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Sunday, October 19, 2008 -- Morgantown, WV / Mountaineer Mall, White Park
Red Ribbon Recovery 5K-MAGP Sprint #10 (iPO Event Id#: 10815)

2008: [Details] [Coverage] [Photos] [Overall Results] [Results by Class]

Coverage: [1998] [1999] [2000] [2001] [2002] [2003] [2004] [2005] [2006] [2007]

One More Sprint Race to Go

Story by Julie Black, photos by Maria af Rolen

Red Ribbon photo by Maria af Rolen
Murshid Latif leads the Sprint Series points with 534 after the Red Ribbon
Red Ribbon Runs are held all over the country. In Morgantown, West Virginia the race is over 16 years old. iPlayOutside has been covering the 5K for the last 10 years.

Red Ribbon events are part of Red Ribbon Week which began in 1985. Bringing millions of people together to raise awareness regarding the need for alcohol, tobacco and other drug and violence prevention, early intervention, and treatment services, this event is the largest and most visible prevention awareness campaign observed annually in the United States according to the Red Ribbon Coalition.

Week long events in Morgantown were hosted and sponsored by Valley HealthCare System, WVAADC, SAMHSA & NAADAC, Morgantown Police & Reserves, and the Morgantown Area Grand Prix (MAGP) presented by Dynamic Physical Therapy. All proceeds from the race went toward Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention activities and education in the community.

Keeping overall times in the "sweet sixteens" this year's top three finishers kept a fast pace. The 2007 top two times were also sub-seventeen minutes. Maybe 16 is the magic number for 2008.

Jacob Lafferre of Fairmont, WV might agree. He took first place in the 5K Run in 16:04. Lafferre is a senior on the cross country team Fairmont State.

Red Ribbon photo by Maria af Rolen
Headed for the uphill finish
Placing in the top three at the last six races of the MAGP Sprint Series, Travis Cyphert (16:24), surprised no one with his 2nd overall finish on Sunday. This local Morgantown runner placed first at the Run with the Law 5K and the FBIRA Jerry Dove Memorial 5K. Although Cyphert missed the first four races of the series, he still ranks currently 6th in the overall race for Sprint Points.

Murshid Latif currently leads the men's Sprint points after his 5th overall finish at the Ribbon.

Also residing in Morgantown, Travis Mersing used his track talents (Preston AAA) to claim third overall with a time of 16:51.

Heather Parks, making a late comeback in the Series race for points, moved to #2 in the Women's Sprint Standings thanks to a first place finish at the Red Ribbon. Her time of 17:12 earned her 4th overall.

Jen Sober of nearby McHenry, MD was the second woman to cross the line. Her time was 19:10. Another out-of-state racer, Morgan Ansell of Greensburg, PA took home third for the females with a time of 20:30. She's the second youngest finisher to claim an overall spot in the Series, Kaylyn Harris being the first.

The last race in the Sprint Series is headed your way on Sunday, December 7th in Morgantown, WV at Krepps Park. The Back Bay Snowflake 5K is the Grand Prix Sprint Final, boasting of food, friends and fun. Join us, and bring the kids for the Flurry Fun Run.