Mar. 9—Saturday morning marked Aiken's 38th Triple Crown Road Race, with its flagship 10 mile race and additional 5K run.

Proceeds from these races will benefit Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs, a local equine-assisted program that promotes the physical, emotional and psychological health of individuals with special needs.

Eva Finnan, the lead instructor at Great Oak, talked about how these races support their organization. According to Finnan, around 60% of the individuals they service take riding lessons on a scholarship, and with the facility to upkeep, there's a big monetary gap to fill.

"We will never turn anyone away if they can't afford it," she said. "Our job is to really raise money to service and do this program, and this is huge ... we couldn't do it without the community."

Franny Weaver, president of the Aiken Running Club and member of the Triple Crown Race Committee, said that she estimated that Saturday's races were going to bring in over $3,000 for the organization.

"As a runner, we just want to keep people running and keep people enjoying what they like to do," Weaver said.

Gregg Flach, a past race director who is currently on the board of directors for the Aiken Running Club, said that there were nearly 400 runners present this year.

Overall winners in the male category for the 5K race were Hunter Jarvis, 26, in first place, Andrew Miller, 14, in second place and Maddox Smith, 14, in third place.

Overall winners in the female category for the 5K race were Aubrey Shoaf, 13, in first place, Jessa Wigington, 34, in second place and Jane Stewart, 13, in third place.

Overall winners in the male category for the 10 mile race were Orinthal Striggles, 48, in first place, Charles King, 29, in second place and Nathan Tidwell, 39, in third place.

Overall winners in the female category for the 10 mile race were Joy Miller, 37, in first place, Sara Ashton, 39, in second place and Jennifer Davis, 36, in third place.

Aubrey Shoaf, the 13-year-old who was the first female to cross the finish line of the 5K race, said "it feels good because I was told before we got here that there were a bunch of really fast people."

Shoaf also said that the race was "super fun because I get to do it with my family and I get to show off in front of them."

Jessica Britt-Thomas, a participant in the morning's 5K race, has been running off and on for years. In December, she began conditioning herself more consistently in order to honor her recently deceased brother, who was also a runner.