CEDAR CITY, Utah (May 30, 2026) - 115 racers turned out bright and early on Saturday morning at the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games 5K/10K. Once athletes crossed the finish line in front of the Southern Utah University J.L. Sorenson P.E. Building, they joined in the annual State Bank of Southern Utah Community Pancake Breakfast, part of the 40th Anniversary Celebration Series, presented by Leavitt Group and Auto-Owners Insurance.

Among the competition were several runners returning from injuries, a slew of racers who earned new personal bests, and seven separate families of four or more.

One of these speedy families, the Lees, performed well across four different age divisions. When father and first overall finisher Jon Lee wrapped up his 16:34.5 5K, he immediately headed back down the sidewalk to cheer his wife and three sons through their final stretch.

"We've been doing this since probably 2011. We've been here a while and we love running, so we got the whole family out here," Lee shared. "I sprained my ankle a few months ago and couldn't run for a long time. I just got back into it, and today felt good. We had great weather, and there was some good competition to push me."

Like Lee, first overall female finisher Margaret Crosby brought a hard-earned gold medal home with her. However, Crosby also landed what every great athlete strives for: a huge personal best. Her 17:30.2 5K shattered her previous record by nearly two minutes.

"I just graduated from Snow Canyon High," Crosby said. "I've never really run an official road race, and I've always run well in Cedar, so I decided to sign up and here we are."

In the 10K, Yiqiao Zhao's impressive 35:08.3 time marked another personal best. The new record was enough to earn Zhao a gold medal as the first overall 10K finisher.

"This is my third year competing in the Summer Games 10K," Zhao shared. "My PB is now 20 seconds faster. Between watching my kids and work, I'm glad I was still able to train for this and get a PB."

The dedicated runners each joined members of the community at the finish line for the State Bank of Southern Utah Community Pancake Breakfast, which included raffles, games, and toddler races, in addition to freshly grilled pancakes.

Director of Community Relations at State Bank of Southern Utah Tyler Brown stated, "[The Pancake Breakfast] is a great way to involve the community with the Games and come together to celebrate our athletes."

Up Next

USG racers will have another chance to show off their speed at the track and field competition from June 11-13. Teams and individuals interested in registering for this or any other sport in the 2026 program year can sign up at utahsummergames.org.

Photos by Shania Hopkins: