Tessier, Liles-Weyant spoil everyone else's fun at Bradley's Country 5K

Otto von Bismarck is often misattributed with a quote to the effect that you would never want to watch either laws or sausages being made. Bismarck probably actually said something like you can never watch road races being organized or sausages being made without injuring your affection for either. I'm sure I could confirm this if I just had time to look up Bismarck's marathon time. But instead of that research, I want to write about an event where you could experience the end product of both race directing and sausage making, the Bradley's Country Fun Day 5K.


Bradley's Country Store is an authentic, well, country store, located in the Moccasin Gap district of Leon County, Florida. There doesn't seem to be an actual gap, notch, or mountain pass in Moccasin Gap (or anywhere in Florida), but somehow the name got attached to the community near the intersection of Moccasin Gap Road and Old Centerville Road. Bradley's is famous for its smoked sausage, and once a year puts on a Country Fun Day festival. Old farm practices like sugar cane grinding are demonstrated, itinerant vendors sell funnel cakes, and Bradley's runs out of sausage long before everyone who is interested can buy some. It's a tradition.


In 2009 the Marzuq Temple of the Shrine decided to add a 5K race to that tradition. After all, with several thousand people already driving to a store with a parking area suitable for half a dozen cars, the festival really needed a couple hundred runners added to the crowd. 47 runners finished that first race, with was won by Garth Grumme (19:51) on the men's side, and Sarrah Tronroso (26:04) on the women's. The Shrine regarded this as much of a success that the race was back in 2010 on Saturday morning, November 20.


After the initial charge of optimists had faded from the front, top triathlete Stephanie Liles-Weyant was leading the race as the runners headed north on the rolling Old Centerville Road. After the race reversed course at 2,500m and headed back toward Bradley's, it turned out that Liles had not chosen a pace she could maintain. Just past 4,800m, the course topped a short hill and turned onto Bradley Road for the final stretch to the finish. It was at that turn that Cole Tessier caught Liles-Weyant. Tessier drove for the line to finish first in a personal-best 19:07. It was Tessier's first win on the Tallahassee roads. Liles-Weyant held on for second overall and top woman in 19:15. Duane Evans (5th, 21:42) was the first male master and Judy Alexander (14th, 24:29) was the fastest female master.


Top Ten Men

1. Cole Tessier, 19:07
2. Jeff Armstrong, 19:58
3. Duane Evans, 21:42
4. Marcus Summa, 23:00
5. Brendan Linville, 23:03
6. Cliff Buell, 23:17
7. Paul Peavy, 23:24
8. Robert Champlin, 23:31
9. Rick Burnette, 24:21
10. Luke Liles, 24:22

Top Ten Women

1. Stephanie Liles-Weyant, 19:15
2. Katie Showman, 21:15
3. Brook Pace, 22:07
4. Judy Alexander, 24:29
5. Sandra Canada, 26:12
6. Beth Alexander, 26:53
7. Lesa Evans, 27:38
8. Laura Lawrence, 28:04
9. Lathika Thomas, 28:11
10. Perha Varley, 28:27
11. Sherrie Peavy, 28:46

Links (not of the sausage variety):

• Complete results of the 2010 Bradley's Country Fun Days 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2010/Marzuq%20Shrine%205K%20Nov%202010.htm
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2010 Bradley's Country Fun Days 5K
  http://picasaweb.google.com/Freddecka/Marzuq_5K
  
  
• Bradley's Country Store
  http://www.bradleyscountrystore.com/
  
  
• Marzuq Temple
  http://www.nettally.com/marzuq/
  
  
• Marzuq's Mother's Day 5K
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/05/marzuq-2010.html
  
  
• Find more Tallahassee region races for your running pleasure at Trouble Afoot!
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1