Photo by Eric Ayres Daniel Stewart of Wheeling won the Ogden Newspapers 5K Walk on Saturday, reclaiming his previously earned title after placing third last year in a different race – the Ogden Half Marathon Walk.

WHEELING – Daniel Stewart returned to the 5K Walk presented by Bordas & Bordas on Saturday during the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine and claimed victory in the men’s category.

Stewart has participated in walking events of the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine for the past five years, tackling both the Half Marathon Walk and the 5K Walk in the past, with great success.

“Last year I did the Half walk,” he said. “In previous years, I did the 5K, and then this year, I went back to the 5K.”

An experienced runner in his youth, Stewart noted that race walks have become his preferred events in recent years.

“I’m strictly a race walker nowadays,” he said. “I was a runner all through college and in my 20s. I took it easy on the knees in my 40s.”

Stewart said he participates in a number of local and regional races to stay in training. He said longtime race walk veteran Carl Kondrach – last year’s winner of the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic Walk – hosts several events in Kondrach’s hometown of Barnesville during the year.

“Carl puts on a race series in the area – for the past four or five years, I’ve done all of his four races in his race series out in Barnesville,” said Stewart, who noted that he also participated in a full marathon race walk in Columbus last year and has done similar races in Parkersburg and other benefit 5K race walks in the area to stay on top of his game.

“Actually I’ve won this race – not last year, but the two years previous, I won this one,” he said. “I was third in the half last year.”

Upon returning to the 5K walk this year after doing the half marathon last year, Stewart said his goal was firmly in focus coming into the race.

“I set out to win this one,” he said.

Originally from Youngstown, Stewart has been living in the Ohio Valley for the past 15 years. His job in healthcare has him on his feet and walking about six miles every day, which alone helps keep him in step with training.

On Saturday, he clocked a time of 33:15:10 – earning first place in the men’s category but crossing the finish line second overall in the 5K Walk behind women’s category champion Kathy Ervin.

“I’ve been competing against her for years,” Stewart said of Ervin, congratulating her on her stellar time. “I didn’t know very many people about five years ago, but over the years, a lot of the same people show up at a lot of the same races. It’s really a good racing community in this area. I know people that are just getting started, and I’ve been around to see people retire from it.”

Stewart said it is a supportive community of race walk regulars who cheer each other on during these events.

“I was hoping for a little bit faster time. I’ve gone faster, but I’m a little bit under-practiced this year,” Stewart said. “I’m glad the weather was the way it was – the rain held off, which was a blessing. I want to thank Jesus Christ for that, for sure.”