Monday, June 25, 2018

Vince Molosky and Emily Molen open the Summer Trail Series with Munson Hills wins

By Saturday morning, 23 June 2018, the astronomical calendar, the National Weather Service calendar, and the thermometer all agreed that it was summer. So it was time for summer running. Since 2013, summer running in Tallahassee has included Gulf Winds Track Club’s annual Summer Trail Series, a circuit of four races. That Saturday morning, Vince Molosky won the opening event of the 2018 series, the Munson Hills Six-Mile Trail Race, running 38:02. Emily Molen took the women's title, placing thirteenth overall in 45:10.

Vince Molosky
Vince Molosky

Trail racing is a form of cross-country running that’s set on, well, trails--usually single-track paths like the Munson Hills Bike Trail south of Tallahassee. 124 runners is a lot of athletes to try to fit onto a narrow track, but that’s how many managed to finish the Munson Hills Six Mile. Molosky had plenty of room, though. He was well ahead of the rest of the field nearly from the start, earning not only elbow room but also the privilege of knocking down the morning spider webs. Molosky also ran with a five-or-six pound handicap, a water pack. He didn’t need the water for Munson Hills, but it was part of his preparation for future races.


“I’m training for a 100-mile in September, the IMTUF 100 in Idaho,” explained Molosky. “So I wanted to be used to carrying the weight of the water.”

Brad Busboom
Brad Busboom

Molosky regularly does trail runs that can take all day or all weekend, such as the Idaho Mountain Trail Ultra Festival (IMTUF). The single-digit miles of Munson Hills were on the short side for him, but not without challenges.


“The last hill wasn’t fun,” said Molosky. “Where the trails meet there’s a long incline. I thought the footing was good--in terms of trails.”


Behind Molosky, Brad Busboom took second in 38:40. Gray Droze, the Tallahassee Community College cross-country coach, was the first master runner in the race, placing third overall in 39:07. Master runner Geb Kiros was fourth in 40:24.

Geb Kiros
Geb Kiros

The Munson Hills Six-Mile was the 21st Summer Trail Series race and the first of 2018. It was also the first time Molosky had run in the Series.


“I’ve never been able to run any of the races,” said Molosky. “It’s timing. We’ve got other events scheduled.”


Emily Molen, on the other hand, has frequently found time to race in the Summer Trail Series. Her victory in the women's division on Saturday was her fifth Series win going back to 2014. Only Alyson Churchill has won as many Summer Trail races,and Churchill was the 2016 FHSAA state cross-country champion in class 3A.

Emily Molen
Emily Molen

“I just wanted to come out and do these trail races again,” said Molen. “They’re lots of fun and I get to race with a lot of people I don’t usually run with.”


Molen will start her junior year cross-country season at Chiles High in August. She sees trail running and cross-country as complementary.


“Doing these sets the stage for cross-country,” said Molen. “It gets me used to racing on trails.”

Alyssa Terry
Alyssa Terry

Molen led the women’s field from early in the race. Towards the end, though, she was stalked by Alyssa Terry.


“I just started off too slow,” said Terry. “I sped up around two miles. At mile four, Emily was in sight. I moved up on her, but, suddenly, there was the finish line.”


Molen crossed the finish line in a winning 45:10. Terry was there a few seconds later in 45:15, second in the women's standings and fourteenth overall in 45:15. Julie Duggins was the third woman and 22nd overall in 48:56. Monica Judd was the top woman master and sixth female finisher, 29th overall in 50:03.

Julie Duggins
Julie Duggins

The Summer Trail series continues with Saturday morning races at Phipps Park on 7 July 2018, Maclay Gardens on 21 July 2018, and Tom Brown Park on 4 August 2018. Of course that’s not the only summer running going on in Tallahassee.


“I’m running the Fourth of July race with my sister,” said Molen, referring to the Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K in Cascades Park.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2018 Munson Hills 6-Mile Trail Race
  1. 38:02, Vince Molosky (M, 38)
  2. 38:40, Brad Busboom (M, 30)
  3. 39:07, Gary Droze (M, 57)
  4. 40:24, Geb Kiros (M, 51)
  5. 42:53, Jim Schafer (M, 30)
  6. 43:10, John Schwenkler (M, 36)
  7. 43:13, Ryan Baumbach (M, 38)
  8. 43:21, Jordan Cooper (M, 31)
  9. 44:06, Darien Angelier (M, 43)
  10. 44:17, Mark Sobczak (M, 40)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2018 Munson Hills 6-Mile Trail Race
  1. 45:10, Emily Molen (F, 16)
  2. 45:15, Alyssa Terry (F, 24)
  3. 48:56, Julie Duggins (F, 35)
  4. 49:40, Mary Jane Hayden (F, 38)
  5. 49:45, Vaisheli Desai (F, 31)
  6. 50:03, Monica Judd (F, 44)
  7. 50:49, Marien Dimacali (F, 56)
  8. 51:46, Laura Sellati (F, 39)
  9. 51:47, Melissa Hooke (F, 39)
  10. 51:48, Kaley Ford (F, 23)

Gulf Winds Track Club's Summer Trail Series race winners, 2013 - 2018
YearDateRaceTop MaleTop FemaleFinishers
2013June 22Cadillac Trail 5½M37:38, Kevin Sullivan45:07, Stephanie Liles-Weyant121
July 13Swamp Forest Trail 4½M30:19, Kevin Sullivan34:12, Micah Adriani124
July 27Magnolia Trail 3½M21:44, Kevin Sullivan24:45, Stephanie Liles-Weyant114
August 3Red Bug Trail 4½M33:31, Bryce Van Dam43:46, Stephanie Liles-Weyant92
2014June 21Red Bug Trail 4½M38:30, Charn McAllister42:02, Brook Pace114
July 12Swamp Forest Trail 4½M29:06, Charn McAllister33:13, Brook Pace109
July 26Magnolia Trail 3½M26:03, Charn McAllister30:16, Emily Molen108
August 2Cadillac Trail 5½M41:38, Brian Molen48:25, Emily Molen88
2015May 30Cadillac Trail 5½M39:15, Zach Deveau42:51, Alyson Churchill158
June 13Oak Hammock Trail 5M32:59, Zach Deveau35:10, Alyson Churchill129
July 18Coon Bottom Trail 4M28:42, Zach Deveau29:14, Alyson Churchill112
August 1Red Bug Trail 4½M35:14, Greg Bargo35:24, Alyson Churchill112
2016May 21Magnolia Trail 3½M25:18, Dan Baur27:05, Katie Gorman133
June 4Oak Hammock Trail 5½M42:53, Eric Godin45:24, Katie Gorman123
July 9Red Bug Trail 4½M33:14, Dan Baur35:04, Katie Gorman130
July 30Cadillac Trail 5½M43:06, Paul Guyas42:29, Alyson Churchill95
2017June 10Munson Hills 6M36:45, Chris O'Kelley46:34, Emily Molen87
July 1Red Bug Trail 4½M37:34, Chris O'Kelley48:24, Emily Molen90
July 15Oak Hammock/Swamp Forest 5M33:35, Charles Biberg39:36, Kat Sack89
August 5Tom Brown Park 4½M32:40, Chris O'Kelley36:36, Jennifer Bayliss71
2018June 23Munson Hills 6M38:02, Vince Molosky45:10, Emily Molen124
July 7Phipps Park 4M

July 21Maclay Gardens 5M
August 4Tom Brown Park 4½M


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Posted by Herb Wills at 3:36 PM
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