It was a cold start Saturday morning at the picturesque canal for the 14th annual Towpath Trot hosted by the Walnutport Canal Association. Over 60 runners registered for the 6K fundraising event. A Fun Run for children under 12 years preceded the adult challenge at 9 a.m. Ten children raced along a 1-mile stretch of the towpath where 8-year-old Troy Decker crossed the finish line in nine minutes, followed closely by 8-year-old Lorena Halkias at 9:32 minutes. PA Slatecraft donated trophies for the top three winners.

The 3.75-mile runners took their mark at 9:30 a.m., ranging in ages 19 to over 60 and divided into male and female categories. Prizes were awarded to the top overall finishers of both female and male racers. Third-year winner Michael Mengle finished the trail in under 25 minutes while Tracey Eisenreich took top female with a time of 28:26 minutes. Both winners received $25 and a certificate.First-time Towpath Trot participant Gina Liciaga was finishing out her marathon race season with the event. Her daughter attends Slatington Elementary."That's how I found out about this race; there was a flier at the school," Liciaga said.This was the third year St. Luke's University Health Network and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor partnered with the Walnutport Canal Association for the race. The Towpath Trot miles were applied to the new fitness intuitive created in 2013 by St Luke's and D&L called "Get Your Tail on the Trail," designed to get residents out and active on the D&L Trails.The 165-mile trail follows the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, tracing the historic path of anthracite coal from Wilkes-Barre to Philadelphia."It's about being able to say 'I did it.' It's a very grass-roots program," St. Luke's intuitive representative Kira Bub said.The trot was the season's last event included in the initiative, which ends Nov. 1. St. Luke's awarded prizes to mile loggers at the race while Fitness Central bike and fitness shop raffled off a mountain bike Saturday morning.Aardvark running store donated gift certificates for race winners, while many local businesses also sponsored the race and donated items for the afternoon raffle. One of the annual racers was sponsored by the Lions Club for the 6K, donating $100 to the canal association. The Old Post Inn simmered four different soups for the post-race wrap-up.The event was a part of the annual Walnutport Canal Association Festival held every year in October. All funds raised went to the association to be used for maintenance of the canal.