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Inspiration is always just a glance away at the Alaska Run For Women, the pinkest, prettiest, proudest footrace you'll ever see.
Cramping up near the end of the five-mile race? Knowing there are runners near you whose battles are against breast cancer might lessen your pain. Cranky because you're at the end of a very long porta-potty line? Seeing a woman with a sign on her back telling the world she's running in memory of her dead sister might make your predicament more bearable. A record field of 5,484 women and girls showed up Saturday morning for the annual race that raises money for the fight against breast cancer. They turned Anchorage Football Stadium into a colorful, jubilant mob scene bursting with stories of inspiration, grit and love. "Every year it gets bigger, and it's for women, and everyone supports it. That's why it's so great," said Victory LaVelle of Anchorage, whose mother Gloria lives in Washington and plans her annual visit to Alaska around the Run For Women. "It's our special thing, because it's important and it's fun." Celeste Burnette was among about 500 women who, before the 9 a.m. start, stood in a seemingly endless line for late sign-ups and bib pick-ups. She didn't mind the long wait. Life has given her perspective. "I have a very close friend going into surgery Monday for a double mastectomy," she said. Around her were women wearing tiaras and boas, girls with glitter on their faces, and athletes looking sleek in singlets. The sky was gray but the prevailing color was pink, the signature shade of the fight against breast cancer -- pink bras worn over pink T-shirts, pink tutus, pink tights, pink wigs. At the finish line, the scene of many cheers and more than a few tears, pink carnations awaited the 309 women wearing white ball caps that identified them as survivors or sufferers of breast cancer. Kristi Waythomas didn't see many of the women in white hats as she bolted to her fourth Run For Women victory. But she thought about them as she reeled off six-minute miles to finish the five-mile race in 29 minutes, 56.75 seconds. "It hurts like a mother when you're out there," Waythomas said. "I was tired today. But did you hear? There was $120,000 raised and there are more than 5,000 women here. So when I started getting tired, I thought about all the women who have breast cancer. "It's fun to win, but even if I don't win, it's so amazing to see everyone. Everyone's a winner out there." Waythomas, who teaches school and has a 3-year-old and 1-year-old, looked ageless as she ran the final couple hundred meters on the AFS track. It's been more than 20 years since her high school and collegiate glory days, when she was known as Kristi Klinnert and when she showed that a kid from Kodiak could compete with the nation's best runners. Now, at age 40, she is expanding her domain into bike racing and triathlons, proving that neither age, toddlers nor work can slow down a determined woman. Earlier in the week, she cycled up Potter Valley Road in less than 10 minutes, setting a new Arctic Bicycle Club record. "She just keeps getting faster," said Rebecca McKee, 37, who placed 26th in 34:23. "She's an animal." Not far behind Waythomas was Holly Brooks, one of the state's top cross-country skiers who looked strong in a 30:15 finish. Third place went to former Run For Women champion Najeeby Quinn in 30:38. Mary Barrett, 55, placed 45th overall in 35:46 to register the fastest time by a survivor. She was part of a record field of survivors on a day when the Run For Women set benchmarks for participation, survivors and donations. Seventy percent of the $120,000 raised will stay in Alaska. Some of it will buy mammograms for those who can't afford the test that can save