The 28th running of the Apple Blossom 10k Race attracted over 1,200 participants today. Because it is run along some of the Apple Blossom Festival Grand Feature Parade Route, runners are greeted and cheered from the crowds along the course. Because people come from neighboring states and want to get good seats on the parade route, there are pick up trucks backed up to the race course and people camped out on blankets from the wee hours. This year’s winners tore up the UST&F certified course in under 30:00, averaging 4:41/mile ! Chasing $8,300 in prize money, the elites made sure that area residents would only be contending for the Masters, Grand Masters and locals’ awards. While the TriathlonTrialLawyer was way off his best Apple Blossom time, his 6:48/mile average in the wet, cool drizzle was good enough to finish ahead of 1,100 other runners and finish 2nd out of 74 men in his age group. Even better was the fact that the rain stopped for the wonderful parade that afternoon !