Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

Bright and early Saturday morning, Dec. 14, 20 runners and walkers gathered in the Breckenridge City Park, along with Humane Society volunteers and others, for the 10th annual Wags and Whiskers 5K and Furry Fun Run.

Riki Russek and Debbie Wallace of Breckenridge came dressed in Christmas-themed outfits for the Wags and Whiskers 5K. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Leading the pack in the 5K was 19-year-old Chase Lehr, who came in first overall with a time of 17:19.5, more than seven minutes faster than the next runner. Lehr is a former Buckaroo and won first place at the State Track Meet two years in a row — 2022 and 2023 — in the 800-meter race, representing Breckenridge High School. He currently attends the University of North Texas, where he is on the track and field team.

The Top Female Finisher – Overall with a time of 30:37.6 was 69-year-old Martha Martinez of Colorado City.

The annual fundraiser for the local Humane Society includes both the 5K and a shorter Fun Run. Participants are allowed to bring their pets along for the run, but this year there were mostly human runners. Rachel Burchett was the only Fun Run participant and the only entrant to run with a pet.

Also participating in the Wags and Whiskers event — for the fifth time — was 85-year-old Mary Kaplan from Llano. In 2016, she was featured in a Dallas Morning News article when she became the first person to run a 5K race in every one of Texas’ 254 counties. According to the story, she formed the Texas 254 Running Club “to ensure there would be verifiable races and witnesses and to encourage others to pursue the goal.” On Saturday, she came in 15th with a chip time of 40:51.7.

In the past, Kaplan was accompanied by her husband, Hal Kaplan, who often took pictures of her races. This past May, Hal died, and at Saturday’s race was a folding camp stool embroidered with his name and an image of a camera.

All proceeds from the race benefit the Stephens County Humane Society, which works with local residents and out-of-state groups to find temporary and permanent homes for local pets needing a home.

For more information, visit the Stephens County Humane Society’s Facebook page or website. To see the Breckenridge Texan’s Photo Gallery from the event, click here.

Wags and Whiskers 2024 Results

1. Chase Lehr of Breckenridge, 17:19.5
2. Tanner Wade of Breckenridge, 24:58.7
3. Benjamin Grissom of Breckenridge, 25:22.4
4. Dean Klix of Weatherford, 28:04.1
5. Kason Burchett of Breckenridge, 20:45.5
6. Daniel Brown of Abilene, 29:47.2
7. Martha Martinez of Colorado City, 30:37.6
8. Laura Bowers of Haskell, 31:21.1
9. Kendra O’Dell of Breckenridge, 34:17.2
10. Delette Gazaway of Blanket, 35:14.5
11. Jamie Hicks of Eastland, 36:25.1
12. Chloe Peacock of Graham, 36:46.3
13. Joyce Mehan of Eastland, 36:51.5
14. Karen Williamson of Eastland, 40:46.5
15. Mary Kaplan of Llano, 40:51.7
16. Riki Russek of Breckenridge, 46:09.8
17. Debbie Wallace of Breckenridge, 46:09.9
18. Robert Burchett of Breckenridge, 46:31.7
19. Diane Moore Davis of Breckenridge, 46:38.2

(Times listed are “Chip Time” as listed on the Race Day Event Services website.

Chase Lehr led the pack out of the starting gate and came in first place overall in Saturday’s Wags and Whiskers 5K, benefitting the Stephens County Humane Society. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Rachel Burchett and her dog participated in the Fun Run portion of the race. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Martha Martinez of Colorado City, number 2184, and Mary Kaplan of Llano, number 2181, take off from the starting gate with other runners in the Wags and Whiskers 5K and Furry Fun Run on Saturday, Dec. 14. Martinez was the top female overall, and Kaplan was the top (and only) female in the Over 80 age bracket. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)