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Hamburg’s Inez Barnes Wins First Place Among Cancer Survivors in Komen Race for the Cure

Inez Barnes

Hamburg's Inez Barnes was one of about 47,000 women who took part in the fifteenth annual Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure in Little Rock on Saturday, October 11, and she has the distinction of placing first among all of the cancer survivors.

This was the fourth time that Inez has entered the race since she was diagnosed with cancer in August, 2003, or August, 2004. "It is a good sign that I can't remember when I was diagnosed," she said, adding she has been cancer free for four years.

The first time she entered the race, she walked the course. Then last year, Inez placed second in the survivors' division of the race, but her time last year was actually faster than this year's 25:33 mark. "My time was terrible," she said. "I would have run faster, but my stupid Ipod quit halfway. You start feeling it when you don't have your Ipod.." She said that she listens to contemporary gospel music on her Ipod to help focus while she is running. Inez said that not only was her time slow, but apparently everyone else's in the survivors' division was also. She said she was asked how many people she had tripped in order to win, but said there were none.

Inez said that she normally runs ten to twelve miles a week, running three miles one day and then running a fast mile the next day and then swaps it up. She has been running for years and now does her running on the walking trail at Norman Park near her home. Inez said that she did not do any special training in preparation for the race this year.

She said that her focus was different this year from past years. "Instead of it being about me, it was about how blessed I am to still be here," she said. "It is more fun that way than just trying to win."

Inez said that walking in the survivors' parade with Sharon Craig of Hamburg and Donna Dyson of Hampton, formerly of Hamburg, was "probably the best in the whole thing." She added, "There were 2,500 survivors, some who had been cancer free for 30 years, and that was pretty cool." She estimated that ten to 15 people from the Hamburg area took part in the race.

In the future, Inez plans to continue running and to continue entering the Race for the Cure. "I will keep on doing it in the future," she said, "I like it."

And in February, she will only have to have a checkup one time per year. "I am definitely looking forward to that," she said.

In addition to a trophy, which Inez did not pick up, she also receives a round trip air ticket to anywhere in the United States and, "I think a piece of jewelry with a pink ribbon."

The Race for the Cure Saturday was Little Rock's fifteenth one. In 1994, the first year, about 2,200 entered, and the event raised about $100,000 to go for research and treatment of breast cancer.

This year had the largest turnout in the history of the race. With 47,000 entered in the race this year and a $25 entry fee, Ann Brown, Arkansas Race for the Cure chairman, said she hoped the event would raise $2.1 million for breast cancer research and treatment.