You could say Ona, a 12-year-old punk Yorkshire Terrier, has enjoyed quite a bright and breezy lifestyle over the years soaking up the sun in Southern California. Lots of days at the beach, a comfy, warm bed, and a big pile of stuffed toys. What more could she want? Well, turns out she wants to run!
Nearly 50 races and counting
Weighing just 6 pounds and standing just 6 inches off the ground, Ona is a seasoned long-distance runner. Over the past six years, she has completed nearly 50 5k runs with an average pace of just over an 8-minute mile. As the saying goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This dog can run!
“I started hiking with Ona after she was 3 and she loved it,” says Ona’s father, California Highway Patrolman Jeff Jones. “She always had so much energy.”
Being an experienced distance runner himself, Jeff decided to enter them both for their first run together at the Homeward Bound 5k run in 2016.
“We had done several long hikes in the past, but I had no idea how she would do to run long distances.”
When they reached halfway, Jeff tells me he stopped and gave Ona a little break in the water. “She refused and just wanted to keep running,” he added. “People were shouting ‘this dog deserves a medal’ as we raced.”
Soon after, the duo signed up for several more races and that’s how Ona’s racing journey began. “Even during the pandemic, we did 19 virtual races,” Jeff said. “Nothing would stop Ona from running!”
Beat Records
Last December, I joined them early in the morning for their 41st run at the Christmas-themed Santa Claus 5K Run for a Cause. Decked out in a warm Christmas neck warmer adorned with little green dog bones and striped candy canes, Ona looked up at her father among the crowd of runners towering over her. With a few strokes of her tiny tail, she signaled that she was ready to go.
At the sound of the buzzer, Ona sprinted out of the starting grid pulling on his leash with all his might, keeping his head forward and focused on the path ahead. “She loves to run in front of me, so I chase her all the time,” says Jeff.
A determined Ona charged, unfazed by cheering onlookers or other dogs in her path. “She’s so focused when she runs,” Jeff tells me proudly.
They crossed the finish line not only breaking their all-time record at 24 minutes and 45 seconds, but also stepping onto the podium with a first-place finish in Jeff’s age category. “The older she gets, the faster she runs,” Jeff whispered in my ear as they received their honorable medals.
There’s a small wooden rack on the wall in Jeff’s bedroom displaying 45 ribbon medals: a tribute to their running adventures together over the years.
“We’ll need a bigger rack soon,” Jeff tells me with a chuckle.
