ALTON - Luke Padesky is a runner who has witnessed many first-place road race finishes in recent years. Padesky won the 10-mile Great River Road Run in Alton with an excellent time of 54:36.4. Second-place finisher William O'Keefe was just behind Padesky with a time of 54:45.6.
Padesky, of St. Louis, said he felt good during the 10-mile Alton race except for a head-wind coming back for the final five miles.
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"I was coming back off the Chicago Marathon, so this one hurt a little bit," he said. "This is the fourth year I have run the Great River Road Race, and I have won three of four. I love the race."
O'Keefe, a former Granite City distance phenom who now lives in Bolivar, Mo., also felt good about his race and overall time.
"I felt good through the race, but the head-wind was a little tough coming back," he said. "This is a fantastic race and a really nice, scenic course. It was good competition for me."
O'Keefe said it is always great running in competitions close to his old stomping grounds - Granite City - in front of the local crowd.
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