's coach Kathy Newberry set the race record of 16:37 at the 2005 Yorktown Freedom Run. After Anderson's 16:49, High was runner-up in 18:00, two seconds off her personal record. Completing the top five were Fabiana Perlingeiro (30) of Norfolk (18:17), national-class ultramarathoner Jenn Shelton (23) of Virginia Beach (18:22) and Crystal Pruitt (22) of Poquoson (18:27).

In the masters (ages 40-and-over) category, John Piggott (42) of Williamsburg successfully defended his title with a ninth- place overall finish and a 16:27 time, ten seconds faster than in 2006. The other masters prize-money winners were Craig Hymes (44) of Yorktown (17:29), Don Bond (44) of Norfolk (18:14), John Scott (43) of Newport News (18:29) and David Witte (42) of Yorktown in a PR 18:43.

For the masters women, Pamela Lovett (44) of Newport News continued her excellent running of 2007, winning easily in 19:52 over Louise Wood (40) of Williamsburg (20:41), Michelle Hogge (42) of Williamsburg (21:59), Carol Bartram (43) of Yorktown (23:00) and MaryJo Bailey (46) of Williamsburg (23:09).

Stephen Chantry (52) of Williamsburg was the second 40 & older runner, but for prize-money purposes, won the first-place grandmaster award with his time of 16:53, that was much faster than last year's 17:25. James Bates (51) of Hampton, just back from a three-week trip to Ecuador, used his high-altitude training to record a 17:54 for the second spot with Jim Thornton (53) of Seaford next in 18:08.

The senior women's division was incredibly close with Ellie Bustin (50) of Yorktown (24:33) edging Linda Whittaker (58) of Williamsburg (24:38) and Lindy Warrick (54) of Williamsburg (24:40).

There were a number of outstanding age-group performances, including age group winners Joshua Peterson (9) of Williamsburg (21:55), Graham Wilson (13) of Newport News (18:21), Lewis Jones (63) of Yorktown (20:33), Winston Collins (66) of Newport News (21:16), and Tom Ray (74) of Kitty Hawk, NC (23:00) for the men.

Two precocious Williamsburg runners highlighted the women's age groups. Dakota McManus (11) of Williamsburg won the 10-12 division by more than five and a half minutes with her time of 20:08. Heidi Peterson (13) of Williamsburg was seventh female overall and won the 13-15 division by almost three and a half minutes with her time of 19:07. Although slightly slower than her PR 19:00 from May's Cheatham Annex "Salute to the Military" 5K, it was a superior performance, considering this hillier course. Other women's age-group highlights included age group winners Emily Low (22) of Newport News (19:36), Kristi Markowicz (37) of Newport News (6th overall, 18:41).

The men's 20-24 division was particularly tough, with two former Tabb High teammates, Sean Bossman (20) of Yorktown (now competing as a senior at Radford University) placing first (16:23, 7th overall), and Ryan Kent (21) of Yorktown (competing for NCAA Division II Concord of West Virginia, with best times this year of 4:06 in the 1,500 meters and 9:45 in the 3,000- meter steeplechase) placing third (16:30, 12th overall), ahead of former W&M runner and Team Blitz star Trevor Cable(24) of Williamsburg (16:40, 13th overall). Cable had run a PR 2:28:50 at this year's Shamrock Marathon.

Full Race Results