Dan Butzin regains the throne at the Smoothie King 5K

Valdosta, Georgia is known as the Azalea City. Native deciduous azalea bushes grown in the woods around the city. In the city itself, people have planted an Asian evergreen variety of azalea. When both kinds of azalea are blooming, you know it's about time for the Smoothie King 5K.


The flowers were certainly out on Saturday morning, 10 March 2018, when Valdosta triathlete Dan Butzin won the eighteenth annual Smoothie King race, covering the 3.1-mile course in 20:22. Krystina Pastrana of Valdosta was the top woman, placing seventh overall in 26:49.


Butzin crossed the finish line more than 300 meters ahead of the next runner, notching his third Smoothie King win in four years--he was second in the 2017 race. Lake Park, Georgia's Dylan Guilmette, who had finished fourth in the 2016 Smoothie King 5K, moved up to second in the 2018 race, running 22:49. Kevin Goldman of Valdosta took third in 22:56. Valdosta's Harrison Whitman was the fastest master runner in the race, placing fourth overall in 23:12.


Just 30 meters behind Pastrana, Meshea Hardeman of Valdosta was the runner-up, coming in eighth overall in 26:59. Thirteen-year-old Valdosta runner Victoria Garcia took third in the women's standings and eleventh overall in 27:54. Delleese Collins of Valdosta was the first woman master and seventh female finisher, seventeenth overall in 28:58.


40 athletes finished the 2018 Smoothie King 5K. The race was hosted by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority, and A Course/Line, LLC of Valdosta timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Smoothie King 5K

1. 20:21.8, Dan Butzin (M, 32) Valdosta, GA
2. 22:48.4, Dylan Guilmette (M, 21) Lake Park, GA
3. 22:55.5, Kevin Goldman (M, 26) Valdosta, GA
4. 23:13.9, Harrison Whitman (M, 49) Valdosta, GA
5. 23:35.7, Karl Brown (M, 42) Valdosta, GA
6. 26:19.3, Chris Hetrick (M, 39) Valdosta, GA
7. 27:00.8, William Garcia (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
8. 27:07.1, Christopher Smith (M, 33) Valdosta, GA
9. 27:58.1, Michael Guilmette (M, 55) Lake Park, GA
10. 28:52.9, Tracy Weeks (M, 45) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2018 Smoothie King 5K

1. 26:48.5, Krystina Pastrana (F, 24) Valdosta, GA
2. 26:59.0, Meshea Hardeman (F, 28) Valdosta, GA
3. 27:53.1, Victoria Garcia (F, 13) Valdosta, GA
4. 28:09.1, Amy Bradshaw (F, 28) Valdosta, GA
5. 28:42.3, Brittany Gibbs (F, 26) Moultrie, GA
6. 28:56.4, Brynda Surkin (F, 21) Ray City, GA
7. 28:57.2, Delleese Collins (F, 40) Valdosta, GA
8. 29:01.9, Courtney Wilcox (F, 31) Valdosta, GA
9. 30:46.5, Barbara Bradshaw (F, 59) Lawrenceville, GA
10. 31:33.6, Karina Amundson (F, 48) Valdosta, GA

Valdosta Azalea Festival 5K champions, 2001 - 2018
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
17 March 2001
16 March 2002
15 March 2003
13 March 2004
12 March 2005
11 March 2006	16:51, Andrew Minnicks	20:34, Susan Fischer	123
10 March 2007	17:17, Todd Smoot	19:33, Melissa Daugherty	152
15 March 2008	16:56, John Seppala	21:46, Brandi Faircloth	143
14 March 2009	18:16, Chris Gaither	20:40, Mary Anne Grayson	155
13 March 2010	16:46, Brandon Skiles	20:54, Brandi Faircloth	126
12 March 2011	17:39, James Marino	20:39, Alice Smoot	131
10 March 2012	20:33, Toby Wilkey	22:10, Christie Kingsbury	109
9 March 2013	16:17, Jesse Prince	20:10, Danielle Jarnagin	125
8 March 2014	18:21, Ryan Kelly	25:02, Lauren Bewley	67
14 March 2015	19:22, Dan Butzin	22:12, Angela Bruhl	52
12 March 2016	19:15, Dan Butzin	22:07, Alice Smoot	52
11 March 2017	19:36, Gene Davila	19:51, Anna Busby	53
10 March 2018	20:22, Dan Butzin	26:49, Krystina Pastrana	40

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 Smoothie King 5K, courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRrvCtRca1qcR9shP95S2fgzSHNfRy-paEqDAK_OUBEpuUWBiwQkdbPM_in9Hxe6xFx1pwfLdQ5z_tb/pubhtml
  
  
• 2017 story, “Davila and Busby are the new royalty at the Smoothie King 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/03/azalea-fest-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Butzin and Smoot rule at the Smoothie King 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/03/azalea-fest-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Butzin and Bruhl take Smoothie King crowns”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/03/azalea-fest-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Kelly and Bewley reign over the Azalea Fest 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/03/azalea-fest-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Prince and Jarnagin rule Valdosta's Azalea Fest 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/03/azalea-fest-2013.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Valdosta celebrates azaleas; Marino and Smoot celebrate wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/03/azalea-fest-2011.html
  
  
• Course map, 2015 Smoothie King 5K
  https://app.box.com/s/vcdsef3jrovfb5mm7gpyejet4p21uax9
  
  
• Find the region's upcoming races involving royalty on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2215