POCATELLO — Runners in Saturday’s 13th Pocatello Marathon were blessed with the first kiss of moisture Southeast Idaho has seen in two months. The clean, crisp air helped returning champions Justin Park and Penny Parrish repeat their victories and set new records for themselves and the course.

    “It was a great day for running,” Park said as he collected his first place overall men’s trophy for the second year in a row. His time was two hours, 26 minutes, which means the 32-year-old Sandy, Utah, man averaged 5 minutes per mile over the 26-mile run.

    Parrish, 30, was equally pumped about the weather as she breezed to a first place women’s finish in 3:02.19, a pace that gave her the 10th place finish overall in a field of runners from 39 states and three foreign countries.

    “It’s a blessing,” she said about the cooler temperatures that greeted runners. “I didn’t feel the heat of the sun until mile 23.”

    Hundreds of runners competed in events ranging from a full marathon to a 1.5 K run for youngsters. But it was the full and half-marathon runners that showed the fatigue of running a part or all of a course that started on Crestview Road at the top of the Buckskin Saddle and dropped 1,500 feet to Lower Ross Park.

    Crowds of people lined the electronic finish line and enjoyed the shade and variety of refreshments as well as the excitement of cheering for runners as they completed the course.

    Nearly seven decades separated the oldest marathon runner who was 10 from the oldest who was 76.

    “It’s a personal best,” Park said about his winning effort. That’s no small feat for a runner who has participated in at least two marathons a year for the past 11 years. It also gives him confidence going into the St. George, Utah, marathon in a few weeks.

    “Doing this well in this one will help me mentally,” Park said.

    The day’s run didn’t start with complete confidence. Park said he was worried the winds might be higher and “wind is never a good thing.” And the winner said he came out of the blocks a little too quickly.

    “I finished the first half pretty fast,” Park said. “At that point I thought I could probably hang on and keep up that pace. I was really happy.”

    Parrish said she suffered from a quick start as well and it was compounded by a case of nerves.

    “I went out way too fast,” Parrish said. “I began to worry about the last 13 miles.”

    It was then that Parrish spotted another female runner up ahead of her.

    “I had someone who was pushing me and she didn’t know she was,” Parrish said.

    Gradually the returning champ began to close the distance on the girl in front of her and by mile 16, she passed her and never looked back. She also didn’t check her own clock.

    “I didn’t check my watch after mile 13 and didn’t know my time until I got to the finish line,” Parrish said.

    With victories and repeats secured, both runners are making plans for the future.

    The Pocatello Marathon was Parrish’s third one this year, something she said she usually doesn’t do. She limits herself to one or two marathons per year, even though she runs about 65 miles every week. Parrish said she is thinking about entering the Boston Marathon next spring so the training will likely continue.

    As for the certified public accountant from Sandy, Utah, Park is preparing for the Lotoja, a road bike race from Logan, Utah, to Jackson, Wyo., in a couple weeks.

    “It will be a big challenge,” he said. “But I think the bike riding really helps me with my running.”

    His winning pace at Saturday’s Pocatello Marathon underscores his hunch.