GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado - Melissa Goodman had more than victory on her mind at Sunday's Strawberry Shortcut.
It was Father's Day, after all.
"I was really just running for my father, who passed away recently," she said. "He was my running coach."
Goodman's dad, Chuck Gilberti, lost a battle with cancer about a month ago. Sunday was Goodman's first race since suffering the devastating loss, and she honored her father's memory with a 5K women's title. She clocked in at 20 minutes, 57 seconds in the 35th installment of the Glenwood Springs event.
Goodman, a New York native who's lived in the Roaring Fork Valley for more than a decade, very much takes after her dad. Both are accomplished distance runners.
"He was an amazing runner," said Goodman, who grew up in Somers, N.Y. "He was my coach my whole life. He eventually coached me in high school, which was awesome."
Both father and daughter ran for the University of Houston.
Goodman still races regularly, and is a veteran of many a Shortcut. Strawberry Days weekend is something she and her family enjoy every year.
"This is why we live here," she said. "We were sitting at the Strawberry Days parade yesterday, and this today. It's amazing. It really is."
Tailing Goodman across the line in the women's 5K was Annie Tempest, who placed second in 21:23. Sarah Treese took third (21:35), Diana Banks fourth (21:52) and Madi Spence fifth (22:00).
"Why own a car?" joked a Shortcut spectator watching Josh Hejtmanek zip across the 10K finish line. "Why not just run wherever you're going?"
Those are fair questions when it comes to Hejtmanek, who is regularly first across the line at local races. He was the first to cross in Sunday's 10K.
"It was a good race," said the New Castle resident, who recorded a time of 35:02. "It was a lot of fun. It's a nice, cool morning. It's beautiful."
Hejtmanek is relatively new to the running scene, getting his start three or four years ago.
"I was going to pace a friend who was doing the Hardrock 100 down in Silverton, so I started getting into shape for that and he had to drop out," he recalled. "I thought, 'Well, I need to do something with this training.' I started running on my own."
And he hasn't slowed down since.
Miles Mountain finished second in the men's 10K standings, timing in at 36:07. Giulio Del Piccolo placed third (36:18), Brian Passenti fourth (36:39) and Tom Campbell fifth (39:24).
Jason Graham notched his fifth 5K win in seven years at Sunday's Shortcut.
The former Western State College runner clocked in at 17:05 to top the 5K field. Hejtmanek, who won the Shortcut's 10K race earlier in the morning, placed second (17:38). Gibb Kentz was third (18:09), Mike Schneiter fourth (18:46) and Miles Mountain fifth (19:03).
The Shortcut is a family tradition for Graham, who makes the trek from the Front Range for the race every summer.
"We wouldn't miss it for anything," he said. "I've been doing it since I was in a stroller. My parents pushed me through it when I was real young, and it progressed from there. ... My whole family's a running family."
Hope Krause defended her 2011 women's 10K crown with a win in 2012. The recent Boston College graduate, who ran track and cross country for the Division I school, was tops among women with a time of 38:08.
Krause, who hails from New Canaan, Conn., is in Colorado teaching as part of a summer enrichment program with Colorado Rocky Mountain School. She was here last summer participating in the same program.
"I'm really psyched to be out here again," she said. "I always feel lucky to have this be where I get to run every day."
Krause just wrapped up her master's degree in education. After she's done in Colorado, it's off to the San Francisco area, where she'll teach kindergarten.
Goodman placed second behind Krause in the 10K (41:37). Cory Rose was third (42:23), Abbey Walters fourth (42:41) and Anne Swanson fifth (43:43).
jcaspersen@postindependent.com
