Harbor Heritage Run draws big crowd

Deirdre Newman

Harlow Naasz didn’t run a lick of the Harbor Heritage Run on

Saturday, but he sported a runner’s glow nonetheless.

That’s because daughter Caitie, 7, and son Connor, 10, each

crossed the finish line first in their respective divisions of the

“Kids’ Klassic Race.”

“Now I can show up on campus on Monday,” beamed Naasz, who teaches

psychology and sociology at Newport Harbor High School, the staging

ground for the annual run.

The 17th annual Harbor Heritage Run attracted about 1,000

participants in the five-kilometer feature race and the two-kilometer

fun run and walk, said the race’s organizer, Alesia Erickson. She

said she anticipated the run would raise between $25,000 and $28,000.

The funds are used for programs the PTA funds like counseling and

college scholarships for seniors.

The 5K race kicked off at 8:30 a.m. under fog-shrouded skies as a

fall chill enveloped the runners. The course wound it way through

Newport Heights with a few hills along the way to test the runners’

shins and stamina.

“It’s a really nice neighborhood,” said runner Sarah Shogren, 35.

“And what’s really nice is you get to see the whole community

supporting us. People are out on their lawn waving.”

Some ran because they are affiliated with the high school.

Eight-year-old Brenda Luna did the shorter race with her mom,

Maribel. Brenda’s brother is a junior at Newport Harbor. Afterward,

mom and daughter got massages from the chiropractic booth at the

Health and Fitness Fair.

“It’s the first time I did [the race],” Maribel said. “It was fun.

I want to come out every year.”

Others do it as part of their running regimen.

Richard Scott, a running coach with A Snail’s Pace Running Shop in

Fountain Valley brought 15 runners he has been coaching for the three

months. For most, it was their first big race.

Scott stood at the finish area like a proud parent at graduation,

snapping photos of his runners.

One of them, Newport Beach resident Andrew Fuller, 36, said he

enjoyed running with his group.

“The main goal was to have fun and prevent injury while running,”

Fuller said. “The camaraderie of the group is wonderful.”

Kids got their own categories with the Kids’ Klassic: 5- to 7-year

olds did one lap around the track and 8- to 10-year-olds ran two

laps.

Erickson commended the school’s PTA for having a well-oiled

machine on race day.

“We have a lot of great people that worked on different committees

-- setting up the course, setting up the field and handing out

prizes,” Erickson said. “We start preparing in February. It’s a long

time [of preparation], but it’s a fun time.”