A RECORD TURNOUT (OF 814 RUNNERS) REGISTERED TO RUN IN THE 1, 5, AND 10 K RACES THAT WERE PART OF YESTERDAY’S 27TH ANNUAL SANTA CRUZ FIRECRACKER RACES. LANCE BAKER, LYDIA FELKER AND SEAN O’CONNELL WERE THE FIRST 3 TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE IN THE KIDS’ 1 K RACE; WHILE MALCOLM RICHARDS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, WON THE 5 K (FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY SANTA CRUZ RESIDENT JAY THOMSON, AND WATSONVILLE RESIDENT MICHAEL YOUNG). IN THE 10 K RACE, PHILIP POMPEI (OF LOS ALTOS) CAME IN FIRST, WHILE MITCH MORIARTY OF APTOS, AND DEREK THOMAS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, WERE THE 2ND AND 3RD PLACE FINISHERS.