The 11th Annual Citizens Bank 5K started promptly at 7:45 a.m. Saturday in the Citizens Bank parking lot. Owen Strei would be the first to cross the finish line 19 minutes, 13 seconds later in German Park.

NEW ULM – The 11th Annual Citizens Bank Race 2 Raise 5K was held Saturday morning with 135 runners.

The 5K began in the Citizens Bank Minnesota parking lot and followed a route south on Minnesota Street to 16th S. Street, turned east to the bike track and concluded back at German Park.

Sarah Seifert from Citizen Bank said all proceeds from the run will go to Allina Health Cancer Institute. In previous years proceeds were given to the American Cancer Society, this year it was decided to give the funds to Allina Health Cancer Institute to keep the funds local.

Seifert said the Citizens Bank 5K has always been popular since the beginning with more than 100 runners participating each year.

“It is a nice easy route,” Seifert said. “There no big hills, it mostly flat the whole way. We’ve also had great community support with our sponsors.”

The timing of the 5K is another benefit. Since the race is run in early May, the risk of extreme humidity has been limited.

Seifert said in 11 years there was only one time the race was at risk of being rained out. A few light sprinkles did fall early Saturday morning before the race, but not enough to worry the runners.

This year’s first place finisher was 19-year-old Owen Strei, who finished with a time of 19 minutes 13 seconds.

Strei said he only started running two years ago. This was his second time competing in this 5K. Last year he finished fifth overall. He said the greatest challenged this year was the wind on the last. The last leg of the 5K he was running into the wind but said it was minor issue.

Leah Knowles, 28, came in second place with a time of 19 minutes, 22 seconds. Knowles said normally runs longer distance. She started running marathons in college. This was her first 5K in two years.

She confirmed wind was a factor in this 5K. During the first half of the race, the wind was at her back and was a benefit. On the final leg, she was running against the wind, but there was some protection on the bike trail.

Fourth and third place went to the father and son team of Chris Gordon, 51, and Seth Gordon, 14.

Seth Gordon finished with a time of 19 minutes, 50 seconds. His father Chris Gordon finished half a minute later with a time of 20 minutes, 22 seconds.

Chris Gordon said he was bit worried before the 5K that the wind would play a bigger factor than it did. During some warm-up runs the Gordons said the wind was rough, but it mostly calm down by the start of the race.

For complete 5K results, visit https://my.raceresult.com/396345/results