First Posted: 8/23/2014
Reigning champs from last year’s Pittston Tomato Festival 5K Run, Mike Flynn and Caitlin Gaughan, successfully defended their crowns at the 16th running of the 5K on Saturday.
Flynn, 28, of Media and formerly of Pittston, led a record field of 298 finishers in a light rain, breaking the tape in 16 minutes and 43 seconds. He outran second-place finisher, Mike Havrilla, 17, of Pittston, by 35 seconds. Mike Batko, 28, of Scranton, finished third, just two seconds behind Havrilla.
“It was tough out there,” said Flynn, who runs for the prestigious Bryn Mawr Running Company and ran track and cross country for Pittston Area High School. “I ran with (Havrilla) for the first mile and a half. That’s when I threw in a surge and tried to pick it up. I pulled ahead. And after that, I was pretty much running by myself.”
The win was Flynn’s third at the Tomato Festival 5K.
Gaughan, 28, of Scranton, scored a 10th-place overall finish in 18:45, capturing top female honors. Deedra Porfirio, 37, of West Pittston, finished second, 40 seconds behind the winner. Kelly Curry, 32, of Macunje, finished third, 50 seconds behind Porfirio.
Porfirio won the 5K in 2011. She has now finished second three years in a row.
“I started out slow, like I always do,” said Gaughan, who ran cross country and track for Scranton High School. “I feel I can control my speed better by starting out at an easy pace. I’ve been training a lot on hills lately preparing for the Chicago Marathon (Set for Oct. 12, the same day as the Steamtown Marathon). Even though the Chicago Marathon is mostly flat, training on hills makes you stronger.
“So I made my move on a hill, just before mile 2. And that’s when I moved into the lead and took control of the race.”
