Heikkinen and Coates are Critter Winners

Air Force Academy rising sophomore Tommy Heikkinen edged out his fellow Panama City Rutherford alumnus Brandon Hough, 17:14 to 17:17, to win Dothan, Alabama's 25th annual Critter Run 5K on 24 July 2010. Behind them in third place, Valparaiso's James Frazier ran 17:28 to win the master's title for the third straight year. The 2009 champion and runner-up, Andrew Norton and Charlie Johnson, finished fourth and fifth respectively in 17:35 and 17:57.


Winning the women's division, Tallahassee's Shannon Coates was ninth overall in 19:42. Emily Vall of Atlanta was the runner-up for the women, running 20:26 for 16th. The third woman in was last year's champion, Kara Taylor of Tallahassee (23rd, 21:15). Melissa Unrath of Enterprise, Alabama, captured women's master honors by finishing as the fourth female and 32nd runner overall in 21:54.


287 runners completed the 2010 Critter Run, which was hosted by the Dothan Runners Club. The course (USATF #AL86003JD) started and finished near Dothan's Westgate Park, touring a hilly residential area. Each year the race features a different "critter," and this year's animal was the polar bear. But the arctic origins of the race mascot had no effect on the weather. Despite being run on Saturday evening, race conditions were brutally hot, which everyone has come to expect after twenty-five years. Still, if you're going to race in July, you have to expect heat. And if you're racing in the tri-state area, you won't want to pass up the Critter Run.

25th annual Critter Run 5K Dothan, Alabama 24 July 2010 Top Ten Men PLACE ATHLETE S AGE CITY ST TIME ====== =========================== = === ================ == ======= 1. Thomas Heikkinen M 19 Panama City FL 17:14 2. Brandon Hough M 20 Panama City FL 17:17 3. James Frazier M 49 Valparaiso FL 17:28 4. Andrew Norton M 29 Destin FL 17:35 5. Charlie Johnson M 30 Tallahassee FL 17:57 6. Caleb Carmichael M 25 Pensacola FL 18:50 7. Colin Bowyer M 18 Navarre FL 19:22 8. Tim Unger M 50 Tallahassee FL 19:26 10. Will Thompson M 32 Tallahassee FL 19:54 11. Kerry Underwood M 47 Ty Ty GA 19:55 Top Ten Women PLACE ATHLETE S AGE CITY ST TIME ====== =========================== = === ================ == ======= 9. Shannon Coates F 24 Tallahassee FL 19:42 16. Emily Vall F 36 Atlanta GA 20:26 23. Kara Taylor F 20 Tallahassee FL 21:15 32. Melissa Unrath F 41 Enterprise AL 21:54 34. Courtney Kieffer F 20 Navarre FL 22:09 55. Cornelia Sanders F 31 Glenwood AL 23:59 60. Miranda Gahn F 29 Enterprise AL 24:16 61. Malissa Piersol F 53 Atlanta GA 24:23 63. Amber Hodor F 24 Blakely GA 24:30 65. Lauren Pounds F 27 Dothan AL 24:33

Links:

• Complete results of the 25th annual Critter Run 5K at dothanrunners.com
  http://www.dothanrunners.com/2010critterresults.htm
  
  
• Cole Tessier's photos of the awards ceremony of the 25th annual Critter Run 5K
  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2893646&id=5217230&l=a157550c5c
  
  
• Shannon Coates's race report at shannoncoates.com
  http://www.shannoncoates.com/home/item/180-miles--5k-in-2-days
  
  
• USATF course certification map for the Critter Run 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=AL86003JD
  
  
• The Dothan Runners Club
  http://www.dothanrunners.com/