Sisters youth steals show in race

Ethan Hosang is becoming well-known around Sisters as he is frequently spotted by residents out running the roads and trails around town.

Saturday morning the eighth-grader took to the streets of Sisters along withover 70 other half-marathoners in the Sisters 'Better Half' Marathon and pulled off the unexpected: He won the race!

And it wasn't as though he ran a lackluster time in a non-competitive race. Hosang crossed the line in 1:20:21, a time for 13.1 miles that most runners can only dream of achieving. To put into perspective his pace of 6:08 per mile, that same pace would result in a 19-minute 5-kilometer finish, a 38-minute 10-kilometer finish, and a 10-miler in 61:30.

"He caught the leader in the last three miles of the race and just pushed on to the finish," said Josh Nordell, also of Sisters, who finished the 6.55-mile race in 42:37, a winning 6:30-mile pace. "He is in such good shape and so efficient. His time is remarkable."

Hosang runs for the middle school track team, where the longest event, the 1,500 meters, is not even one mile. He runs about 40 miles a week and loves crossfit, according to his dad, Joe Hosang.

"When he crossed the line, he just had a huge smile on his face," said race director Bryn Singleton. "He looked great."

Peter Curran, 39, finished second overall in 1:23:11.

Another eighth-grader also beat most of the adults in the race. Vicente Rebolledo, a classmate of Hosang's at Sisters Middle School, ran 1:38:24, which put him seventh overall. Sisters High School senior Jesse West finished in 1:55:12.

Jen Warolin won the women's title with a time of 1:37:39, while local runner Jo Zucker won her division in 2 hours and 5 seconds.

A total of 73 runners completed the half-marathon.

Kathy Fectau took the women's title in 50:42, which put her in seventh place overall among a total of 50 finishers.

Singleton felt pleased that her goals for the race were realized.

"It was a great day for the race, and my goal is that everyone is out there just having fun and enjoying a community event," she said. "The secondary goal is to raise money for the Sisters High School swim team, which we accomplished."

The three choices of races make the event unique and attractive, according to Singleton.

"There's something for everyone whether they want to run or walk," she said. "The majority of the people that come out seem to be groups of friends who just want to enjoy Sisters for the weekend, and many come back year after year."

Three Creeks Brewing Co. is the title sponsor of the event, which is in its sixth year. Singleton also wanted to thank Dr. Ben Crockett for his continuing support throughout the race's history.

"Also, I can't thank the volunteers enough for their help in manning aid stations and directing runners," she said.