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DIXON – Jessica Langford didn’t really have competition for her third straight Reagan Run women’s title on Saturday.
The 40-year-old from Rockford won in 18 minutes, 14 seconds, which was 1 minute, 44 seconds better than the second-place runner, Suzy Stahley of Rock Falls.
Despite the gap, it didn’t mean that Langford was not tested.
With temperatures reaching up into the mid-80s even at 8 a.m., with a punishing sun and high humidity, the course was challenge enough for the veteran runner.
“It was really hot,” Langford said. “Usually by July, you are used to running in this type of heat, but it has been so cool this year. That made it a challenge.”
Langford could not best the women’s record she set last year at 17:38. It was better than her winning time of 18:34 in 2009.
“I kind of shot right in the middle,” Langford said. “This is a race that you can attack tactfully. Once you’ve ran it once or twice, you can start to come up with a plan for the best race.
“I am not one of those runners that push up hills. I tend to lay back and then make up ground at the top and on the way down.”
Langford is the second woman to win the race three years in a row. Dixon native Jessica Schauff won 2003-05. Schauff is the only person to win either the men’s or women’s divisions four times.
Langford also joins Anthony Welty and Bryan Glass as three time winners.
“This has become a must stop every summer,” Langford said. “I really enjoy the course and how excited the community gets about the race.”
Stahley made her debut at the Reagan Run. The 41-year-old teachers aide at Rock Falls had been an avid runner, but injuries had forced her to take a 3-year hiatus.
Originally from Green Bay, Wis., Stahley finished in 19:58.
“I finished under 20 minutes and that was the one goal that I had set,” Stahley said. “I hadn’t ran or trained at all in three years. I finally got back in to it and ran in the Brad Onken run a couple weeks ago.”
She and several family members made a last-minute decision to enter the Reagan Run.
“I loved it,” Stahley said. “We had a whole group of us here and we all had so much fun. We’ve already decided that we’ll do it again next year and make up shirts for it.
“It is just so nice to see so many young people out and running. It has a real family feel to it.”
A pair of Dixon standouts finished third and fourth. Chelsea Sondgeroth, who will start running track and cross country for Eastern Illinois University in the fall, finished in 20:00.
Dixon junior Brittany Schwarz was fourth in 20:15.
Women’s results
1. Jessica Langford 18:14
2. Suzy Stahley 19:58
3. Chelsea Sondgeroth 20:00
4. Brittany Schwarz 20:15
5. Kaitlynn Thorne 20:43