 With beautiful clear skies and cool morning temperatures setting the perfect stage for the 20th Annual GE Run Thru the Woods on Thanksgiving Day Morning, the event set an all time new attendance record with 5077 entries. This year marked an unprecedented growth with more than 750 participants signing up than the previous year.
The holiday event featured a timed 1 mile Children’s Race; a timed 3 Mile Teen Race; a certified timed 5 mile Run; and a 3 mile Family Walk all starting and ending in front of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands Town Center. The event continues to grow in popularity attracting runners from all over the state as well as holiday visitors from all over the country. With another record setting year, organizers estimate more than $115,000 will be distributed to local charities including the South Montgomery County YMCA Partners Program, Conroe ISD Operation Graduations, Conroe ISD AFJROTC Programs, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Education Outreach Program and the Montgomery County Humane Society. The 2009 event also featured a canned food drive benefiting Can-n-Keys, a Christian Food Bank.
 Organized by the South Montgomery County YMCA Staff, GE Run Thru the Woods, a holiday tradition in The Woodlands and surrounding communities, is community based benefiting several local charities, embracing the assistance of more than 500 local volunteers and receiving support from many generous sponsors including: GE, The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau, City of Shenandoah, Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, CB&I, Hewitt, Anadarko, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, H-E-B, The Egg & I, Continental Airlines, Pepsi Bottling Group, The Woodlands Development Company, Spectrum Events, Luke’s Locker, Sadler Clinic, Bayside Printing, Chick-fil-A, City of Oak Ridge North, Community Associations of The Woodlands, The Villager and Houston Community Newspapers, LJF Associates, CineMark, Waste Management, Canongate Golf and Lone Star College.
All participants were treated to a complimentary pancake breakfast prepared by The Egg & I, fruit donated by HEB, bagels from Brooklyn Café’, hot coffee compliments of Community Coffee and soft drinks provided by Aramark and Pepsi Bottling Group. Kids were entertained, while waiting for their awards, with face painters, balloon artists and juggler.
Overall first place winner, male and female in the 5 Mile Race each received $100 cash, 2 airline tickets provided by Continental Airlines and a bronze trophy. Overall 2nd and 3rd place winners in the 5 mile each received cash award along with a plaque. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, male and female, in each age group in the 1 mile Kids Race, 3 Mile Teen Race and 5 Mile Race were recognized with a plaque. All children and teens, as they crossed the finish line in the 1 Mile and 3 Mile Teen Race, received a specially designed dog tag with the race logo as a keepsake.
Listed below are the overall top 3 finishers, Male and Female, in each event. Complete results can be found at www.runthruthewoods.org.
 1 Mile Children’s Race, Ages 12 and Under, Overall Female Winners:
1st: Brianna Nolen, Kingwood: 6:17.3
2nd: Pilar Glaser, The Woodlands: 6:20.6
3rd: Hailey Strole, Conroe: 6:46.7
4th: Lindsay Creasman, The Woodlands: 6:49.7
1 Mile Children’s Race, Ages 12 and Under, Overall Male Winners:
1st: Victor Suszylo, The Woodlands: 5:42.7
2nd: Kyle Spears, The Woodlands: 5:52.0
3rd: Adam Breaux, The Woodlands: 5:57.4
4th: Matthew Ritchie, The Woodlands: 6:08.1
3 Mile Teen Race, Ages 12 – 17, Overall Female Winners
1st: Katie Killeen, The Woodlands: 20:49.9
2nd: Alejandra Resendiz, The Woodlands: 21:25.0
3rd: Kelly Barbalias, The Woodlands: 21:38.2
3 Mile Teen Race, Ages 12 – 17, Overall Male Winners
1st: Christopher Vargas, The Woodlands: 16:15.6
2nd: Conner Moncrief, The Woodlands: 16:18.8
3rd: Jeff Alexander, The Woodlands: 16:55.8
 5 Mile Race Overall Female Winners
1st: Melissa Cook, Flower Mound: 28:15.9
2nd: Nicole Mericle, The Woodlands: 29:16.0
3rd: Adrienne Langelier, Spring: 30:05.5
5 Mile Race Overall Male Winners
1st: Steve Magness, Spring: 24:36.0
2nd: Adam Davis, Houston: 24:45.2
3rd: Sean Wade, Houston, 24:52.1
5 Mile Race Master Female Winners
1st: Johanne Skorve, The Woodlands: 33:49.6
2nd: Sharon Morin, Houston: 35:11.3
3rd: Michelle Harrison, The Woodlands: 35:26.5
5 Mile Race Master Male Winners
1st: Gerardo Mora, Houston: 27:26.4
2nd: Jon Warren, Houston: 28:43.7
3rd: Carlo Deason, Houston: 29:00.5
5 Mile Clydesdale Winners
1st: Brian Damon, The Woodlands: 33:49.7
2nd: Todd Foster, Ocean Springs, MS: 36:15.5
3rd: Tony Allison, The Woodlands: 37:24.5
5 Mile Athena Winners
1st: Holly Bricken, Montgomery: 37:06.2
2nd: Jennifer Laughlin, Houston: 41:11.4
3rd: T.J. Kilponen, The Woodlands: 43:07.7
For more information, view race results and race photos, please visit www.runthruthewoods.org. For more information on sponsor and volunteer opportunities for the 2010 event, please call 281-367-9622. Mark your calendars, the date for 2010 Run Thru the Woods is Thanksgiving Day, November 25!
 Pictured: Scenes from race day morning.
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