January 22-28, 2025: Week In Review

While we're still working on our recaps for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon and the Chevron Houston Marathon, racing by Volte athletes and friends goes on!

The weekend got started in east Magnolia at the Spindle Tree parkrun 5K #160 where Kevin Baker and Jerritt Park went three and four overall, posting times of 19:47 and 19:59, respectively.

The two of them have combined for 101 Spindle Tree parkruns (Kevin 56 and Jerritt 45).

Volte friend Vincent Attanucci finished his 91st parkrun in a time of 35:10.  

Always good to see our friends Steven and Cathy Bickford of the Seven Hills Running Club, and thank you to Fleet Feet's Lindsey Perkins and her daughter, Emmerson, for volunteering as tailwalkers for Saturday's event.

In Bastrop, the Murrillo family chased the Cowboy Yetis around the Lost Pines Trail at Bastrop State Park on Saturday and left with a bagful of firsts.

Luis won the Cowboy Yeti Trail Run 7K by three and a half minutes in a time of 30:06, Jose was first in his age group in the 20K in 2:35:40 and Juan drew the long straw and went 60K in 7:11:36 for another first place age group finish - and fourth overall.

Then we had a big crew "get them some chocolate", as race announcer Todd Busteed likes to say, at the seventh annual USA Today Hot Chocolate Run in downtown Houston on Saturday.

Eleven of our 17 runners finished in the top three of their race or age division, while three of our eight friends did the same.

In the 5K, we went four for four as Nora Dominguez led us with a first-place time of 22:15.  

Kim White was second in his division in 22:26 while his wife Julie won hers in 23:42.  

Julie White leaving the city behind in the Hot Chocolate Run 5K.
(Photo courtesy of Hot Chocolate Run)

Erika Sampson grabbed third place in 24:07.

Volte friend Bonnie Farinella won her division in 22:09, while Diana Aurrecoechea stopped the clock in 32:25.

Lu Bouanga was the overall winner of the 10K in 35:45, a 13-second win over former Grambling State runner Ryan Burrell, who lives in Farmers Branch.

Ricardo Roche and Christopher Reed won their respective 45-49 and 50-54 age divisions with marks of 42:03 and 43:55.

Christopher Reed flying down the decline in the Hot Chocolate Run 15K
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Ricardo posted a win of just over two minutes over good guy Michael Sparks of Northside Running while our Vinod Kumar was third in 45:27.

Meanwhile, Christopher had a minute and 40-second win over Houston's Ed Lai.

Running with Vinod the entire way, Caitlin Cain was the second overall female in the 10K in 45:26.

Caitlin Cain on her way to a third place overall finish in the 10K
(Photo courtesy of Hot Chocolate Run)

Audrey Reed rounded out our team efforts in the 10K with a showing of 1:01:23 while Volte friend Ram Rajagopalan came across the line in 1:22:29.

And then were our distance fiends who took on the 15K.

Third overall for all females was Stephanie Reed with her personal best Hot Chocolate time of 1:06:49. 

Stephanie Reed finds time to smile on the way to a Hot Chocolate Run PR for her.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

It was the fifth time that she has run in the event and her previous best time was 1:13:38 in 2019.

Isabel Burbano-Bedoya was third in her age group in 1:14:20 while David Hsieh was right behind her in 1:14:45.

Her first race back since her 100-miler last month, Cheryl Edwards and Volte friend Scott Cohen both finished in 1:37:08.

Greg Broad completed his third career Hot Chocolate 15K in a time of 1:41:40, Joe Armstrong crossed the finish line with Volte friend and former Houston Running Blogger Cassie Mondragon in 1:49:02 and Devyn Cook paced a friend to a time of 1:56:51.

Joe Armstrong running the line at the Hot Chocolate Run 15K
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

A couple of Volte friends won first in their age group - Jetola Anderson-Blair and Michael Dwyer.  They did so in 1:19:58 and 1:24:31, respectively.

Erika Lawton and Mariela Rodriguez with USA Fit finished in 1:47:22 and 1:48:24, respectively.

Next up?  USA Fit Marathon and Half Marathon as well as Texas 10 Sienna.