MITCHELL – Kyle Stansbury, with a time of 16 minutes and 28 seconds, won first place overall for the male runners in the 2023 Persimmon Festival 5k.
This was 37 year-old Stansbury’s ninth win since he began attending the run in 2000. He told WBIW that he started running because he was “just wanting to find a way to get exercise and stay in shape.”
“You can let your mind wander and you can just explore anywhere,” Kyle said of running.
“Just being out there and having the freedom to run,” was Stanbury’s favorite part of the race. “But having fun and enjoying it is important too.”
The Persimmon Run is something of a tradition for Stansbury ever since he began running. It was the first race he ever ran.
“My dad told me about the Persimmon Run,” Kyle explained. “And that was my first race.”
Save for a few years with conflicting runs, Kyle has attended the Persimmon Run loyally. He enjoys the course, and his familiarity with it, as well as how well the run is organized and the turnout every year.
“It’s a really good race – and you never really know how well you can do until you try.”
