A steady rain limited the turnout but not the enthusiasm at the 23rd annual 5k for FCA race Monday morning. It didn't even slow the runners too much.
Even the Kiddy K went on at Chattanooga State.
"It was two times better to run in this than what we've been running in," overall winner Paul Patterson said after his first rain race, referring to the heat and humidity of the summer. "It was fun. I felt good."
The 16-year-old Bradley Central High School standout finished in 16 minutes, 23 seconds -- 13 seconds off his personal best.
Ryan Schumacher, 18, was second in 16:36, three seconds ahead of 45-year-old Dean Thompson, the masters winner. Artemio Pascual, 20, and Harold Smith, 16, were fourth and fifth.
Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga star Lanni Marchant, 27, was the women's winner and sixth overall in 17:34. She jumped ahead of the other females from the start.
"It was puddly, but no real problems," said Marchant, who admitted she was being cautious in not pushing harder.
Now back in town with the Davis & Hoss law firm, she said she's getting a variety of attorney experiences while maintaining "balance" with running. She's set for her second marathon on Oct. 9 in Chicago.
"I'm definitely a front-runner, but I won't be able to run that way against all those elite runners," she said.
Her first marathon was the Canadian Championships in her native country in May, and her time there and her half marathon time last year in Detroit earned her elite starting status in Chicago.
Berna Skibber was the female masters winner Monday, and John Gracy and Mary Preisel earned grand masters honors.
There were 331 finishers. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes benefited from an additional 162 pre-registrants.
"We were hoping for 600 but ended up with 493," area FCA director Jay Fowler said. "To think this many people would come out in weather like this is amazing. But we needed the rain; we're thankful for the rain."
The UTC soccer team and Chattanooga State softball team provided volunteer support.
Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.