Runners line up at the beginning of South Street for the Day Care Dash Saturday morning. (David Boraks photo)

Updated Monday, May 4, 2 p.m.

Woodlawn School sophomore Sawyer Bowman won the Day Care Dash 5k through the streets of Davidson on Town Day Saturday, May 2.

Sawyer crossed the finish line in 17 minutes, 44 seconds.  Dr. Stephanie Elkins of Davidson, finished 9th overall and was the first woman across the line, in 22:49.

The race brought hundreds of runners to the Village Green early Saturday and kicked off a day of fun at Town Day 2009. The event also raised money for Davidson Cornelius Day Care.

Sawyer Bowman (at left) started in the front pack and never looked back. In the center (wearing a dark shirt) is Brian Cotter, who placed third overall.

Sharad Wertheimer, a sixth grader at Davidson IB Middle School, was first back home in the 1 mile fun run. (He would have run the 5k, but said he had to attend a band rehearsal instead.)  Sisters Sarah and Caroline Piephoff were the first females cross the finish line.

The fun run preceded the 5K (3.1 mile) race, which sent runners through the heart of town, passing The Pines retirement community (where some residents stood on their porches and waved), and ending behind the CVS parking lot.

Full results are available on the Queen City Timing website.

TEEN RACERS, A BABY STROLLER AND A DOCTOR

The men’s race was dominated by teenage members of area high school distance running teams.

Sawyer Bowman, 15, who led Woodlawns’ cross country team in the fall, went from 3rd at last year’s Day Care Dash to first across the line this time around.  The next two finishers were 17-year-olds Chappy Garner, a senior at North Mecklenburg High clocked at 18:56, followed by Brian Cotter of Southlake Christian Academy, who finished in 19:46.

Among women finishers, Mariella Cook (at left) won the 50-and-over age group, while Sarah Desutter (at center in bright blue shirt) was first in the 13-18 age group.

Among women runners, the top two finishers are both new to the race and to Davidson.

Dr. Elkins, 33, a family practice doctor at Lakeside Family Physicians in Mooresville, moved to town three years ago.

“I was a little bit humbled when a guy in front of me was running barefoot and another one went by me pushing a baby stroller,” said Dr. Elkins.

We’re not sure about that barefoot runner, but the top stroller-pushing finisher was David Stewart of Davidson, who won the race in 2007 and managed an 8th place finish this time around, with his two sons enjoying the ride.

The second woman to cross the line was Julija Hassel, 24, who was clocked at 23:49.  She is the wife of the new senior associate pastor of Davidson United Methodist Church.  (Click here to see our previous coverage of the Hassel family’s move to town.)

FUN FACTS

A total of 246 runners participated in the 5K, as compared to 256 last year.  By gender, the race had 105 males and 116 females.

There was one lone out-of-state entrant – Brian Hill, who listed a hometown of Manchester, Vermont.

The youngest runners (not counting the kids in the strollers) were three seven-year-olds: Claude Bragg, Kasey Hahn and Marisa Bringewatt, all “Tigers on the Prowl” runners at Davidson Elementary School.

The oldest finisher was 86-year-old Margaret Hagerty of Concord. She’s a regular at area road races, has run marathons on every continent, and has been a medal winner in the Senior Olympics. And believe it or not, she did not begin running until she was in her 60s.