Sixty-two seconds after Liberal�s 2017 International Pancake Race began, Maggie Lapinski sprinted across the finish line, apron tied tight, frying pan in hand, placing first in the 415-yard dash.



Liberal residents Allyson Nondorf and Dallas Culwell followed close behind in second and third place, respectively.



Earlier in the day, Kaia Larkas won in Olney, England, but the timer failed, so no official time was available.



Lapinski, 25, a Liberal teacher, not only ran in the International Race, but also ran in the Pancake Chase Fun Run 5K on Saturday.



She signed up to run this year because she said it sounded like fun to compete and her friends encouraged her. She trained for the race by running.



When Lapinski, a longtime runner, moved from New York to Liberal, a friend kept insisting she participate in the annual International Pancake Race. It had been quite a while since she had run 400 meters, so she was nervous, but decided to give it a shot.



The tradition has its roots in Olney, England, where, according to legend, a housewife took off through the streets late for the shriving service, forgetting that she was still holding her frying pan with a pancake.



Liberal has celebrated International Pancake Day for the past 68 years, beginning in 1950 when the town challenged Olney, keeping up the friendly competition ever since.



International Pancake Day kicked off with a pancake breakfast at the Seward County Activity Center. Brightly colored bandanas and aprons could be spotted throughout the crowd, as many runners filled up on pancakes before their races.



The races began at 10:30 a.m. with youth races, beginning with 3-year-old girls, followed by 3-year-old boys, and then followed by older children. Next was the men�s pacer race, won by Tyson McGuire.



Immediately after the International Pancake Race, many runners and community members gathered at First United Methodist Church for the traditional Shriving Service, followed by a conversation via Skype with Kaia Larkas, Olney�s champion, and other residents of Olney, England.



The day was capped off with a parade through downtown Liberal.