Christopher Gamble had won his age group, but never claimed first place overall in a road race. That changed on June 20, when the Newtown 18-year-old led a field of nearly 300 participants across the finish line at the 41 Annual Rooster Run. Gamble finished the 5K race in a time of 16:48.

“It feels good to represent Newtown,” Gamble said of winning the Newtown Parks & Recreation-sponsored run, from which proceeds benefit the Newtown Scholarship Association.

Sarah Mawdsley, 16 – and like Gamble, a strong cross country runner from town – was the top female finisher. Mawdsley came across the finish line in 12th place with a time of 20:01.

Mawdsley was the second overall female last summer. “All I wanted to do this year was be the first,” said Mawdsley, who shaved about a minute and a half off her course time from a year ago.

Familiarity with the course, which began and finished on the campus of Fairfield Hills, was helpful to the hometown runners. Gamble took the lead on Easton’s Jack McGowen, 17 – a runner he was side-by-side with for much of the race – on the long hill that challenges even the most experienced competitors a couple of miles into the race as they embark on a loop through the woods before making their way back to the finish line.

“It’s unexpected if you’re not from town,” Gamble said of that hill.

Just ask McGowen who, although he was actually anticipating the incline, did not expect its length.

“I knew they were going to throw in a hill. I didn’t think it was going to be that long,” said McGowen, a cross country runner at Fairfield Prep. “I’m pleased – It’s my first race this summer; I’m starting to get back into it.”

The saving grace for runners, once they get to the top of the hill, is the payoff which is that what goes up must come down.

“I really like when you get up the hill there’s all that downhill,” Mawdsley said.

Newtown’s Scudder Baggett, 26, who runs the Fairfield Hills course regularly, finished in 25:29. “I knew when to lengthen my stride and speed up, and when to slow down,” Baggett said of a key to managing the ups and downs of the route.

Newtown/Sandy Hook residents claimed seven of the top eight spots. David Csordas, 18, was third in 17:58; Kyle Mangold, 17, was fourth in 18:23; and Joel Duval, 15, was fifth in a time of 18:25. Christian Lestik, 15, was sixth in 18:38; Ryan Escoda, 15, was seventh in 19:11.

There was quite a battle for the next spot. David Conrad was the first non-teenager (by 30 years) to finish. Conrad, 50, impressively placed eighth in a time of 19:17, edging out Danbury 58-year-old Manuel Batista-Leal, by a mere second.

Sandy Hook’s Stephen Ross, 21, was tenth in 19:33; and Sandy Hook’s Joey Conrod, 16, placed 11th in 19:38.

For more coverage of the race, check out the June 26 print edition of The Bee. Results of the race, including age category winners are available through the webpage for Platt Systems, Advance Timing Solutions.