The pain of running up and down the hills behind the University of Colorado Colorado Springs was etched across Seth Kolosso's face as he hit the finish line in the Bash the Bluff's 5K.
"That was tough," Kolosso said. "I was hoping to go a little faster, though."
Kolosso finished in 18:29, but had hoped for a 17:30, which would have allowed him to try out for the UCCS cross country team as a walk-on.
A UCCS freshman and Pueblo West High School graduate, he already has beaten the 1,600-meter time, having clocked a 4:32 earlier this spring.
He'll have more opportunities to chop his 5K down to size.
"This was a tough course for running fast," he said.
About 100 runners participated on Saturday, blasting off the from the UCCS Recreational Center. The course started off flat and easy, but quickly tilted uphill.
The event is run in honor of Dr. Ed Burke, a former professor of Exercise Science at UCCS. Proceeds from the race go to the Ed Burke scholarship fund.
In the women's race, Amber Tong, a longtime local runner and co-owner of the Roman Villa restaurant, took the win in 23:19.