CALDWELL - Even before the 57 participants toed the starting line on West Street Friday evening for the village's annual Firemen's Festival Run, there was a good chance that a Dugan Hill protege would finish first.

Cody Morrison, a 2007 graduate of Caldwell High School and a junior-to-be at Ohio Wesleyan University, shot out to a commanding lead by the midway point in the five-kilometer race and breezed to victory in 16:22.8, a full 71 seconds quicker than Cody Thomas, a senior-to-be at Marietta College from North Olmsted, Ohio.

"I didn't expect to get out like that," Morrison said. "We went out pretty fast during the first mile and I just kept going because I didn't want anybody to catch me after I got out there."

Morrison's time was a personal best, roughly a 16-second improvement on last year's showing of 16:38.

"I have been averaging about 10 miles a day," Morrison said of his summer training schedule. "I haven't really been doing too many workouts or anything like that. I've been just trying to get my base mileage in. This is pretty much the first time I've tested my speed all summer."

Morrison, back when he ran for Hill's cross country squad, placed 38th as a senior in the Ohio High School Athletic Association state cross country championships in 2006, being timed in 17:01.

Overall, Friday's experience had kind of a homecoming feel to it for Morrison, even the steady grade on the loop on the back end of the course.

"I know it all too well," he said. "It gets me every time in this race."

It was the seventh time he has competed in the Firemen's Festival Run, going back to his high school days.

"I love to come back and run this race," Morrison said. "I'll do it every year I can."

Marietta High School senior-to-be Taylor Varnadoe was the first female finisher as she placed 31st overall in 22:47.

The road race served as kind of a test run after a successful spring track season in which she was a member of Marietta's district champion 4x800 relay team along with Emily Garrison, Kylie Iadicicco and Maegan Grosel.

"I thought I'd go out and try this for the heck of it and see how I do," she said.

Varnadoe was sidelined with anemia during last fall's cross country, but she has corrected the iron deficiency.

Another 22 racers competed in the one mile fun run with Jonathan Niswonger winning in 7:34.11 and David Freeman placing second in 7:47.9.

In the 5K race, Josh Fogle, a 1998 graduate of Caldwell and a cross country/track coach at Reedsville Eastern, also wanted to see what he could do on his old hometown course.

Fogle finished 15th overall in 19:41 with a slight handicap as he pushed a three-wheel stroller with his six-month-old son, Brant, cradled in the passenger compartment.

"I wanted to beat 20 minutes flat and I did that," Josh Fogle said.

Similarly, Brian Hesson, one of the most accomplished runners to come out of Caldwell as he earned All-Southeast Conference honors at the University of Alabama, also made a concession to age in favor of family bonding.

Hesson, 34, escorted his daughters, Carsen, age 8, and Ella, age 6, in Friday's races.

Carsen competed in the 5K race, placing 50th overall, while Ella was 15th in the mile fun run.

Firemen's Festival Run

At Caldwell

One Mile Fun Run Results

1 Jonathan Niswonger 7:34.11, 2 David Freeman 7:47.8, 3 Lindsey Furr 9:03, 4 Hunter Molden 9:03, 5 Jenny Brewer 9:12, 6 Jack Ferguson 9:16, 7 Madison Ferguson 9:16, 8 Abby Hutcheson 9:30, 9 Morgan Ferguson 9:31, 10 Lauren Ferguson 9:38, 11 Hailey Varnadoe 9:59, 12 Clara Ferguson 10:28, 13 Pam Oliver 10:28, 14 Jade Croucher 10:35, 15 Ella Hesson 10:36, 16 Zachary Murrey 10:47, 17 Ward Murrey 10:47, 18 Nate Ferguson 10:51, 19 Steve Ferguson 10:52, 20 Cicera Woodford 14:03, 21 Tre Rex 14:13, 22 Joyce Young 14:16.

5K Results

1 Cody Morrison 16:22.8, 2 Cody Thomas 17:33, 3 Brandon Saling 17:56, 4 Jordan Croucher 18:03, 5 Tyler Cordell 18:19, 6 Jarrod Saling 18:36, 7 Drew Forshey 18:43, 8 Justin Stellfox 18:47, 9 Darren Hesson 18:52, 10 Ben Warner 19:15, 11 Zach Sanford 19:16, 12 Tallin Forshey 19:23, 13 Phil Forshey 19:34, 14 Derek Carter 19:40, 15 Josh Fogle 19:41, 16 Brandon Schoeppner 19:41, 17 Luke Forshey 20:10, 18 Lee Dimmerling 20:33, 19 Allen Morrison 20:37, 20 Tyler Abrams 20:57;

21 Dave Lemond 21:35, 22 Dennis Spicer 21:40, 23 Eli Svercek 21:40, 24 Stone Saling 21:40, 25 Brennan King 22:06, 26 Kris Saling 22:20, 27 Alex Forshey 22:20, 28 Mike Hesson 28:22, 29 Gary Saling 22:25, 30 Chris Estadt 22:42, 31 Taylor Varnadoe 22:47, 32 Rocky Leonhart 22:51, 33 Jared Ferguson 22:56, 34 Cam hayes 22:58, 35 Jenna Furr 23:48, 36 Sally Nau 23:57, 37 Zane Murrey 24:46, 38 Crystal Craycraft 24:54, 39 Jeff Reed 25:21, 40 Jessica Forshey 25:49;

41 Joe Finley 25:50, 42 Morgan Stellfox 26:06, 43 Dawn Spicer 26:22, 44 Alan Forshey 26:29, 45 Cory Clark 26:41, 46 Jacob Roach 27:08, 47 Mark Hesson 27:24, 48 Jessica Weigard 27:26, 49 Tracy Parmiter 28:01, 50 Carsen Hesson 28:11, 51 Tammy Moncrief 28:17, 52 Sara LeMond 29:22, 53 Allison Hesson 29:24, 54 Carrie Koval 29:33, 55 Don Huston 32:52, 56 Barb Freeland 33:28, 57 Geri McAuley 36:25.