Scott Spillman, 25, of Colorado Springs, won the inaugural Super Half Marathon and 5K Family Run Sunday in Colorado Springs, covering the 13.1-mile distance on the Pikes peak Greenway Trail in 1:17:35.

Race Results Here

PHOTOS: Super Half Marathon and 5K, Gallery 1, ** Gallery 2, ** Gallery 3, ** Gallery 4 ** Gallery 5

VIDEO: Start of inaugural Super Half Marathon ** Start of 5K ** Women's Half Marathon winner Olivia Long interview ** Women's 5K winner Nancy Hobbs interview

WOMEN'S STORY: Newcomer captures women's Super Half Marathon, longtime local runner wins the 5K on Super Bowl Sunday

By Joe Paisley
More than 800 area runners and walkers took advantage of the inaugural Super Half Marathon and 5K Family Fun Run/Walk Sunday morning in downtown Colorado Springs, burning some extra calories in preparation of consuming a lot more while watching the Super Bowl XLVI.

”It’s a good way to earn it,” said men’s 5K champion Kevin Morgan, 24, who won in 18 minutes, 19 seconds, despite a head cold.

Morgan, who runs for the Boulder Running Company was pushed by runner-up Philip Meyer (18:22), 17, who competes for Cheyenne Mountain High School cross country.

“I’m looking forward to putting my feet up and watching the game,” Meyer said.

It was a fun way for many to jumpstart their day and the post-race party at Jack Quinn’s was hopping by noon.

“It’s like the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot,” Meyer said. “People like getting some exercise before they sit and eat for the rest of the day.”

It wasn’t all about the fun. The competitive juices kick in with 200 yards left as third-place finisher Rick Shoulberg, 50, of Guffey showed.

“I’m just competitive,” said Shoulberg, who sprinted the final 200 yards to pull away from two others, including fourth-place finisher Mitchell Shaw, 13, a seventh grader at Colorado Springs Christian School.

That competitiveness was more evident in the Super Half Marathon, which was won by new Colorado Springs resident Scott Spillman, 25, in 1:17.35. It was his first 13.1-mile race since 2005.

“I was looking to break 1:17.30 so I’m a little disappointed,” he said. “It was a great race.”

Runner-up Cody Hill, 38, of Colorado Springs (1:18.30) was happy to finish second after running his first long race in 3-4 months. Gerald Romero was third in 1:22.33.

“There are not that many races this time of year so this is a good race to have,” Hill said. “It’s a good way to knock the rust off.”

For many, the event was a chance to get in a good run and enjoy some family time.

“It’s a real family event,” said Bill Werling, 46, of Colorado Springs, who ran with his wife Kim and their two young sons. “It’s the first time we’ve done this together as a family. We want to get the boys into running.”

The parents were two of the many wearing their favorite NFL team’s apparel. Bill stood out with his Cheesehead hat while his wife was more subdued in her Steelers black and gold.

So last year’s Super Bowl was not a problem in the Werling household?

“It was fine,” Bill said. “My team won.”

KIm got a measure of revenge on Sunday, being the first of the family to cross the finish line near the Bijou Street Bridge, as she was quick to point out after her husband’s quip.

“It was close, but I was the first to cross,” she said.

The family aspect of the event was very evident with mothers and daughters running or walking together and couples and families reuniting behind the finish line.

Family time is good, but it doesn’t compare to chips and dip for Mitchell Shaw, the young speedster from the 5K. His mother Gina Garcia-Shaw, knew he'd eat for the rest of the day.

“13-year-olds don’t stop eating anyway,” she said. “They don’t need a Super Bowl.”

Olivia Long, 26, was visiting Colorado Springs when her mom handed her a flyer for the new Super Half Marathon. Long entered and won, clocking 1:30:14 on the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail.

Race Results here

VIDEO: Start of the Super 5K
VIDEO: Nancy Hobbs on her win in the 5K
VIDEO:Olivia Long on her win in the Super Half Marathon

PHOTOS: Super Half Marathon and 5K Run, Gallery 1, Gallery 2, Gallery 3, Gallery 4, Gallery 5

By Travis Duncan
"Super Bowl Sunday is kind of like a holiday, and people love running on holidays," said Pikes PeakRoad Runners board member Stephanie Meredith.

Meredith was just catching her breath after 13.1 miles, drinking water and looking around at the crowd gathered at the finish line below Bijou Bridge. More than 800 runners, more than a few with a Patriots or Giants jersey on, turned out Sunday morning for the first annual Super Half Marathon and 5K Family Fun Run downtown.

Meredith, who took second place (1:31:05) in the women's half marathon, said the PPRR board thought runners would love competing on Super Bowl Sunday. "It looks like a lot of other people agree," said Meredith. "For a first year, this was a great turnout."

The new Super Bowl Sunday race was a fundraiser for Pikes Peak Road Runners and PikesPeakSports.us, local organizations that work to promote running and racing in the Pikes Peak region.

Women's 5K winner, Nancy Hobbs (22:38), said she was really happy to come support those organizations.

"I really wanted to support Tim (Bergsten) and Pikes Peak Sports and Pikes Peak Road Runners. They're a mainstay in the community and they do so much for us, it's really time for us to give back. And I'm thrilled to see this many competitors out here to support the event."

Olivia Long won the women's half marathon in 1:30:14. Long said she just happened to be visiting Colorado Springs. Her mother saw a flyer for the race and convinced her to run. She said she enjoyed the course, which followed the Pikes Peak Greenway trail north for 6.8 miles before turning around and returning 6.3 miles south.

"The course was pretty nice," Long said. "It was nice to have the gravel, and a little softer course. The last one I did was in Atlanta. It was all asphalt and it was just brutal."

Long said the victory wasn't easy and that she struggled to stay ahead of Meredith. "I didn't really think I had it until mile 7 or 8," she said. "Then I knew I had a chance. After the turnaround it was more downhill and I tried to push it some more to get distance ahead and it worked."

Many groups and families came out to enjoy the run together as well. The Toneys - Larry and Lori and their two daughters Sydney and Micayla - started running together at the Tuesday night Jack Quinn's Running Club about a year ago, and they heard about the race through that group.

They ran the Super 5K as a family together, encouraging one another along the way. Afterward, Lori said that the running, "gives us a connection. It's something to do as a group that gets us moving instead of being couch potatoes."

The Toneys, along with hundreds of other runners who earned their Super Bowl beer, headed over to Jack Quinn's for the post-race celebration.

"I'm just the security officer who's going along to make sure this gang doesn't drink too much," said Doris Chandler, gesturing to her group of five friends, all runners who meet up to run every Monday at Bierworks Brewery in Woodland Park and every Tuesday at Jack Quinn's. The group has been meeting for runs since last spring, and they were all obviously excited to get their Super Bowl Sunday celebration underway. They said all the running (and beer) had made them a tight-knit group.

"We hike together, too," Rob Matson said. "We do 14ers. And drink beer. And snowshoe. And drink beer."