Morales wins Disney's Race for the Taste 10K
Posted Monday, 13 October, 2008
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (October 12, 2008) – Cobi Morales (Miami Beach, Fla.) wins the 2008 Race For The Taste 10K on Sunday at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. Morales, 34, finished the 6.2 mile course at 35:53 besting the nearest competitor by 45 seconds. Jeff Mathews, 36 of Davenport, Fla., improved on his fourth place finish in last year’s event by crossing the line in second with a time of 36:38. Steven Gust, 31 of Naples, Fla. finished third at 36:46.
In the women’s open division, a Disney’s Endurance Series veteran, Sonja Friend-Uhl won in a time of 39:47. The 37-year old from West Palm Beach, Fla. most recently won the Go Red for Women 5K at Disney and finished second in the 2008 Walt Disney World Marathon earlier this year. Maite Moscoso, 36 of Longwood, Fla., finished second at 41:29. Moscoso, who also is no stranger to Disney races, finished second to Friend-Uhl in the 5K event. Kandy Ferris (Apopka, Fla.) rounded out the top-3 with a time of 41:55.
In the Master’s division, Ed Bickley, 50 of Calgary, Canada, led the pack crossing the finish line at 37:43 and finished sixth overall. Bethany Heslam, of North Port, Fla., won the women’s race. Heslam, 44, finished with a time of 42:07 defeating the next nearest competitor by nearly a minute.
As the race took place in conjunction with the 13th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, the nearly 4,000 athletes were able to enjoy a ceremonial toast to start the race and during the run, participants were entertained by festive music and entertainment. The race started at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex then moved on to Disney-MGM Studios’ attraction, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, continued along Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts and finished through the center of the Food and Wine Festival at World Showcase at Epcot. At the finish, each participant received a medal shaped like a chef’s hat shaped with miniature silverware dangling from it. Runners – along with ticketed friends and family members – will have an opportunity to sample international cuisine from the Food & Wine Festival at a post-race picnic.
The Race for the Taste is one of the many races a part of the Endurance Series at Walt Disney World Resort, which includes marathons, road races, adventure races and triathlons for all ages and skill levels that give recreational athletes the chance to walk, jog, run, bike, swim, and roll their way “around the world” of the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort often to raise donations for charitable causes.
Popular Endurance Series events include the Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon (January), Disney’s Princess Half Marathon (March) and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K (October). For more information, please visit www.disneyenduranceseries.com.
About Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex
Opened in 1997 at Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex is a leading sports and entertainment venue for amateur and professional sports in the United States. The sprawling 220-acre state-of-the-art complex features The Milk House, a 165,000-square-foot field house which seats 5,500 for basketball; the 9,500-seat Champion Stadium ballpark; Hess Sports Fields, which include multiple baseball, softball and soccer fields; and Jostens Center, an 80,000-square-foot multi-sport field house. In addition, the complex has 11 tennis courts, including a stadium court, and a track & field complex. The complex is home to more than 180 amateur and professional sports and entertainment events each year, including the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp, the Major League Baseball Atlanta Braves spring training, a Tampa Bay Rays regular-season series, the NBA Pre-Draft Camp, the Pop Warner Super Bowl, Chelsea Football Club events, the Special Olympics Florida Summer Games and the AAU National Championship events. Please visit www.disneysports.com for more information.
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