The fourth annual Chipola Challenge 5K was the largest yet, with 143 athletes completing the 3.1-mile tour of the Marianna, Florida campus of Chipola College. Up front, it was also the fastest Chipola Challenge yet--Leonardo Canete won the race with a course record time of 17:19. There was a new course record on the women's side as well, where Georgina Hernandez went 21:32 for the win, placing fifth overall.The record that Leonardo Canete broke was his own; the Tallahassee, Florida master runner had won the Chipola Challenge in 2024, setting a standard of 17:26. Behind Canete, second place came down to a showdown between two high school cross-country runners, Marianna High junior Travis Ephriam and Poplar Springs High junior David Baber. Both Ephriam and Baber were clocked in 18:25, but Ephriam got to the finish line just before his Poplar Springs rival and took second.
Like Canete, Georgina Hernandez had raced the Chipola Challenge in 2024. That year the Quincy, Florida athlete won the women's division with a 23:57. Her winning mark in 2026, 21:32, would have put her 300 meters ahead of an athlete running 23:57.
Alena Brobst, a Chipola College frosh and an athlete on the school's cross-country team, went 24:23 to grab second in the women's standings, coing in twelfth overall., Macy Benton of Dothan, Alabama was the third woman and fifteenth overall in 25:17. Cottondale, Florida's Jody Bontrager was the first woman master and fifteenth female finisher, 48th overall in 32:23.
Watch the February 2027 racing calendar for the fifth annual Chipola Challenge 5K!
Top Ten Men, 2026 Chipola Challenge 5K
- 17:19, Leonardo Canete (M, 45-49) Tallahassee, FL
- 18:25, Travis Ephriam (M, 15-19) Marianna, FL
- 18:25, David Baber (M, 15-19) Graceville, FL
- 20:12, Justin Varner (M, 10-14) Headland, AL
- 22:21, D J Baggett (M, 15-19) Bonifay, FL
- 22:35, Richard Hetmann (M, 25-29) Marianna, FL
- 23:23, Ethan Burt (M, 15-19) Marianna, FL
- 23:53, Logan Nguyen (M, 15-19) Marianna, FL
- 23:58, Gabriel Halderson (M, 15-19) Bonifay, FL
- 24:12, Keshawn Daniels (M, 20-24) Campbellton, FL
Top Ten Women, 2026 Chipola Challenge 5K
- 21:32, Georgina Hernandez (F, 35-39) Quincy, FL
- 24:23, Alena Brobst (F, 15-19) Clarksville, FL
- 25:17, Macy Benton (F, 20-24) Dothan, AL
- 25:30, Dixie Gilmore (F, 15-19) Clarksville, FL
- 26:27, Madison McCloskey (F, 15-19) Graceville, FL
- 27:04, Hailey Morrison (F, 10-14) Wewahitchka, FL
- 27:17, Cassidy Langland (F, 15-19) Marianna, FL
- 27:57, Amy Yates (F, 35-39) Panama City, FL
- 28:42, Laura Knowles (F, 35-39) Marianna, FL
- 29:50, Eloisa Hernandez (F, 30-34) Quincy, FL
| Chipola Challenge 5K winners, 2023 - 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Men | Women | Finishers |
| 11 February 2023 | 19:48, Diego Nandho | 25:59, Kirsten Jones | 77 |
| 3 February 2024 | 17:26, Leonardo Canete | 23:57, Georgina Hernandez | 144 |
| 1 February 2025 | 17:48, Orinthal Striggles | 24:00, Hannah Howell | 98 |
| 7 February 2026 | 17:19, Leonardo Canete | 21:32, Georgina Hernandez | 143 |
Links
- Complete results of Chipola College's 2026 Chipola Challenge 5K
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQ_Iw6yBKuZ9giCxP31wcUrIaPo4Zz9bb7uZbysxMoVcx2SdO9z1Kvw1Z79MSDrdq_DLp2Rom-gR_Y8/pubhtml
- 2025 story, “Orinthal Striggles and Hannah Howell conquer the Chipola Challenge”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2025/02/chipola-challenge-2025.html
- 2024 story, “Leonardo Canete and Georgina Hernandez took the Chipola Challenge”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2024/01/chipola-challenge-2024.html
- Course map for Chipola College's 2024 Chipola Challenge 5K
https://app.box.com/s/xyb0g7wkrdjcsy5xilm9zxiwig291rgh
- Find your next race in the region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
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