Clay Burnett & Lisa Burnett take first in 50th annual Old First Night Run/Walk

by Cody Englander on August 4, 2026 43 views

**Racers sprint past the starting line as the 50th annual Old First Night Race/Walk begins Saturday at the Sports Club. SAM HUFFMAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER**

Cody Englander
Staff Writer

At 8 a.m. Saturday morning, runners lined up in front of Chautauqua Sports Club for the fiftieth run of the Old First Night Run/Walk. The 2.75-mile run and walk course spans across the grounds, finishing where it began.

The cloudy sky stood no chance for the competitors, notably Clay Burnett, 44, who finished first with a time of 14:02, a minute ahead of the second-place finisher, Will Chubb, 22, who finished with a time of 15:03.

Lisa Burnett, 43, was the first-place finisher for the women’s division with a dominating time of 17:33. She was followed by Marissa Pavlinich, 37, crossing the line with a time of 18:22, and Ella Reidinger, 18, on her heels with a time of 18:25.

The walk was dominated by Kells Christian, 62, with a time of 30:38. Christian was succeeded by Holly Kasbar, 17 and Aly Viloria, 12, finishing with times of 32:36 and 34:57, respectively.

Following the race, there were four kids’ fun runs, beginning with a 1-mile run, a 100-yard dash, a 25-yard Toddler Trot and an intense 10-yard Diaper Crawl between two worthy competitors.

The kids’ 1-mile run saw Gus Savett, 9; Theo Zellers, 8; and Emma Long, 11, come first, second and third with times of 6:25, 6:28 and 6:30, respectively.

Proceeds from the race go toward the Chautauqua Fund, continuing the future legacy of Chautauqua Institution.

Racers competing in the One Mile Kid’s Race past the starting line down South Lake Drive.
Incoming Chautauqua Institution President Mark Coolidge Johnson, second from left, walks down South Lake Drive with fellow walkers during the first stretch.
From left, Mike McGee, Ernie Speckman and John Propst take a selfie after crossing the finish line. The three racers are close friends from North Carolina who decided to compete in the race together.
Whitney Gleason crosses the finish line ending with a time of 22:01, placing 2nd in the women’s 30-39 age group.
Chautauquans walk down S Lake Drive during the first stretch of the 50th Annual Old First Night Race/Walk.
1st Place Winner Clay Burnett, 2nd place winner Will Chubb and 3rd place winner Jesse Rappole shake hands and congratulate each other after placing top 3 overall in the 50th Annual Old First Night Run/Walk.
Incoming Chautauqua institution President Mark Coolidge Johnson cheers on young Chautauquans competing in the One Mile Kid’s Race.
Racers competing in the One Mile Kid’s Race past the final stretch on South Lake Drive.
Carrie Jacobus crosses the finish line with a time of 52:43.
Interim Chief Executive Kyle Keogh and Daley Keogh cross the finish line.
Scott Holzhauer crosses the finish line while pushing his twin sons Matty and Robby in a wagon. Holzhaur and 34 of his family members entered the race to honor his family member Albert Sidney “Sid” Lyons who competed in the race prior to his passing.
Opera Apprentice Artist Kelsey Watts performs “The Star Spangled Banner” as a guest singer before taking her starting position as a participant in the 50th Annual Old First Night Race/Walk Saturday at the Sports Club.
Coco Johnson and Blaine Feher run hand in hand to the final turn of the 50th Annual Old First Night Race/Walk. Both racers ended with a time of 38:08 with Feher placing 13th followed by Johnson in 14th in the women under 13 age group.
Pacom Tsague crosses the finish line finishing with a time of 20:08, placing 5th in the men’s 30-39 age group.
John Turney crosses the finish line while trying to check his clock time. Turney finished the race with a time of 19:00, placing 5th in the mens 40-49 age group.
Kirk Morrison runs the final stretch of the 50th Annual Old First Night Race/Walk. Morrison finished the race with a time of 17:19 earning him 3rd place in the men’s 20-29 age group.
Derek Berg crosses the finish line with a time of 16:44, earning him 2nd place in the men’s 13-19 age group.
Clay Burnett crosses the finish line with a time of 14:03, becoming overall winner of the 50th Annual Old First Night Run/Walk Saturday.
Luke Sobolevitch places his hand on his heart while Opera Apprentice Artists Kelsey Watts sings “The Star Spangled Banner” before the 50th annual Old First Night Run/Walk.
Lisa Burnett crosses the finish line clocking in with a time of 17:33, becoming the winner in the open women’s group.

PHOTOS BY SAM HUFFMAN

The author Cody Englander

Cody Englander is from Shaker Heights, Ohio, and is spending his second summer at The Chautauquan Daily. He is a recent graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor of Science in journalism and Bachelor of Science in communication. When he isn’t writing about the School of Music, he can be found on a run or indulging in his favorite movies: “Gremlins 2: The New Batch,” “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” and “Ikiru” (1952).

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