Liberal retains international pancake race title

? Physical education teacher Cheri Bevis pushed Liberal to its fifth-straight victory Tuesday in the 54th annual International Pancake Race rivalry with Olney, England.

Bevis, 26, ran the 415-yard course in 61.52 seconds, beating Juliet Minter’s time of 63.0 seconds in Olney.

Among the dignitaries who came out to watch the race was Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a race veteran herself from her days as insurance commissioner. Sebelius said she would run in next year’s pancake race, and said she has also talked the current insurance commissioner, Sandy Praeger of Lawrence, to run in it also.

“It’s a great community celebration to bring people together and highlight southwest Kansas,” Sebelius said, adding that people should not underestimate the race’s international ties either. “It takes a new significance as we look at the shaky world situation.”

Tony Lamming, Olney’s representative at the Liberal race, said his city does not have an equivalent of the governor of Kansas who could run next year. Race rules in that country require participants to live in Olney.

“It has been noted — we are going to have to think of that,” said Jonathan Darby, the British consulate-general, about the governor’s participation next year.

The race is run on Shrove Tuesday, which is also known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. It is the last day before the Lenten season, when Christians are encouraged to give up luxuries.

Bevis, an assistant basketball coach at West Middle School in Liberal, took the lead after the first turn and held on to win. Tina Ward came in second, followed by Christy Lyddon. Temperatures were in the 20s, with a strong wind and snow flurries, making it a frigid race for the 12 runners.

“I just wanted to jump on it. … The wind was especially hard,” said Bevis, who was running her first race. She did not train for the race, saying it was a last-minute decision to participate. She plans to defend her title next year.

Liberal leads the series 29-24-1, with one race ruled a draw when a BBC truck blocked the finish line in Olney. The 25th anniversary race in 1994 was not counted toward the total.

Sebelius and other race dignitaries also officially broke ground Tuesday on a permanent home for the Pancake Day Hall of Fame. A $60,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing will be used to refurbish an existing house, located at the finish line of the race.

The headquarters will have a two-story, glass-enclosed porch that will serve as a viewing stand for dignitaries. The building also will house a museum for the more than 50-plus years of memorabilia associated with the race.

The pancake foundation bought the property in August, using $45,000 in local grants.

Olney has no such facility, but town leaders have begun talking about building one, Lamming said. People come from all over the country to see the Olney pancake race.

“It is the differences in the town that make the race interesting and exciting,” Lamming said.