A perfect 10th: Glass returns to win third Reagan Run title

By DAN WOESSNER  dwoessner@svnmail.com 800-798-4085,ext. 553

Bryan Glass finishes first in the Reagan Run on Saturday morning on Highland Ave. (Chris Padgett/cpadgett@svnmail.com)

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DIXON – Add 10 years and several hundred more people and what do you get?

Apparently, the same result as the original when it comes to the Reagan Run 5K.

Geneseo native and former Dixon teacher Bryan Glass, who now resides in Monee, reclaimed the Reagan Run crown on Saturday, which he first hoisted at the event’s first running 10 years ago.

Glass finished in 16 minutes, 20 seconds ahead of defending champion Anthony Welty of Sterling at 16:37.

“I set some goals for myself coming back here,” Glass said. “I really was just trying to fight through it and get back into the swing of running competitively again. I did that, so I am satisfied with that.”

Glass, 35, had been sidelined for a while with a nagging quad injury and a recent trip to the hospital where it was found that he didn’t have enough oxygen in his blood.

“It’s been a rough few months so it was nice to get back out there,” said Glass, who teaches physical education at special education school near Chicago.

This is only the second time Glass has run Reagan run since winning in 2000 and 2001. For the last few years, he has run for the 180 Energy Drink team. Being on the team has allowed him to compete in races across the country. Last June, he won a marathon in Montana.

“Being a part of that team has let me run at a national level instead of only getting to run in Illinois,” Glass said. “It’s been a great experience.”

Glass and Welty were part of the lead group from the start. That group encountered some trouble from the get-go.

“I went the wrong way right away in the first mile,” Glass said. “I just feel bad when I am out in front and make a wrong turn because everyone else is following me.”

Welty had trouble after crossing the Peoria Avenue Bridge.

“The thing was that at the start line they said it was the same course as last year,” Welty said. “Except that last year, the course was changed slightly from the plan because of flooding. This year you curved around and under the bridge.

“Well, I started heading straight to the parking lot like last year. I started to realize that I was running a shorter race than everyone else so I slowed down and got back with the lead pack.”

Glass and Welty are the only three-time male winners of the Reagan Run.

Paul Zeman and Anthony Gedwell, both of whom ran for Belvidere North’s cross country team that finished runner-up to Dixon at the Class 2A state meet last fall, finished third and fifth overall. Zeman’s time was 16:48 while Gedwell’s was 17:21.

Taking fourth was Polo’s Brian Tyne at 16:50. Kel Bond, formerly of Dixon, who won the 2007 race, finished sixth at 17:24.

Men’s top 5 finishers

1. Bryan Glass, 16:20

2. Anthony Welty, 16:37

3. Paul Zeman, 16:48

4. Brian Tyne, 16:50

5. Anthony Gedwell, 17:21

A perfect 10th: Glass returns to win third Reagan Run title

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