'Frozen Feet Run' Draws Hundreds

Sporting a furry Russian hat, Wildwood resident Ryan Lederman typified the “gung-ho” attitude and atmosphere at Saturday's Frozen Feet Run, sponsored by the city of . Lederman, along with family and friends, served as a support crew member for the “Motley Fagans” of Webster Groves. Despite the chilly temps and a few icy patches, the runners seemed energized by the prospect of a great trail, sunny skies and the camaraderie of fellow runners.

A group of runners from the running club clustered before the race, stretching and discussing the route. “We run together two times a week,” said organizer Jennifer Hine.

Experts espouse that having running buddies, such as the Y group, is a great incentive to keep up with a running routine. Jim Newcomer of Wildwood and Rich Marcinkiewicz of St. Louis, both engineers with CDG Engineers in St. Louis, run before work to stay in shape. “We thought the Frozen Feet Run was so well run last year, so we decided to register again this year,” said Newcomer. “The Big River Running Company and the City of Wildwood do a great job on these races.”

Amy Bower, Kelly Carpenter and Grace Bueckendorf, all from the track team, signed up for the race to get conditioned for track season. Bueckendorf and Bower said they were happy to talk to Patch because they work on Lafayette High’s online newspaper.

Lafayette’s lady runners had a little friendly rivalry going on between their team and the four boys from track and cross country teams. Craig White, Kurt Bauer, Cameron Schmitz and Cade Netscher made a very good showing at the event, with Schmitz coming in 7^th, Netscher, 8^th, and Bauer 15^th. 

The top three finishers in the race were Caleb Goldcamp of St. Louis, taking first, followed by Joe Lyons of Wentzville and Mike Kelly of St. Peters taking second and third. Possibly the runner who came farthest was track coach Mark Hahn from Cape Central High School in Cape Girardeau. It was worth his time, too, because he finished 10^th out of a field of 196.

For David Smith of Wildwood, the 12-mile run was his first race. “Yes, it’s either ambitious--or stupid,” Smith laughed before the race, about his decision to run in such a long race for his first event. Led by his wife, veteran runner Julia Smith, a fitness instructor at the Y, Smith finished 174^th, alongside his wife.

“We love the Wildwood trails and wanted to get out and run,” said David (Smith). The couple moved here from Southern California for a job transfer, but friends and relatives assumed they would return eventually. “They keep asking us, ’when are you coming home?’ but we tell them ‘this IS home.’ We love it here -- we have great schools, great friends, great neighborhoods.”