LITTLE ROCK — This is a lot more than a race.
The chance to run a fast time for a 5K had little to do with the rush-hour traffic around downtown Little Rock shortly after dawn Saturday. A line of cars, stretched from Little Rock exits near the Arkansas River on Interstate 30 to the I-30/I-40 intersection, carried 45,000 women and miles of men an hour before the start of the Race for the Cure 5K.
Krissa Thoreson won the race in 19 minutes, 30 seconds. She crossed the finish line on Capitol Avenue, two blocks west of women backed up by the crowd who slowly walked toward the start. A rock band's music blared, a helicopter flew by, laughter and joy drenched the streets, and Thoreson seemed nearly indifferent to her victory.
"It's a amazing to see all the thousands of people gathered for one reason," she said.
This was Little Rock's 15th Race for the Cure. The event was founded in 1994 when 2,200 raced and helped raise $100,000 for breast cancer research and treatment. Race for the Cure chairman Ann Brown said she hoped this throng would help raise $2.1 million,
"It really has been wonderful," Brown said. "You couldn't ask for a better day, a better turnout, better entertainment. And the money raised, I think we're getting close to our goal. That's the main thing."
Thoreson, 35, of Little Rock, said she did not expect to win. She said she ran too fast through the first mile, in 5:47. After she took the lead less than a quarter of a mile later, she wondered where the faster runners were.
"I've run this race five or six times before this, and I've never thought I could win," Thoreson said. "I've always been in the top 15, top 10, somewhere around there. Winning never entered my mind."
Taylor Slack, 16, of Shreveport, entered at the encouragement of Little Rock relatives she visited for the weekend. Slack also said victory was not among her thoughts.
"I was just running," Slack said. "I was just going."
Slack, a junior cross country runner for Loyola College Prep High in Shreveport, moved into second place midway through the third mile. She finished second in 19:46, but said she realized as she turned onto Capitol for the final 400 meters that she could not catch Thoreson.
"I tried, but I was too far behind," Slack said.
Thoreson said she looked back to see Slack and was relieved by the gap.
"I couldn't have gone any faster," Thoreson said.
Bethany Walker finished third in 19:49.
Thoreson and Slack laughed about their fortune as they stood on Capitol as thousands of finishers wandered by.
"It was cool, and it was alittle surreal," Thoreson said. "I thought, 'Where are the fast people who are supposed to be in front of me?' The superstars didn't come."
"Yes, the people who can run four-minute miles, they weren't here," Slack said.
Rhonda Ferguson, 53 of Little Rock, finished third among breast-cancer survivors, in 27:23, and seemed elated. Still, she fought to dam tears.
"This is really encouraging to all of us," Ferguson said. "I have a girl I run with in the mornings, Vicky Mabry, and she was just diagnosed. She's going through chemo now. She's like me, healthy, runs, and I just try to be there for other people going through this."
Ferguson said chemotherapy treatments limited her friend to the two-block-long survivors parade, but that she expects her to return to form.
"We'll be battling [in the 5K] next year," Ferguson said.
Thoreson said she battled the effect of her early pace throughout.
"I thought I needed to slow down," Thoreson said. "Then I thought, 'I'm just going to keep it at this pace, and someone passes me, fine. I'm just going to enjoy this moment, enjoy every step, no matter how painful.' When you run 5Ks or do triathlons, the pain is what kind of makes you feel alive, pushing yourself, and you celebrate the fact that you can do it."
Slack said she would return for the experience.
"It blew my breath away," she said. "I'm just in awe of how many people were here. I was just thinking that I'm so fortunate to have my health, so I'm just out here to support this. It's absolutely amazing."
"This organization [Susan G. Komen for the Cure] has just done so well, and this community of Little Rock, people just know it's a good place to participate in," Brown said. "Everyone's in a good mood, their spirits are high. I think people are motivated, they're celebrating. There are some tears of grief, but there's tears of joy, too. I don't know what about this could put anyone in a bad mood."
Sports, Pages 34 on 10/12/2008