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This year’s Laurel Festival 10K foot race was a site to see! On Saturday, June 17th, all runners lined up at the starting line, taking off at the sound of the horn, and ready to tackle Wellsboro’s rolling hills! All of the runners worked hard to finish strong, with many commenting on the amount of work it took to prepare for this race. A lot of factors come into play when prepping for a tough race, including consistent training, a positive mindset, accountability, and motivation. Runners have to also consider the weather, humidity, fatigue, pace, energy, the actual race course (including terrain, hills, etc.), and diet the day of the race. These are all elements that can really make or break your race!

Runners, Janelle Janca, along with first place male runner, Matthew Wilbert, and first place female runner, Heather Welsh, reveal some important tips and tricks to running for all of those avid or future runners out there. It takes dedication, a positive attitude, having fun, and prioritizing your body’s self-care. Longevity is also important, as you see in Heather Welsh’s case, from a family history of running the Laurel Festival 10K race. Heather and some of her siblings have been coming back to Wellsboro most every year to compete in this race.

What an inspiration! It takes a lot more work behind the scenes than meets the eye. Congratulations to all of the runners out there!