Sports : Tour deLights runners brave cold, wind for 6th annual VS XC fund-raiser

Ricky Jeray holds his trophy after Tour deLights race Sunday evening in Vinton.

John Frazier points out the temperatures of the Tour deLights in previous years.

Dean Wieditz is often the oldes runner in the Tour deLights at age 68.

Shaela Bresnan shouts encouragement to other runners after finishing first among women.

Tour deLights overall female winner Shaela Bresnan poses for a photo after finishing the race.

All who received medals during 6th Annual Tour deLights pose for a photo after award ceremony.

Shaela Bresnan of Vinton with her trophy and the door prize she won at this year's Tour deLights.

John Frazier draws names for door prizes for Tour deLights runners. Many donors support the race.

Ricky Jeray finishes the Tour deLights, winning the overall male trophy.

Rick Jeray waited in the cold for Ricky to finish the race, and congratulated him after his win.

Tour deLights begins: John Frazier fires the starting pistol.

Kyle Jorgensen finished the 1 mile fun run; he was the only competitor in that event.

The bundled-up racers prepare for the Tour deLights to start.

Layers of clothing protected the runners from the wind and cold.

Trophies, medals and door prizes were made possible by many generous donors.

Running shoes? Check.

Annual event T-shirt? Check.

Bottles of water or sports drinks? Check.

Insulated clothing? Ski mask? Gloves? Check. Check. Check.

The Sixth Annual Tour deLights took place Sunday night in Vinton, with 45 runners from throughout Iowa braving the single digit temperature and the nasty north wind to complete the 5K course beginning and ending outside the U.S. Bank Community Room.

A total of 72 people had signed up for the 6th annual fund-raiser for the Vinton-Shellsburg cross country team, but 27 of them chose to sit it out because of the cold and the wind.

But 44 of them ran the five kilometer course, and another one, Kyle Jorgensen participated in the one-mile fun run.

V-S cross country coach John Frazier fired the starting pistol to start the race. One of his runners, Ricky Jeray, was the first to cross the finish line. Jeray’s father, Rick, stood outside during the entire run, and congratulated his son when he completed his run.

The first female to cross the line was Shaela Bresnan of Vinton.

Frazier and event organizer Susan Meyer handed out medals to the top three finishers in each category, and trophies to Bresnan and Jeray.

Jonah Blix was the youngest runner this year, one of a handful who competed in the 13 and under race. Kyle Schemmel, age 13, also ran in that category. His father, J.R., is one of a handful of men who have run in the Tour deLights each of its six years.

The oldest runner this year was Dean Wieditz of Vinton, age 68. Wieditz has run in several of the races. He said it was a challenge – mostly because of the cold – when the course turned north into the strong wind.

Wieditz began running when he was in his mid-40s.

“I will keep doing this as long as my knees hold out,” he said.

Race history

Meyer, a former cross country mom, said she was between in 2005 and looking for something to do. She came up with the idea of a winter race. Frazier loved the idea and the Tour deLights was born. The entry fees pay for T-shirts and other expenses; the profits go to the VS cross country program. The event raises between $500 and $1,000 for the program each year, said Meyer.