Saturday, September 19, 2015

Sherron victorious at the 34th annual Women's Distance Festival 5K

Katie SherronBlasting an 18:53 on the streets of Tallahassee's Indianhead Acres neighborhood, Katie Sherron won Gulf Winds Track Club's 34th annual Women's Distance Festival 5K. Sherron's husband, Zach DeVeau, won the men's race, covering the same 3.1-mile course in 17:08. Geb Kiros was the top male master runner, finishing second overall in 17:44, and Nancy Stedman was the first woman master and eleventh female finisher, running 23:07.


The Women's Distance Festival series of races was started by the Road Runners Club of America to celebrate women's running. To that end, the RRCA recommends that Women's Distance Festival races either be "women's only" events or have a separate starting wave for the women. Tallahassee follows the second plan, and the ladies started on Indianhead Drive at 8:00 AM, with the men starting five minutes later. As the runners headed north past Optimist Park Katie Sherron and Alyson Churchill were in the lead, closely followed by Jillian Heddaeus, Megan Churchill, Emma Spencer, and Lily Unger. Soon, though, it was just Katie Sherron, the FSU economics professor, and Alyson Churchill, the Swift Creek Middle School cross country runner. And by halfway through the race it was all Sherron.

2015 Tallahassee Women's Distance Festival
"It was good. Alyson was pushing me early on," said Sherron. "After that I wanted to run faster, but I didn't have anyone to follow except Vince on the pace bike. I ran pretty even splits, though."


Running steadily, Sherron still ran fast enough to build up a lead of over 300 meters and win the race in 18:53, her fastest time since turning an 18:40 in the Palace Saloon 5K in April. Alyson Churchill placed second in 20:12, and Jillian Heddaeus was third in 20:41. Each of the first three women ran faster than the previous year's winning time of 20:45. Not far off that mark, Swift Creek cross country runner Megan Churchill ran 21:09 for fourth, and Jane Skalski was fifth in 21:42. 89 women finished the five-kilometer race.


Once the women started, the men had a short wait before taking off after them on the course. Leading the pursuit were Zach DeVeau and Geb Kiros.


Zach DeVeau"Geb stayed with me through the first mile," recalled DeVeau. "Then I put some ground on him during the second mile."


"I stayed with Zach till the mile mark," agreed Kiros, a Florida A & M University professor. "I didn't want to get passed by the guys behind us, though, so I backed off."


Kiros was right to worry. Jay Wallace and Peter Kaus weren't that far behind. Pacing himself judiciously, though, Kiros kept them behind, and while DeVeau marched on to win in 17:08, Kiros hung on to second place in 17:44. Wallace ran away from Kaus to take third in 17:54. Kaus was fourth in 18:10.


"I'm getting ready for the Savannah Half Marathon," said DeVeau after the race. "I've about doubled my training mileage."


It hasn't hurt his racing.


76 men finished the 2015 Tallahassee Women's Distance Festival 5K.


Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2015 Women's Distance Festival
  1. 18:52.76 ~ Katie Sherron (F, 33)Alyson Churchill
  2. 20:11.76 ~ Alyson Churchill (F, 13)
  3. 20:40.74 ~ Jillian Heddaeus (F, 32)
  4. 21:08.51 ~ Megan Churchill (F, 13)
  5. 21:41.24 ~ Jane Skalski (F, 30)
  6. 22:03.29 ~ Laura McDermott (F, 35)
  7. 22:17.72 ~ Emma Spencer (F, 34)
  8. 22:27.49 ~ Melissa Zyla (F, 18)
  9. 22:33.56 ~ Nikky Manausa (F, 34)
  10. 22:36.17 ~ Katie Sack (F, 23)

Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2015 Women's Distance Festival
  1. 17:07.97 ~ Zach DeVeau (M, 27)Geb Kiros
  2. 17:43.48 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 49)
  3. 17:53.76 ~ Jay Wallace (M, 51)
  4. 18:09.22 ~ Peter Kaus (M, 31)
  5. 18:19.40 ~ Michael Martinez (M, 49)
  6. 18:30.77 ~ Tony Guillen (M, 46)
  7. 18:37.21 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M, 46)
  8. 18:41.50 ~ Jack McDermott (M, 46)
  9. 18:45.52 ~ Brian Molen (M, 39)
  10. 19:07.75 ~ Paul Guyas (M, 37)

Tallahassee Women's Distance Festival 5K Champions, 1982 - 2015
DateWomenMen
24 July 198220:14, Cheryl JenningsNo Boys Allowed
23 July 198318:33, Barbara BalzerNo Boys Allowed
21 July 198418:11, Barbara BalzerNo Boys Allowed
20 July 198519:11, Barbara Balzer15:24, Herb Wills
19 July 198618:20, Janice Hochstein16:32, Rick Miller
18 July 198718:54, Janice Hochstein15:47, Rick Miller
16 July 198817:58, Michele Farrell15:09, Jessie Close
15 July 198917:20, Sue Addison15:09, Jessie Close
14 July 199018:50, Janice Hochstein15:38, Gary Droze
13 July 199118:51, Angie Crook15:18, Gary Droze
11 July 199217:36, Paula Johnson15:09, Gary Droze
17 July 199318:00, Lynda Nilges15:45, Steve Wilcox
1 October 199418:06, Jane Johnson15:46, Andy Palmer
7 October 199517:47, Jane Johnson15:40, Gary Droze
5 October 199618:41, Tracy Pepoon16:34, Tim Simpkins
4 October 199717:13, Sarah Docter-Williams16:20, Tim Simpkins
3 October 199818:02, Sarah Docter-Williams16:36, Tim Simpkins
2 October 199917:31, Sarah Docter-Williams15:37, Lee Willis
7 October 200019:18, Kingsley Broughton16:26, Art Remillard
6 October 200119:13, Kate Remillard18:06, Reid Vannoy
2 November 200220:27, Mari Leitner16:33, Nate Timm
1 November 200318:52, Kara Newell17:39, Justin Dickieson
6 November 200418:09, Sarah Docter-Williams17:24, Art Remillard
5 November 200521:38, Lydia Veal18:16, Jimmy Graham
7 October 200618:36, Sheryl Rosen17:55, Tim Unger
15 September 200719:02, Sheryl Rosen17:04, Jay Wallace
20 September 200818:52, Lisa Johnson17:29, David Altmaier
19 September 200919:00, Kelsey Scheitlin16:34, John Robida
18 September 201018:39, Lisa Johnson16:34, Vince Molosky
17 September 201117:11, Jackie Drouin15:00, Kevin Sullivan
15 September 201217:06, Georgia Peel16:03, Chris Rego
14 September 201316:51, Kayleigh Tyerman15:58, Stanley Linton
20 September 201420:45, Anna Busby16:45, Roger Schmidt
19 September 201518:53, Katie Sherron17:08, Zach DeVeau


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