While 72 runners set out last Saturday to compete in a race, winning wasn’t what was on everyone’s mind. It was all about raising funds and awareness for cancer research.

The second annual Will Haney Foundation Race of Champions 5K took place Saturday, July 29, at the Athens High School football stadium.

Will Haney was a 1995 Athens High School graduate and standout athlete in football, basketball and baseball who went on to to receive a degree in history from the University of Alabama and then served in the United States Navy aboard the USS George Washington.

He was accepted into the Bachelors of Nursing program at Auburn University at Montgomery when he received a diagnosis of rhabdomyosarcoma, an extremely rare cancer found most often in children. He valiantly fought his cancer, going through 24 aggressive chemotherapy treatments before succumbing to the cancer at the age of 34 on Jan. 8, 2011.

Will’s sister Heather and close family friend Joe Sanford started the Will Haney Foundation with the purpose “to support patients and families of patients who are suffering from cancer by providing for their needs and providing for cancer research.”

The foundation’s primary focus is on childhood cancers, particularly rhabdomyosarcoma. The foundation also provides scholarships for those choosing nursing as their career or participating in the ROTC program.

The Race of Champions was a fundraiser for the foundation to continue in its goals.

The overall winner of the race was Chase Irland of Athens High School with a time of 19:03.88. He was joined in the winner’s circle by two of his high school cross country teammates, Guy Greenhaw and Josh Simmons, and West Limestone runner Austin Abernathy.

Leslie Latterman, of Pulaski, Tennessee, was the overall female winner with a time of 25:20.57. Athens High boys head coach Amy Humphries took gold for overall Female Masters runner and Gary Grant was the overall Male Masters champion.

Other race category winners are as follows:

• Male 14 and under: Brennan Neill 23:32.91

• Female 14 and under: Emily Hill 31:26.91

• Male 15-19: Austin Abernathy 19:06.77

• Female 15-19: Bailey Hartsfield 30:45.68

• Male 20-24: Tyler Moss 43:56.17

• Female 20-24: Alex Haas 28:32.39

• Male 25-29: Joshua King 22:36.41

• Female 25-29: Becca Dorning 30:58.79

• Male 30-34: Jordan Paul 21:48.05

• Female 30-34: Laura Kee 29:16.69

• Male 35-39: Alfonso Lopez 20:00.30

• Female 35-39: Bethany Barnett 29:25.29

• Male 40-44: Elias Martinez 22:57.09

• Female 40-44: Beth Rose 28:02.62

• Male 45-49: Gene Hartsfield 30:01.82

• Female 45-49: Tanjie Nash Schrimsher 28:14.45

• Male 50-54: Bryant Moss 26:56.32

• Female 50-54: Angela McKenzie 38:33.48

• Male 55-59: Frank Eskridge 35:28.86

• Female 55-59: Amy Haas 49:06.80

• Male 60-64: Jim Hesler 25:57.22

Male 65-69: Sidney Allen 40:37.10

Male 70+: Michael Dreimiller 30:49.16