Over 600 runners left the Leon County Animal Services Center on the morning of 2 May 2009, determined to finish either the 5K or 10K course of the seventh annual Tails & Trails Run, a benefit for the Tallahassee Animal Shelter Foundation. John Robida was the first to climb out of the Lake Lafayette basin and finish the 5K, winning the short race in 17:24. Top women's honors in the 5K went to Kelsey Scheitlin in 18:59.
The 10k title went to Vince Molosky, who covered the long course in 35:07. The fastest woman over the long course was Sheryl Rosen at 41:34.Both courses took the runners almost a mile through Tom Brown Park to an out-and-back section on unpaved trails through the woods. Leaving the trails, the courses followed the paved Goose Pond Trail to a point below the Animal Services Center, then made a short but brutally steep climb to the finish line. The trail portion of the 10K course was especially scenic, skirting the shoreline of Lake Lafayette. The lake itself was covered with fog the morning of the race, giving the runners the impression of being on a mountain trail looking out over a foggy valley. Unfortunately, the course is too narrow to comfortably accommodate the number of runners the event has attracted, especially the out-and-back sections of the courses--double-track trail which has to handle two-way traffic.
Hopefully, though, course wizard Dana Stetson can make an adjustment to the course that will preserve the beauty of the run while allowing the race to continue to grow and raise funds for the Animal Shelter Foundation. Perhaps a loop could be substituted for the out-and-back portions of the course?
Links:
- Complete results:
http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2009/Tails Trails 2009.htm - More photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2635082&id=5215641&l=c209fff072 - Tallahassee Tails & Trails web site:
http://tallytailsandtrails.org/ - Tallahassee Animal Shelter Foundation:
http://tallyasf.org/
thank-you, it was an excellent event although the hill was cruel
ReplyDeleteI didn't think the 10k was too bad as far as being too narrow. This was my first 10k and only my third race ever so I'm not sure my opinion would qualify. I really did enjoy the course. The hill was quite cruel but I'm glad it was there because I felt like I had left too much in the tank but once I got to it i'm glad I had some left.
ReplyDeleteBrian,
ReplyDeleteI'm actually going to have to defer to your opinion because you were on the 10K course during the race and I wasn't. Also, judging from your place of finish, you would have been trying to run back to the park at the same time as the heaviest traffic (the "mode" of the field) was on its way to the turnaround. I did jog the 10K course before the race, but I did not take into account how much the field would spread out during the first three-to-four miles of the race.