Alan Ott ran the Alma Highland Festival 5K in traditional attire.

ALMA (5/27/06) - Can you imagine running a road race in a kilt? Those plaid, worsted-wool Celtic skirts are customary attire for bagpipe and dance competition, but not what you'd expect to see in a 3.1-mile race in 80 degrees with 60-percent humidity.

Well, Alan Ott did just that in the Alma Highland Festival 5K. He finished the course in 31:18 to rousing cheers from hundreds of spectators who appreciated the spirit of his attire.

The 52-year-old from nearby St. Louis usually competes in the caber- toss at highland games, but did the road race this year instead. (Hmmm, so hard to choose - run for 30-plus minutes or toss something akin to a telephone pole and risk getting a hernia?)

One of the reasons this is on my list of favorite races is Alma is my hometown. Another is that the race offers some surprises, like huge crowds. The race serves as "pre-amble" to the Festival parade. The whole course is lined with crowds - some 20,000 people - waiting to see and cheer on the parade of runners.

Another surpirse is the course itself. It looks like an easy out-and-back with a little loop into the local neighborhood before the end, but it's not completely flat.

"You feel great going down for the first mile until you turn around," said Tim Lambrecht, a competitive masters runner from Alma. "Then it's a gradual uphill mile."

Back to defend his title this year was Jason Jaloszynski, 28, a teacher and coach at Clio High School. This race holds a special meaning for him.

"This is always my summer kick-off race," said the former Central Michigan University track and cross country runner, who grew up in Shepherd. "And this is where I first broke 17 minutes." Jaloszynski ran a solid 15:40 (5:03 pace) to reclaim his title, besting his 2005 time by five seconds.

Finishing second overall was Blanchard's Rick Cahoon, 28, in 16:06, followed a minute later by Chad Zitzelsberger, 20, from Lake Isabella, who finished in 17:03. Another area favorite shared a repeat victory in the women's race. Shannon Stanglewicz, 23, from St. Louis, won handily in 19:36. The recent Hillsdale College graduate and Academic All-American likes this race so much that this was her fifth time competing.

"You get a lot of crowd support all along the course," she said. She had another incentive to race well. "Dr. (Craig) Tubbs (the race director) was my family doctor." Stanglewicz said she let a young girl take the lead in the first mile because it was downhill. After the turnaround she pulled ahead and never looked back. Megen Rapp, 12, from Midland, finished second in 20:21 and Rachel Luehm, 16, from St. Louis, third in 21:32.

Top masters honors went to John Grice, 47, from Kewanee, Ill., with a time of 17:35, and Sharon Dolan, 57, from Fowler, who finished in 22:04.

This year's race drew more than 300 runners, an increase from last year. Tubbs would like to see it grow to 400 to 500. The morning began with Kids Fun Runs for toddlers up to 14-year-olds in distances ranging from 25 yards to a mile. A first-year 3K walk attracted 30-plus participants..

Footnotes:

o Here's a little secret - Ott was more than likely wearing a sport kilt, a popular alternative made from a lighter fabric that can be ordered in a variety of tartans.

o All participants got a complimentary one-day pass into the Highland Festival Games.

o Many participants raved about the great swag which included a Gratiot Medical Center sport sack filled with goodies like a race pint glass, Frisbee, Trail's End popcorn, Aveeno sunblock, even a handy little travel toothcase from the local dentist office of Dr. Wassenaar (where I had my first cavity filled some 30 years ago.).

o There was plenty of post-race food. At the end of the food line were posters for each of the sponsors and a pen for the runners to scribe their thanks.

My only suggestion would be to have the awards ceremony a little earlier so runners could enjoy the parade.

Brenda Barrera, an Alma High School graduate, is National Web site Editor for the Running Network. MR