No sun? No problem.
Unalaskans celebrated midsummer last night in the annual Solstice run. Despite chilly temperatures and overcast skies, twenty runners finished the two-mile course.
Jonathane Pereat finished first in the men’s category, with a time of 13:37, beating second place finisher Guillermo Curiel by more than a minute.
For the women, first place finisher Cheyenne Stewart came in at 18:39, just two seconds before second place finisher Noelle Rucinski.
Race organizers tested new technology for keeping track of times this year. Each runner had a small radio frequency identification tag implanted in their bib. The tag automatically triggered a recording of their time as they crossed the finish line.
The RFID tech worked perfectly to record finish times, but there was a slight conflict between technology and team spirit. The tags inadvertently re-registered the presence of runners who stayed near the finish line to cheer on their fellow competitors.