SPICER - So what if it was 13-below and a wind chill around 30-below, the race must go on.
Organizers of the Winterfest Frozen 5k did acknowledge the Arctic conditions and shortened the race to 2.2 miles Saturday morning. That made it almost a sprint for the 104 runners and at least one walker who set off from in front of Melvin's on the Lake at 9 a.m.
By chance, the temperature was the same as a year ago but there was no wind in 2008 when 98 finished. In the two years when the race was held with the mercury in the plus range, over 200 participated each time.
There were no reports of frostbite among the masked posse but one runner did need attention from EMTs when he collapsed in the gathering area at race headquarters. He was given oxygen and soon sat up on his own.
