HOLYOKE — Sophia Jacobs-Townsley didn’t waste any time getting back into running mode.
After spending the winter high school season swimming for Amherst Regional, Jacobs-Townsley finished sixth among females Saturday in the 41st Annual St. Patrick’s Road Race.
Her time of 38 minutes, 42 seconds in the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) race was good for 74th overall. The 15 year old stood out for the Hurricanes in cross country and will be a key member of their track team this spring.
“My goal was to break 38 minutes and I was close,” Jacobs-Townsley said. “I trained throughout swim season and I’ve been counting down the days until we start track.”
She first ran the race when she was 11 years old.
“I wanted to do it last year, but I was a little injured,” she said. “I was excited to run this year.”
Her father, Ron Jacobs, finished sixth in the 50-59 age group at 38:45.
“My dad made this course out to be easier than it was,” Jacobs-Townsley said. “By the end, when he said there was only a quarter mile left, I started sprinting.”
Jacobs did not have a hard time getting his daughter to run the race.
“She’s easy to convince,’’ Jacobs said. “I had to make sure I could keep up with her.’’
Which he did, until the final sprint.
“She’s ready to focus on running,’’ Jacobs said.
At the start, it was announced that a record 6,842 runners entered the race. Of those, there were 5,824 finishers. Many were clad in green, others wore costumes, some were singing songs and carrying signs, and one of the biggest rounds of applause came from the group representing the Massachusetts State Police.
The men’s winner was Mourad Marofit from Morocco and Astroria, New York. He finished in a near-record time of 28:37.
“Today, I ran fast,’’ Marofit said. “The course was good, and today, I am happy.’’
Marofit was followed by Haile Tegegn (29:16), Desta Alemu Mokona (30:01), Suleman Abrar Shifa (30:13) and Philemon Terer (30:38) in the top five.
UMass men’s cross country teammates Blake Croteau (31:28), Daniel Sheldon (32:09) and Sam Conway (32:21) were sixth, seventh and eighth. Ben Lasky (32:29) was ninth.
“I did better than I did in the past and I’m happy with that,” Croteau said. “The crowd here is the best – there’s no race that can compete with this crowd.”
Conway found the course challenging, but loves running it.
“The atmosphere is great,” he said. “It’s fun.”
Sheldon ran the race for the first time.
“It was a lot of fun having a lot of people cheering me on,” he said. “I’m happy.”
Finishing 10th overall was Etalemahu Habtewold, the women’s winner in 32:50. She was followed by Heidi Westover (36:16), Apryl Sabadosa (36:38), Jessica Marlier (36:50), Tammy Richards (38:07), Jacobs-Townsley, Kara Ryczek (38:57), Abby Mahoney (39:27), Meahgan Mathews-Hegarty (39:29), Annie Scully (39:44), South Hadley’s Caroline Sullivan (40:12) and South Hadley’s Grace Bailly (40:51).
South Hadley’s Melissa Hine was 12th in the female under-39 field. Her time of 40:58 was matched by Hampshire Regional’s Taylor Blow, who was 13th, two spots ahead of teammate Ally Roessling (41:05).
Northampton resident Ivan Cordero, who finished 23rd in 35:20, used the race to tune up for the upcoming Boston Marathon.
“The weather has been great for training and training has been going well,” he said. “This will be my fourth Boston Marathon and I hope to do well.”
His best time at Boston was 2:58.
“I hope to do under three hours again,” Cordero said. “I’ll keep working hard.”
Amherst native Paul Norton was 11th in 33:11.