Locals compete in America's largest July 4th 10k

Roy & Billy Leighton

Eugene, OR - Two southeast Missouri teens finished in the top 8 percent of runners at America's largest 4th of July 10k race. The 37th annual Aquafina Butte to Butte 10K (6.2 mile road race) featured nearly 2,600 runners from 31 states and the district of Columbia.

The point-to-point course features a one-mile uphill run on the residential streets of Spencer Butte followed by a downhill to a flat finish at Skinner Butte Park along the McKenzie River near downtown Eugene.

Cape Central High School cross-country and track runners, Roy Leighton (17) and Billy Leighton (15) finished 21st and 19th, respectively. Billy finished 3rd in his division (boys 15-19) while Roy met his goal of breaking 35 minutes on the challenging course.

"I am very pleased with their results, but in the scheme of things, it was just another great training run. Both boys are running very hard right now with very little rest. Their true results will show when they are rested in November," claims their personal coach, Delbert Marriott.