lives by detecting the disease early. Michelle Masters, part of a 30-member team made up mostly of Alaska Airlines employees and retirees, said doctors caught her disease early seven years ago and knocked it out with radiation. A cousin wasn't so lucky. She was diagnosed two years after Masters but didn't survive. "So I walk in honor of her," Masters said. Sharon Joy McDonald of Kodiak walked in memory of her sister Joyce -- and in honor of herself. Friday was McDonald's 58th birthday and Saturday was the 12th anniversary of her sister's death -- which means it's also the 12th anniversary of McDonald's diagnosis. "They diagnosed me the day before we buried her," she said. And so Saturday was a day for McDonald and her family to remember those who aren't here and to celebrate those who are. "For years I couldn't talk about it. I couldn't call myself a survivor, because my sister passed away," McDonald said. "Now I proudly wear pink." Find Beth Bragg online at adn.com/contact/bbragg or call 257-4309. 2009 Alaska Run For Women Saturday's Results Top 100 -- 1) Kristi Waythomas 29:56.7; 2) Holly Brooks 30:15.8; 3) Najeeby Quinn 30:38.9; 4) Esther Jurasek 31:01.8; 5) Leslie Varys 31:14.1; 6) Letitia Luch 31:36.9; 7) Shoshana Keegan 31:41.2; 8) Marcelyn Luch 31:47.5; 9) Larrell Lockard 31:59.2; 10) Ariel Roelle 32:04.6; 11) Briana Sullivan 32:16.3; 12) Katie Krehlik 32:18.5; 13) Barbara Piromalli 32:24.5; 14) Jacqueline Lutz 32:36.9; 15) Shannon Donley 33:02.6; 16) Jennifer Henderson 33:04.3; 17) April Nelson 33:20.5; 18) Tali Birch Henry 33:24.8; 19) Amy Reed 33:27.8; 20) Kristi Laughlin-Hal 33:29.7; 21) Delia Luch 33:31.0; 22) Paola Banchero 33:40.3; 23) Laura McDonough 33:48.3; 24) Danielle Dalton 33:58.1; 25) Andrea Neeser 34:11.7; 26) Rebecca McKee 34:23.4; 27) Abby Jahn 34:29.3; 28) Kelly Yanoshek 34:29.9; 29) Nicole Leman 34:31.8; 30) Mariah Applegate 34:39.8; 31) Polly Wirum 34:45.0; 32) Laura Gorsuch 34:49.1; 33) Kathleen Dunbar 34:51.1; 34) Katie Dalton 34:56.7; 35) Anna Dalton 35:06.2; 36) Rosika Nees 35:09.4; 37) Polly Wheeler 35:09.7; 38) Allison Melocik 35:24.2; 39) Claire Coppel 35:25.1; 40) Lisa Dale 35:28.3; 41) Suzanne Wheatall 35:29.8; 42) Amy Owens 35:30.0; 43) Claire Norton-Cruz 35:35.2; 44) Kristy DeYong 35:35:45; 45) Mary Barrett 35:46.4; 46) Sarah Freistone 35:49.0; 47) Carri Lockhart 35:50.0; 48) Cindy Freistone 35:50.5; 49) Tina Moronell 36:08.3; 50) Nichole Rehm 36:35.5; 51) Kristina Woolston 36:39.4; 52) Rachel Witty 36:43.6; 53) Kassi Saiki 36:45.9; 54) Angie Meahan 36:47.9; 55) Kristine Kleedehn 36:49.2; 56) Krystal Muller-Stub 36:49.8; 57) Heidi Hogan 36:50.7; 58) Kate Benedict 36:51.4; 59) Katharine Nash 36:53.2; 60) Janet Tune 36:57.6; 61) Taylor Kaser 36:59.4; 62) Susan Bick 37:00.5; 63) Sharon Purdue 37:03.2; 64) Elizabeth Morgan 37:03.6; 65) Tana Luna 37:03.7; 66) Erin Skvorc 37:03.7; 67) Lesley Yamauchi 37:05.4; 68) Diana Byerly 37:08.8; 69) Nicole Kimball 37:09.9; 70) Darlene Cooper 37:11.0; 71) Stephanie Myers 37:11.7; 72) Sara Sutton 37:12.2; 73) Kate Kaufman 37:13.1; 74) Michelle Bittner 37:14.7; 75) Andra Love 37:15.5; 76) Nikki Wray 37:17.3; 77) Megan Merrihew 37:17.7; 78) Laurel Brady 37:20.6; 79) Marsha Schirack 37:20.8; 80) Sarah Frankl 37:20.8; 81) Victoria Clark 37:23.8; 82) Debbie McKinney 37:30.6; 83) Annie Liotta 37:31.5; 84) Anna Price 37:31.7; 85) Mary Krysinski 37:33.8; 86) Christine Bouffard 37:39.3; 87) Wendy Mitchell 37:43.0; 88) Melanie Redington 37:43.8; 89) Melanie Sugita 37:44.0; 90) Rachel Dow 37:46.8; 91) Heidi Martinson 37:52.4; 92) Lisa Johnston 37:54.8; 93) Susan Badilla 37:58.1; 94) Haley Hughes 38:00.4; 95) Brittany Walker 38:05.1; 96) Kristina Anderson 38:06.1; 97) Heather Birch 38:06.4; 98) Jaime Locke 38:09.3; 99) Bethany Charlsen 38:09.3; 100) Cynthia Martensen 38:14.5