NEARLY 200 RUNNERS took part in the inaugural Stockton Sleigh 5K/10K Run hosted by Mile Chasers Run Club this past Saturday.
Although the organizers promoted the event as a 5K/10K run, they encouraged the community to come run or walk with holiday treats, hot chocolate, merchandise and goodies, with a chance to be photographed with Santa Claus and The Grinch after the race.
The youngest runner in the race was 7-year-old Aaron Ambriz; the oldest was 78-year-old Julian Galapia.
“It [Stockton Sleigh] allows the community to come together and in a positive way that everyone can be a part of,” said Luis Leon, co-founder of Mile Chasers Run Club. “It doesn’t have to be a professional runner on a high level, it can be anyone that is interested in bettering themselves; and that’s why we are here.”
Bystanders watch runners approach the finish line in the first 20 minutes of the Stockton Sleigh foot race on Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Volunteers cheer for Lucas Garrett, 34, as he nears the finish line during Stockton Sleigh on Fremont Street in Stockton on Saturday. Garrett finished second overall and first in the 5K Male 30-39 category. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Time to celebrate! Julianne Whiteside expresses joy as she crosses the finish line after running the 5K during the Stockton Sleigh on Saturday. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Marco Aceves (right), 29, runs the second lap in the 10K race as other runners approach the finish line for the first lap during Stockton Sleigh on Dec. 17, 2022. The San Jose resident finished first among all males in the 10K race. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Chris Atad Jr., 15, competes during the Stockton Sleigh Run on Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Juanita Lopez (right), of Stockton, crosses the finish line after running 5K on Saturday. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Medals await the winners of the Stockton Sleigh 5K/10K Run at the finish line at Stockton Ball Park on Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Perspiration beads on Brandon Perez’s face after running the 5K during the Stockton Sleigh at Stockton Ball Park on Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local) 
Mile Chasers Run Club co-founders Xavier Jimenez, dressed as Santa Claus, and Luis Leon, dressed as the Grinch, appear during the Stockton Sleigh on Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News/Catchlight Local)
Co-founded by Xavier Jimenez and Luis Leon, Miles Chaser Run Club started off in February 2022 as a group of runners who would meet every Sunday to run as a hobby.
‘We go out to the Bay Area, Sacramento, and we started throwing Sunday runs for the local communities to come out and join us,” said Leon.
The event had runners come in from Bay Area cities such as Livermore and even as far as San Jose. Marco Aceves, a San Jose resident, has been competing professionally for two years. “My friend lives in Stockton, and she invited me to this event. I had never competed in the Central Valley before, so I decided to do it today,” Aceves said. Aceves finished first in the 10K overall males’ category.
Harika Maddala is a photojournalist based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. They are a Report for America corps member and a CatchLight Local Fellow.
