PHOTOS RESULTS
Kody Sankey was looking to run a pace under six minutes per mile at the 10th annual "Yo" Raymond Memorial 5K. It was an effort that the Cumberland High grad felt would carry him to a victory at Saturday's race, held at Camp Ker Anna.
The 19-year-old Sankey managed to hit his intended goal from start to finish on Reservoir Road, and was all alone as he turned around on the out-and-back Cumberland course. But it didn't earn him a win. In fact, he placed 19th overall among the 85 participants.
That's what happens when your 3.1-mile journey extends another mile (and more!). Unfamiliar with the course and far ahead of the field, Sankey continued forward after the midway point until reaching Diamond Hill Road, more than a half mile later. It was there he learned of his mishap.
"It started with the beginning of the race," he said. "I didn't expect (starter Tom Kenwood) to fire the gun so early and kind of took it out a little easy to see how it would go. I kind of picked up the lead a little bit as the race went on. About halfway through at the turnaround, I just kept going. There was a cop there that's suppose to tell you where to go. I just ran by him and when I got to the end (of the road) towards Diamond Hill Road I saw that no one was coming so I had to turn around and come back."
Sankey's official time for the approximate 4.4 miles he ran was 25:58.09. That's an average of just over a 5:50 per mile or low 18 minutes for the 5K distance.
"I felt I was in pretty good shape," said Sankey, who was an All American this past year in the 1,500-meter run and 5,000m at the Community College of Rhode Island. "I'm actually joining the Marines in January so I kind of have that in my mind lately. I have to get into the running mentality. I felt I was in pretty good shape to race today."
Looking back several times for Sankey before he crossed the finish line, Uxbridge's Glenn Miller claimed the individual prize at 18:52.53. Finishing second was Raymond Mandeville of Cumberland in 19:48.80.
Nicole Aissis, a 2010 graduate of Cumberland, copped the women's division. She was ninth in 21:50.16.
The 24-year-old Aissis, a rehab technician at nearby Mount St. Rita Health Centre in Cumberland, has only recently gotten back into competitive running after taking it off during her college years at the University of Rhode Island.
Last month she ran her first half marathon, breaking two hours with her time of 1:59:50 at the Narragansett Bay Half Marathon in East Providence on July 24.
"It's different, not running in college, trying to get back into how I was doing in high school and get into that same kind of pace, if not better," she said. "But it's nice. I have been on and off with it a lot. Now I am trying to keep it on and keep going with it and try to run all year, not just the summer."
Aissis was satisfied with her effort, and win, at the Yo Raymond race.
"I wanted to definitely win for the females. I'm glad I did that,," she said. "My other goal was to get under 20 minutes, but I knew I would have to start out strong and keep that pace. Unfortunately I didn't get there but I am satisfied with everything, especially with the place I got."