The Ontario Liberty 5K attracts Ontario runners, both current students and alumni. Two Ontario runners in particular are excited about this year’s 5K, which will be held July 4 at 8:30 am.
Brett Cortelletti, a junior at Ontario High School, plans to run in this year’s Ontario Liberty 5K. Although this will be only his third year participating in the 5K, Cortelletti has been running ever since he was in seventh grade when he joined Ontario’s cross country program.
Running can sometimes be a grueling process. When asked why he runs, Cortelletti stated, “I wasn’t good at much else, and my mom ran in high school at Pickerington and she was really good.” Whether it’s in his genes, his determination, or a combination of the two, Cortelletti has advanced his way up in his distance running career.
Last cross country season, Cortelletti earned ninth place with a personal record of 16:33 at the Northwest District Tournament, which qualified him for the Regional Tournament. He also qualified for state in the two-mile in track this past season.
He hopes to break 17 minutes at the 5K.
Seasoned runner Evan Hellinger is also participating in the Ontario 5K. For five consecutive years he has run in this race. He’s been running every other day for training. “Sometimes it’s so easy to say, ‘nah, I’ll just run tomorrow, but I’ve realized that if you give up running for a few days, you have to start all over again,” he commented.
Hellinger is an alumnus of Ontario High School where he ran cross country and track. His senior year he was awarded the MVP. Since then, he’s been running periodically.
He appreciates the health benefits of running and the competition that is involved in this sport. The challenges serve as a motivator. “I get to compete against myself each time I go out for a run. Setting goals keeps me going,” Hellinger said.
Last year, Hellinger ran the course in 23:02. His goal for this year is to break 22 minutes and to get back down in the 21 minute range that he earned two years ago in this race.