Dartmouth resident takes first place in Marion Village 5K
Runners raced through steady rain Saturday morning for the annual Marion Village 5K. The winner, Michael Vaz, however, was unfazed by the conditions.
“I actually enjoy racing in the rain,” Vaz, a 24-year-old Dartmouth resident, said. “I’ll take it over heat or wind.”
Vaz, who ran the 5K in a little over 17 minutes, wasn't winded after the race and even took back to the streets shortly afterward to run with a friend.
Kimberly Bolick of Marion won the women’s division, coming in third place overall and setting a new women's course record. She finished the race in under 18 minutes.
The rain and chilly weather didn’t seem to damper the spirits of the 147 people participating in the race. People of all ages turned out for the race, splashing through puddles on their way to the finish line.
Beth Coble of Acushnet ran the race while pushing her 5-month-old son, Landon, in a waterproof stroller.
“It was fun, [Landon] had a blast,” Coble said. “He was laughing and babbling the entire way.”
She said running in the rain was difficult, but she was thankful it kept her cool.
“I probably ran a little faster than I normally would to get out of the rain,” Coble said.
Monique Cote, also from Acushnet, ran the 5K with her dog, Roo, who was rescued from the Brockton Animal Shelter.
Roo has become quite an accomplished runner in her own right since being rescued. Saturday’s race was the 10th one she’s run in alongside Cote, going back to 2016.