For the first time in five years the YMCA-CHOK Bridge Race has a new winner.
Camlachie-native Aaron Cooper crossed the finish line in a time of 31 minutes, 35 seconds, a few minutes ahead of five-time champ Matt Fecht.
Cooper, who finished runner-up to Fecht in 2014, says he figured the winner of the last four races would be his toughest competition.
"He and I ran together up the bridge and he had a few metres on me up the bridge and then down," says Cooper. "Somewhere heading back out towards the river I caught him and past him and I think that was the last I saw of him, although I could hear him kind of running behind me a few strides and that kept me moving through the rest of the race."
Fecht began the day running on an injured left foot. He says he stayed with Cooper as long as possible before it became too painful.
"I went as hard as I could up the bridge and coming down, it all just slammin' with that foot, it was like ahh looks like it's not going to be my day today," says Fecht. "Hats off to Aaron, he ran a really good race today."
Croswell Michigan's Andrea Reaume, formerly Andrea Karl, was the top female runner for the second straight year and third time since she started running the race about five years ago.
Reamue, who finished the race seventh overall with a time of 38:53, says she had her eye on top spot.
"There were a few guys up there that I was kind of basing some of my pacing off of and trying to stick on their tail to pull me along."
Full race results can be found here.
