Hyman wins and Coates repeats at 2011 Critter Run

Anticipating his senior year cross-country season this autumn at Panama City Arnold High School, Challen Hyman ran 18:00 to win Dothan's 26th annual Critter Run 5K. A few steps behind Hyman, Chase Harris--a freshman cross-country runner at Grace Christian Academy in Bainbridge, Georgia--raced 18:08 for second. Caleb Carmichael, an alumnus of the University of West Florida track team, was third overall in 18:20. The fastest master runner of the evening was Tallahassee's Mike Peymann, sixth overall in 19:43.


In the women's competition, Team Timex triathlete Shannon Coates defended her 2010 title in the race, placing sixth overall in 19:05. Finishing just over a minute behind Coates, 2009 Critter Run champ Kara Taylor of Tallahassee took the women's runner-up spot in 20:09, edging out Atlanta's Emily Vall (12th, 20:16). Top woman master honors went to the sixth woman in, Missy Sexton (32nd, 22:01) of Dothan. The next woman in after Sexton was the second woman master, Kim Likens (42nd, 22:31) of Tallahassee. Likens, a Critter Run regular, won the Critter Run women's division in 2005 and 2006.


Even with a full schedule of racing during high school track and cross-country seasons, overall winner Challen Hyman still finds time to race on the roads at all distances. The month before the Critter Run, Hyman ran for second place in Chipley's Hot Trot 5K, and in February he clocked a 3:13:57 in the Tallahassee Marathon. Women's winner Shannon Coates is more of a triathlete than a runner. If you don't believe that, consider that the morning of the Critter Run, Coates bicycled nearly 100 miles from Tallahassee to Dothan. The group ride is actually an annual pre- Critter Run tradition known as Malissa's Ride.


284 athletes finished the 2011 edition of the race, which features a different "critter" each year on the awards and race T-shirt. This year's critter was the orangutan.


Top Ten Men, 26th annual Critter Run 5K

1. 18:00 Challen Hyman (M, 17) Panama City Beach, FL
2. 18:08 Chase Harris (M, 14) Bainbridge, GA
3. 18:20 Caleb Carmichael (M, 26) Pensacola, FL
4. 18:52 Andrew Smyth (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
5. 18:56 Lance Jordan (M, 14) Panama City Beach, FL
6. 19:43 Mike Peymann (M, 49) Tallahassee, FL
7. 19:56 David Seymour (M, 23) Daleville, AL
8. 19:59 Tim Unger (M, 51) Tallahassee, FL
9. 20:12 Brian Johnson (M, 37) Atlanta, GA
10. 20:32 Alan Cox (M, 51) Tallahassee, FL
11. 20:38 Juan Ordonez (M, 37) Tallahassee, FL

Top Ten Women, 26th annual Critter Run 5K

1. 19:05 Shannon Coates (F, 25) Tallahassee, FL
2. 20:09 Kara Taylor (F, 21) Tallahassee, FL
3. 20:16 Emily Vall (F, 33) Atlanta, GA
4. 20:30 Dana Cody (F, 31) Dothan, AL
5. 21:18 Emily King (F, 24) Ft. Rucker, AL
6. 22:01 Missy Sexton (F, 40) Dothan, AL
7. 22:31 Kim Likens (F, 43) Tallahassee, FL
8. 22:53 Tammy Hughes (F, 35) Hartford, AL
9. 23:00 Katrina Bokenfohr (F, 16) Enterprise, AL
10. 23:26 Lynn Masimore (F, 33) Dothan, AL

Critter Run Champions and Critters, 1986-2011
Date	Men	Women	Critters
23 July 2011	18:00 Challen Hyman	19:05 Shannon Coates	Orangutan
24 July 2010	17:14 Thomas Heikkinen	19:42 Shannon Coates	Polar Bear
18 July 2009	17:13 Andrew Norton	19:15 Kara Taylor	Elephant
19 July 2008	16:05 James Uthmeier	20:26 Liesel Schmidt	Penguin
21 July 2007	16:48 Andrew Norton	21:30 Liesel Schmidt	Flamingo
22 July 2006	16:24 Matthew Dobson	22:13 Kim Likens	Cheetah
16 July 2005	17:19 Sean O'Donnell	21:13 Kim Likens	Menagerie
24 July 2004	17:08 Ted Leblow	20:01 Kelly Wild	Zebra
19 July 2003	16:31 Mike Lilly	21:20 Taylor Heaton	Barn Owl
20 July 2002	16:15 James Frazier	20:27 Karen Kenney	Tortoise
21 July 2001	15:57 Matthew Dobson	22:22 Jeanne Kenady	Bull Frog
22 July 2000	16:50 James Frazier	21:05 Terri Gray	Killer Whale
24 July 1999	16:28 David Parker	19:02 Anna Pichrtova	Armadillo
18 July 1998	16:45 Brandon Britton	18:43 Connie Robertson	Shark
19 July 1997	15:58 John Detro	18:57 Kelly Wild	Angus Bull
20 July 1996	16:31 Clayton Tillery	17:08 Suzanne Rigg	Pelican
22 July 1995	15:50 Gary Droze	18:19 Sarah Kramer	Iguana
23 July 1994	16:34 Sam Graves	20:06 Cindy Cobb	Fox
24 July 1993	15:50 Matthew Dobson	20:17 Lou Ellen Eaddy	Koala
18 July 1992	16:50 Myles Gibson	19:26 Cindy Cobb	Rabbit
20 July 1991	15:54 Matt Parker	18:40 Connie Robertson	Alligator
21 July 1990	15:08 David Keen	18:56 Janice Hochstein	Gorilla
29 July 1989	16:02 Brad Sable	19:17 Jill Faulkner	Beaver
30 July 1988	15:19 John DeVine	18:27 Judy Weisel	Raccoon
25 July 1987	15:26 Tom Graves	17:57 Carrie Boyd	Panda
26 July 1986	15:49 Tom Graves	18:00 Gail Ogle	Moose

Links:

• Complete results of the 2011 Critter Run 5K at dothanrunners.com
  http://www.dothanrunners.com/2011critterrun.htm
  
  
• USATF course certification map for the Critter Run 5K (AL86003JD)
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=AL86003JD
  
  
• 2010 story, "Heikkinen and Coates are Critter Winners"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/07/critter-2010.html
  
  
• Find other road races within a 100-mile bike ride of Tallahassee
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1