Camilla, Georgia chooses to celebrate its seasonal infestation of gnats with an annual Gnat Days festival, complete with parades, Gnat queens, and (of course) a 5K road race. But I couldn't imagine that Camilla's gnats were worse than anywhere else in the region. I remember being bothered by gnats at road races throughout the long southern summer. How could the gnats of Camilla swarm thicker, crawl up more nostrils, or get in more eyes than the gnats of Valdosta, Tallahassee, or Thomasville?
Rain threatened but never fell on the over 200 runners in the 2012 Gnat Days 5K, quite a few more than the 130+ who finished the race in 2011. This year's race was billed as the 25th annual,and chances look good for it to grow even older--as sure as the gnats are to return, the Gnat Days 5K should be back in 2013. Maybe they'll have that course marking thing figured out by then.
Top Ten Men, 2012 Gnat Days 5K
17:51 ~ Stephen Robbins (M, 15) Cairo, GA.
- 18:19 ~ Chase Harris (M, 15) Bainbridge, GA.
- 18:28 ~ Kyle Harris (M, 17) Bainbridge, GA.
- 18:58 ~ Nathan Norton (M, 20) Americus, GA.
- 19:42 ~ Caleb Harris (M, 11) Bainbridge, GA.
- 20:15 ~ Phillip Wilbourn (M, 32) Blakely, GA.
- 20:16 ~ Samuel Cornwell (M, 15) Camilla, GA.
- 20:25 ~ Cody Carden (M, 17) Meigs, GA.
- 20:35 ~ Michael Gavre (M, 45) Leesburg, GA.
- 20:37 ~ Nicholas King (M, 24) Leesburg, GA.
Top Ten Women, 2012 Gnat Days 5K
- 19:47 ~
Mary Ann Grayson (F, 46) Thomasville, GA.
- 22:46 ~ Judy Alexander (F, 50) Tallahassee, FL.
- 23:45 ~ Wendy Hester (F, 47) Leesburg, GA.
- 25:06 ~ Jill Hope (F, 31) Tallahassee, FL.
- 25:17 ~ Julie Harris (F, 46) Bainbridge, GA.
- 26:17 ~ Ramsay Miller (F, 12) Leesburg, GA.
- 26:51 ~ Nancy Henry (F, 57) Donalsonville, GA.
- 27:23 ~ Joy Knop (F, 40) Cairo, GA.
- 27:38 ~ Melody Gunter (F, 49) Thomasville, GA.
- 27:51 ~ Elizabeth Williams (F, 30) Camilla, GA.
Gnat Days 5K Champions, 2005 - 2012 | ||
---|---|---|
Date | Men | Women |
4 May 2012 | 17:51 Stephen Robbins | 19:47 Mary Anne Grayson |
6 May 2011 | 17:35 Masked Avenger | 23:53 Jenna Willingham |
30 April 2010 | 17:36 Kyle Harris | 19:59 Mary Anne Grayson |
1 May 2009 | 17:39 Nathan Norton | 19:51 Mary Anne Grayson |
2 May 2008 | 18:12 Todd Smoot | 22:35 Diane Johnson |
4 May 2007 | 16:59 Todd Smoot | 22:49 Diane Johnson |
5 May 2006 | 17:27 Clint Watkins | 22:02 Lori Rawlings |
6 May 2005 | 17:06 Dr. Robert Feldman | 21:12 Debbie Wittmer |
1 May 2004 | ||
3 May 2003 | ||
14 May 1994 | ||
12 June 1993 | ||
13 June 1992 | ||
8 June 1991 | 15:33 Louis Floyd | 18:20 Vikki Saga |
9 June 1990 | ||
10 June 1989* | ||
11 June 1988** | John Tuttle (14:14.7) | Carla Borovicka (16:28) |
Links
- Complete results of the 2012 Gnat Days 5K
- More photos of the 2012 Gnat Days 5K
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10101892586193943.3330049.5215641&l=a4eccca751 - 2011 story, "Avenger and Willingham in a cloud of...gnats"
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/05/gnat-2011.html - Find races not requiring insect repellent on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
Oh my goodness, Herb (wiping away tears of laughter) this is hilarious! The mental images you manage to summon take the cake...no, wait, that was the Marzuq race, wasn't it?!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this & for driving all the way to Camilla to take pics!
judy
We had originally planned on going out to eat after the race but realized we were already full once the race was over. It is amazing how filling several thousand gnats can be. Great article Herb.
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