It was a seasonal 79 degrees for the start of the 9th annual “No Frills” 5K cross country race on the grass at Deer Grove Forest Preserve in Palatine the evening of August 6, 2009.

This unique off-road 5K is sponsored by Running Unlimited of Palatine, and features a fun, but competitive, weeknight run in a natural setting. The appealing $2 entry fee includes a race number and awards for the top 25 male and female runners, along with the top five over-40 male and female finishers.

Runners from several area high schools and colleges have gravitated to this race over the years as an opportunity to break up the monotony of the long mileage workouts of summer. There were multiple participants from several local high schools including Barrington, Conant, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Prospect, Rolling Meadows, St. Viator, and Stevenson. Others made the trip from more distant high schools including Highland Park, Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East, and a large contingent from Neuqua Valley in Naperville. Runners from North Central College and Augustana College were also well represented in the pack.

While the race also included several adults and pre-high school students, the pace of the race was faster than most 5K events due to the high number of high school and college athletes preparing for the fall cross country season. A record 163 finishers crossed the line this year, with an impressive 90 runners breaking under the 20 minute mark.

The overall winner was Christian Escareno, 21, of Mt. Prospect, in a very quick time of 14:59.8. Escareno is currently enrolled at Brown University. He likes this race because “it is a cross country race all on the grass.” He also finds the low entry fee attractive. “I don’t have a lot of money for $30 and $40 dollar races,” he added. He also noted the race “was a lot faster than a normal (5K) race.”

Jenna Mitsos of Homer Glen was the top female finisher in a time of 17:34.7. Mitsos will be a freshman at the University of New Mexico this Fall. She just returned from a month of altitude training and said “I wanted to check out my fitness level.” Was she happy with tonight’s result? “Yes” she beamed with a wide smile.

The “No Frills” race also features a team competition where any four individuals can also register to be scored as a team. This year’s winners were Lake (Annette White, Laura Malbuecher, Kaseu Krum, and Erin Murphy) in the women’s division, Lanny’s Army (Mike Spain, Nathan Rutz, Nate Hird, and Kyle Brady) in the men’s division, and Team Extreme (Joe Parks, Scott Starcevich, Cassidy McPherson, and Elizabeth Cox) in the new co-ed category. Complete race results can be found at www.runningunlimited.com.