By Tim Gearhart

For The Ironton Tribune

RUSSELL, Ky. – Father/son and father/daughter teams from Cabell County, W.Va., made the Father’s Day weekend something special Saturday at the 48th annual Kiwanis Run By The River.

While the weather forecast was not favorable, mother nature held off and the races were completed under cloudy skies and perfect temperatures for running.

Father Scottie Holley, 56, of Lesage entered the 5K race, while son Josh Holley, 37, of Milton entered the 10K. Both took home the overall winner trophies in their respective races.

It was the second year in a row Scottie Holley collected Run By The River gold. He won the 2024 5K race with a time of 20:59.86. He was a bit faster this year – 20:18.80.

Meanwhile, his son Josh zipped through the 10K course in 36:28.25 to win the men’s division. You’d have to go back to 2011 to find a faster time in the annual race which is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of East Greenup County, KY, In 2011 Jon Rennaker won with a time of 36:19.

Second place in the 10K race went to Sam Nowalk, 44, of Milton with a time of 41:30.40, while his daughter Riley Nowalk, 13, won first place in the women’s 5K. She blazed through the course in 22:47.38, the best time since 2020’s virtual race when Stevie McSorley recorded a time of 20:46.

Remember that last name; you’re going to see it again as familiar names also topped the 10K women’s division.

Ashland’s Missy Moore, 57, won her third first place trophy in four years with a 10K time of 44:27.70. She also won in 2022 and 2023. In 2024 Stevie McSorley, 21, of Flatwoods topped the 10K women’s division (47:27.57). This year she had to settle for second behind Moore with a time of 49:32.08. Laura Kuhn of Coal Grove was third at 1:02:43.61.

Randall Watts, 70, of Garner, KY, was the runner-up in the men’s 5K race at 22:08.21. He previously won the top 5K trophy in 2023 (21:41).

Runner-up in the women’s 5K was Tabitha Coyer, 50, of Kitts Hill, OH, with a time of 26:40.65, which beat her 2024 time (26:53.44) when she won the 5K.

Kiwanis brought back several races-within-the-race for 5K participants. Winners of those special categories were:

Canine Division: Tiphani Massie of Ashland, KY with her dogs Buddy and Boone.

Mother/Daughter Division: 1. Aimee Dickerson and daughter Emerson of Russell; 2. Sheila Guldner of Enola, PA., and daughter Tiphani Massie of Ashland.

 

Father/Daughter Division: 1. John Callihan of Greenup, KY, and daughters Laura Callihan and Anna Callihan.

Run By The River plus a pancake breakfast and Reindeer Run 5K before Christmas are the primary fundraisers for the Kiwanis Club of East Greenup County, which meets every Tuesday at noon at Giovanni’s Pizza in Flatwoods.

With the money raised, the club offers scholarships to Key Club seniors at Russell and Raceland-Worthington High Schools, supports the Greenup Library summer reading program, helps students in a three school districts with donations to the school family resource centers and provides no less than 50 food baskets at Thanksgiving to families selected by the school resource centers.

2025 Kiwanis

Run By The River

5K Results:

1. Scottie Holley, 56, Lesage, WV 20:18.8; 2. Randall Watts, 70, Garner, KY 22:06.21; 3. Riley Nowalk, 13, Milton, WV 22:47.38; 4. James White, 21, Huntington, WV 24:15.61; 5. Lanny Fraley, 75, Ashland, KY 26:02.88; 6. Tabitha Coyer, 50, Kitts Hill, OH 26:40.65; 7. Thomas Mingledorff, 61, Canton, MI 26:43.92; 8. Tim Bailey, 67, Owingsville, KY 26:50.05; 9. Ron Simpson, 72, Russell, KY 28:26.85; 10. Daryl Kinch, 76, Lesage, WV 30:38.32.

11. Courtney Daniels, 40, Pedro, OH 30:50.19; 12. John Toland, 64, Oak Hill, OH 32:13.64; 13. Olivia Horn, 20, Coal Grove, OH 33:17.05 14. Aimee Dickerson, 44, Russell, KY 33:42.80; 15. Melynda Tussey, 51, Ashland, KY 34:53.87; 16. John Gambill, 65, Ashland, KY 35:21.24; 17. Dale Callicoat, 51, Scottown, OH 36:57.77; 18. Phillip Grant, 70, London, KY 37:54.03; 19. Greg Ervin, 77, Jackson, OH 38:46.30; 20. John Callihan, 55, Greenup, KY 45:18.11.

1. Laura Callihan, 27, West Chester, OH 45:18.30; 22. Anna Callihan, 25, Greenup, KY 45:18.30; 23. Emerson Dickerson, 10, Russell, KY 47:50.76; 24. Zach Dickerson, 44, Russell, KY 47:56.39; 25. Alan Osuch, 75, Ashland, KY 49:03.89; 26. Christopher Massie, 29, Ashland, KY 50:07.94; 27. Tiphani Massie, 35, Ashland, KY 50:09.51; 28. Sheila Guldner, 62, Enola, PA 51:50.79.

10K Results:

1. Josh Holley, 37, Milton, WV 36:28.25; 2. Sam Nowalk, 44, Milton, WV 41:30.40; 3. Missy Moore, 57, Ashland, KY. 44:27.70; 4. Stevie McSorley, 21, Flatwoods, KY 49:32.08; 5. Colton Kuhn, 8, Coal Grove, OH 54:46.18; 6. Jonathan Waddell, 32, Ashland, KY 1:00:34.31; 7. Kent Marsee, 37, Ashland, KY 1:01:46.18; 8. Laura Kuhn, 49, Coal Grove, OH 1:02:43.61; 9. Levi Martin, 29, Ashland, KY 1:07:41.98 10. Lorna Rose, 29, Greenup, KY 1:11:00.07.

11. Jim Moore, 59, Ashland, KY 1:14:33. 35; 12. Cecilia Gaynor, 62, Ashland, KY 1:14:48.82; 13. Russ Rucker, 68, Ironton, OH 1:15:00.70; 14. Heather Waddell, 29, Ashland, KY 1:19:11.33; 15. Brent Bullion, 39, Flatwoods, KY 1:38:17.38.

5K Walkers:

1. Kody Haddix, 18, Argillite, KY 43:45.74; 2. Presley Taylor, 17, Ashland, KY 44:00.55; 3. Kristin Haddix, 42, Argillite, KY 45:45.73; 4. John Brooks, 37, Kitts Hill, OH 47:08.77; 5. Angie Brooks, 37, Kitts Hill, OH 47:09.26; 6. Pat Gaynor, 64, Ashland, KY 1:00:33.15.