Sweeny takes one for Florida and Hudelson one for Georgia at Bainbridge Half

Florida runners seem to appreciate the annual half marathon in Bainbridge, Georgia. So much so that a Floridian has won the race in each of the three years it has been run. The Florida athlete that won the 22 March 2014 edition of the race was St. Augustine master runner Kevin Sweeny. Sweeny covered the winding 13.1-mile course through the Port City in 79:25, finishing more than a mile ahead of the next runner. Second place went to Bainbridge master runner Greg Waddell, who has run all three Bainbridge Half Marathons. His time for the 2014 race was 87:25, his fastest Bainbridge Half Marathon yet. Eric Bernard of Dothan, Alabama, finished third in the race, running 90:51.


Florida men may have dominated the three-year history of the Bainbridge Half Marathon, but the women's title has always belonged to Georgia. 2014 was no exception, with Alicia Hudelson of Marietta, Georgia, finishing on top of the women's standings. Hudelson placed fourth overall in 91:42, a new women's course record. The previous record was 93:34, set by Thomasville, Georgia, master runner Mary Anne Grayson in 2013.


The women's runner up in the 2014 Bainbridge Half Marathon was Jill Haglund of Tallahassee, who placed 11th overall in 99:43. Laura McDermott of Tallahassee was third on the women's side. McDermott has run all three Bainbridge Half Marathons; this year she finished the race 12th overall in 1:41:44. Another Tallahassee runner, April Bentley, was the fourth woman finisher and first woman master. Bentley came in 17th overall in 1:44:17.


Top Ten Males, 2014 Bainbridge (Georgia) Half Marathon

1. 1:19:24.6 ~ Kevin Sweeny (M, 44) St. Augustine, FL
2. 1:27:24.9 ~ Greg Waddell (M, 48) Bainbridge, GA
3. 1:30:50.3 ~ Eric Bernard (M, 34) Dothan, AL
4. 1:32:32.5 ~ Ridge Harper (M, 36) Bainbridge, GA
5. 1:33:59.6 ~ Philip Sura (M, 43) Tallahassee, FL
6. 1:37:52.2 ~ Mark Tombrink (M, 26) Tallahassee, FL
7. 1:38:06.8 ~ Adam Sniffen (M, 32) Enterprise, AL
8. 1:39:14.6 ~ Colby Nix (M, 14) Bainbridge, GA
9. 1:39:19.4 ~ Scott Lindeman (M, 38) Tallahassee, FL
10. 1:41:46.7 ~ Jack McDermott (M, 45) Tallahassee, FL

Top Ten Females, 2014 Bainbridge (Georgia) Half Marathon

1. 1:31:41.4 ~ Alicia Hudelson (F, 29) Marietta, GA
2. 1:39:42.2 ~ Jill Haglund (F, 28) Tallahassee, FL
3. 1:41:43.7 ~ Laura McDermott (F, 34) Tallahassee, FL
4. 1:44:16.6 ~ April Bentley (F, 40) Tallahassee, FL
5. 1:45:37.9 ~ Jennifer Shafer (F, 46) Tallahassee, FL
6. 1:50:48.4 ~ Michelle St Onge (F, 33) Monticello, FL
7. 1:51:30.6 ~ Birgit Maier-Katkin (F, 51) Tallahassee, FL
8. 1:53:58.4 ~ Sandra Canada (F, 51) Woodville, FL
9. 1:54:34.5 ~ Carly Bass (F, 22) Valdosta, GA
10. 1:55:17.4 ~ Julia Sura (F, 42) Tallahassee, FL

Bainbridge Half Marathon champions, 2012-2014
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
14 April 2012	72:43, Chris Lake	1:41:01, Melissa Thompson	193
23 March 2013	77:28, Stanley Linton	93:34, Mary Anne Grayson	147
22 March 2014	79:25, Kevin Sweeny	91:42, Alicia Hudelson	95

Ten Fastest Men's Performances in the Bainbridge Half Marathon, 2012-2014

1. 1:12:43 ~ [2012] Chris Lake (M, 24)
2. 1:17:28 ~ [2013] Stanley Linton (M, 19)
3. 1:19:25 ~ [2014] Kevin Sweeny (M, 44)
4. 1:21:51 ~ [2012] Pauncho Hufstetler (M, 37)
5. 1:22:45 ~ [2013] Jack McDermott (M, 44)
6. 1:23:44 ~ [2013] Pauncho Hufstetler (M, 38)
7. 1:25:44 ~ [2012] Kyle Harris (M, 17)
8. 1:26:37 ~ [2013] Erick Juarez (M, 20)
9. 1:27:25 ~ [2014] Greg Waddell (M, 48)
10. 1:27:53 ~ [2013] Greg Waddell (M, 47)

Ten Fastest Women's Performances in the Bainbridge Half Marathon, 2012-2014

1. 1:31:42 ~ [2014] Alicia Hudelson (F, 29)
2. 1:33:34 ~ [2013] Mary Anne Grayson (F, 47)
3. 1:39:43 ~ [2014] Jill Haglund (F, 28)
4. 1:40:20 ~ [2013] Laura McDermott (F, 33)
5. 1:40:38 ~ [2013] Debbie Wittmer (F, 49)
6. 1:40:57 ~ [2013] Teresa Haltom (F, 26)
7. 1:41:01 ~ [2012] Melissa Thompson (F, 27)
8. 1:41:24 ~ [2012] Deborah Wittmer (F, 48)
9. 1:41:44 ~ [2014] Laura McDermott (F, 34)
10. 1:41:45 ~ [2012] Laura McDermott (F, 32)

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Bainbridge Half Marathon at gulfwinds.org
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2014/Bainbridge%20Half%202014.asp
  
  
• Andy Payne's photos of the 2014 Bainbridge Half Marathon
  https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B3YqZeYR7X9RazVWempQNGpObHM
  
  
• 2013 story, "Linton and Grayson take half marathon honors in Bainbridge"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/03/bainbridge-half-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, "Lake and Thompson take firsts at the first Bainbridge Half"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/04/bainbridge-half-2012.html
  
  
• Bainbridge Half Marathon website
  http://www.bainbridgehalfmarathon.com/
  
  
• USATF course certification map, Bainbridge (Georgia) Half-Marathon (GA12032WC) http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA12032WC
  
  
• Find your next half marathon in the area by consulting the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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