As the nation's top nordic skier, three-time Olympian Kikkan Randall of Anchorage knows the value of finishing a race strong, and her first finish Saturday morning at the annual Salmon Run proved exceptional.
Her second finish was pretty good too.
Ditto for her third trip down the finishing stretch.
And her fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and -- look, she clocked at least double-digit finishes.
But Randall wasn't flashing her fitness with those additional finishes. She was helping forge the future.
After Randall won the women's five-kilometer (3.1-mile) race and finished third overall at that distance, she continually ran back down N Street to accompany kids hustling to the finish line. As Randall ran along with each kid she shadowed, she hunched over to get down to their level and give them a boost.
"Go! Go! Go!'' she encouraged one young girl.
"All the way to the line! All the way!'' she told a young boy as she clapped her hands and grinned.
For a world-class athlete accustomed to cool-down exercises and competitions, Randall spent the morning doing her version of a community-minded cool-down.
The 18th annual Salmon Run, which drew hundreds of elementary school kids among its field of about 1,000 and featured events at 10-K, 5-K and 2-K, is part of the Healthy Futures program designed to promote fitness for youths.
And Randall, 27, not only won her race on a lovely, blue-skies morning, but served as a pre-race motivator and post-race inspiration.
Just before the race started at 10 a.m. in front of Inlet View Elementary School near Westchester Lagoon, Randall got on the public address system to fire up the masses.
"Remember, the most important thing today is you go out there and give it your best, and smile,'' she said. "Woo-hoo. Have fun.''
For scores of kids, and some adults too, the fun extended to Randall's post-race, poster-signing session. The poster featured Randall skiing -- and smiling, of course. She spent about an hour after the race signing posters and posing for pictures.
"It's a great opportunity to inspire the next generation and be around like-minded people, and celebrate a beautiful day,'' Randall said.
On each poster, Randall wrote a motivational motto -- "Go For It!'' "Dream Big'' and "Live Fit'' -- and drew her customary stick-figure skier next to her autograph.
That worked out pretty cool for Raimey Drew, 11, a fifth-grader at Aquarian Charter School who scored a signed poster, then took a break from her post-race popcorn and cotton candy to talk about it.
"I watched the Olympics on TV and I thought it was fun,'' Raimey said.
And she knew just what she planned to do with her poster: "I'm gonna put it up in my room.''
Just like Randall did when she was a kid.
Randall said when she was a kid, she copped signed posters from the likes of Alaskan Olympic skiers Nina Kemppel and Tommy Moe. She still gets things signed by athletes she admires -- fellow Olympians at the recent Vancouver Games, for instance -- and has some of those hanging on the walls in her South Anchorage home.
Time and again Saturday, Randall coaxed shy kids into conversations as she signed posters and posed for photos.
"I remember what it was like to be a kid and being so nervous to go up and talk to someone I admired,'' she said.
Men's 5-K winner Aaron Fletcher, the former South High standout who now runs at Brigham Young University, said Randall is a perfect example for kids and the Salmon Run is a perfect event for kids -- low-key and fun.
"It's great for the kids, and having Kikkan here is great too,'' Fletcher said. "It's fun to have local heroes. It's perfect. It's good to have role models, and Kikkan is so good with kids.''
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
By DOYLE WOODY
dwoody@adn.com