It's always hot at the Farm Fair. Perhaps that's why there was no footrace at the fair in its first 23 years.

The Harford County Farm Fair 5K went off for the first time Sunday in Bel Air, four days before the 24th annual fair officially opened. Predictably, it was very hot, but 120 runners felt it wasn't too hot to race 3.1 miles.

Jerry Henderson, 45, of Bel Air, proved himself the most heat-resistant among them, winning the men's race in 18:27. Sara Stifler, a recent graduate of John Carroll School, won the women's.

Henderson finished about 300 meters ahead of runner-up James Vadas, 17, of Stewartstown, Pa., who clocked 19:42. Mark Unger placed third in 20:08, Joe Dragunas, fourth in 20:22; and Jonathan Stewart, fifth in 20:57.

Others in the men's top 10 were Chester Wrobel, 21:16; Benjamin Boniface, 21:48; James Reeves, 21:50; Austin Braerman, 22:02; and Mark Driver, 22:25.

Stifler ran 22:17, leading Michelle Santiago-Jett, the second-place woman, by 38 seconds. Anna Wasielewski was third in 23:22; Connie Hewitt, fourth, 23;52; and Sarah Bethke, fifth, 24:13.

Also in the women's top 10 were Hannah Schneider, 24:26; Cassandra Jakubowski, 24:29; Nancy Hill, 24:29; Lydia Johnson, 24:43; and Paige Rickey, 24:53.

Masters winners (age 40-49) were Connie Hewitt, 23:52, and Mark Unger, 20:08. Ken Szymanski led the 50-59 men in 24:37, and Nancy Hill, 50-59 women in 24:29.

RASAC summer track meet

Brandon Chase, 17, turned in the top performance in near-100-degree heat in the RASAC development track meet in Bel Air July 20. He ran 54.96 seconds in the 400-meter dash to win by 25 meters over Windsor Jones (59.85). Joe Dragunas was third in 1:01.59.

Taylor Lynch and Erin Cahill each won two races in the women's competition. Lynch, 17, won the 400 in 1:11.81 and 200 in 29.07. Cahill, 28, won the 100 in 16.10 and 800 in 2:57.

Taras Vizzi, 52, won the men's 800 in 2:34, and Dragunas, 47, the men's 200 in 28.29. Matt Drove, 24, took the men's 1600 in 5:51.7.

In other races...

Rob Stevenson and Skye Fitzkee were winners in the RASAC Winding Trail 5K at the Big Gunpowder July 17. Stevenson ran 25:51 over a course the race director described as a "knee-grinding, ankle-biting, elbow-gouging rocks, roots and hills". He won by 2:42 over John Heller. David Stevenson was third in 29:16 and Scott Starkey, fourth in 29:16. Fitzkee led the women in 39:56, with Karen Henry second in 43:57 and Megan Stevenson third in 49:29.

Duane Christy of Havre de Grace finished seventh in the Kind-to-Kids 5K in Wilmington July 23. He clocked 21:39 to take third in the 40-49 age group.

Sabra Kurth of Havre de Grace placed third in the 40-49 age group in the Westminster Road Runners Club Women's Distance Festival 5K July 17. She was 15th among 54 women in 29:36.

Ryan Pavlitsa, 11, of Bel Air, won the 10-13 age group in the Kelly Fritchman Memorial 5K in Lewes, Del., July 16. He ran 24:54 to win by 11 seconds.

Coming races

July 31 - RASAC Robin Hood 10K, 2327 Sherwood Lane, Havre de Grace, 8 a.m., 410-273-9487.

July 31 - Hadassah Check It Out Challenge 8K, Goucher College, Towson, 8 a.m., 410-484-9590.

Aug. 7 - RASAC Cherry Hill 5 Miler, Burkins Road in Street, 8 a.m., 443-504-3275.