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The 51st annual Journal Jog was held Sunday in Reno. Lupe Cabada was the top overall finisher. Jim Krajewski, jkrajewski@rgj.com

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Lupe Cabada eyed the crowd and picked out several of the area’s top distance runners in the crowd.

But on Sunday, he was the fastest, again.

Cabada won the Journal Jog on Sunday in Reno, on a slightly different course than he won the Jog the first two times, but with his personal best time.

Cabada posted a time of 25 minutes, 10 seconds in the 8-kilometer course (4.97 miles) that started and finished in the middle of Idlewild Park in southwest Reno.

Ramona Sanchez was the top women finisher in 29:12, and 15th overall. Sanchez, 42, has long been one of the dominant women runners in the area and she could not recall how many times she has won the Jog, saying she thinks it was seven or eight. 

Devyn Ramsey was the second woman finisher in 29:28 (16th overall); and Anna Costello was third in 29:36 (18th overall).

More: Journal Jog back for 51st edition; part of Reno Running Fest

Sanchez said the finish area was better than it has been, due to the shade the trees provided and a slight downhill leg.

Cabada ran the Reno 10-mile race last year, part of the Reno 178 running series, and won that, but that distance was not held this year.

The Reno Mile Race was held Saturday in downtown Reno on Virginia Street. Sanchez wanted to run that, but she was the only woman entered in the elite division, and she decided not to run with the elite men.

Race director Eric Lerude said there were about 600 entrants across all divisions this year, about 500 in the 8K Journal Jog. It was the 51st annual running of Reno’s oldest foot race.

The course formerly began and ended on Foster Drive, near the Reno High parking lot. 

This year, Lerude moved the start/finish to the park so the runners could have a beer afterward.

Cabada said the move to the park improved the overall feel of the race.

“I actually really liked it. Once you start getting tired, the downhill on Foster was nice,” Cabada said.  “It feels more like a race setting.”

He said getting the out-and-back section over with sooner in the race was also good.

MORE: Photos: 50 years of the Journal Jog in Reno

He is training for the Chicago Marathon in five weeks (Oct. 15) and ran 4 miles before the Jog, then ran the Jog, then ran 4 miles after winning Sunday.

He said several of his fellow runners Sunday are also training for Chicago, including his co-coach at Damonte Ranch, Sarah Raitter, one of the Reno High cross country coaches, Ana Costello.

Conor Cashner was second overall in the Jog (25:36). Dominic Henriques was third in 25:57.

Cabada said the smoke in the air from the Walker Fire was only a slight disturbance.

“I barely felt it. I felt it more on the warm-up than during the race,” he said.

Some of his runners at Damonte Ranch competed, as well as runners from Reno High and Spanish Springs.

Cabada said it is good for the young runners to see their coaches also running and training.

“You want to set the tone for the kids coming up,” Cabada said. “If their coaches are doing well, they want to put in the work.”

He posted his best marathon time in Chicago four years ago (2:32) and is hoping to beat that this year, going below 2:30 this year.

“I’m feeling a lot more fit as I get older. I’m feel like I have that old-man strength,” Cabada said. “I’m in my prime for marathons.”

He said moving the start/finish to the park might help the participation numbers increase and that the high school runners are the future of the event.

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(Gun time) 1, Lupe Cabada 25;10; 2, Conor Cashner 25:36; 3, Dominic Henriques 25:58; 4, Nathan Chellman 27:05; 5, Zach Sever 27:41; 6, Scott Young 27:57; 7, Cody Heimerdinger 27:58; 8, Kutoven Stevens 28:04; 9, Spencer Guerrette 28:34; 10, Nick Bingham 28:46.

Jim Krajewski covers high school and youth sports for the Reno Gazette Journal. Follow him on Twitter @RGJPreps. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com right here

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