Molosky and Eagen take Ten-Mile Challenge

Most runners will agree that a fifteen-minute wait on the starting line isn't going to optimize your race performance, but that's what the 270 athletes in the Gulf Winds Track Club were forced to do on a chilly 4 December 2010 morning by a delayed start. The race eventually did leave the parking lot of Hawk's Rise Elementary school, and after ten-miles of running around Tallahassee's Ox Bottom Manor, Vince Molosky had successfully defended his 2009 title with a 57:19 run. Allison Eagen took the women's title, placing ninth overall in 64:25.


Once the shivering runners hit the streets, Vince Molosky took the lead and gradually pulled out of sight of his pursuers. By the mile mark a "chase group" of half a dozen runners had formed--Jay Wallace, Nate Kaiser, Justin Dickieson, Brian Manry, Tony Guillen, and Douglas Bell--each hoping that he could hold on for second, or that he could catch Molosky, or that Molosky would be struck by lightning. One by one, runners fell out of the chase group, and at the end of the first time around the five-mile loop only Jay Wallace and Nate Kaiser were left. The weather was clear, so no bolt from the heavens prevented Molosky from holding his pace the second time around the loop and finishing with the win. Wallace and Kaiser had dropped their rivals on the first loop, but neither could knock out the other on the second loop. Finally, Kaiser grabbed a small lead and held it to the end, beating Wallace for the runner-up spot 58:36 to 58:39.


Kacey Gibson led the women for over a mile before being overtaken by Tallahassee's Allison Eagen. Eagen went on to finish as first woman, placing ninth overall in 64:25. Gibson held on to grab the second woman's spot, crossing the line 15th overall in 66:27. Jane Johnson was the third woman and first woman master to complete the Ten-Mile Challenge, 27th overall in 70:50. The second woman master was Thomasville's Mary Anne Grayson (38th, 74:25), making her first appearance after being absent for many months from competition on the local roads.


Top Ten Men, 2010 GWTC Ten-Mile Challenge

1. Vince Molosky, 57:19
2. Nate Kaiser, 58:36
3. Jay Wallace, 58:39
4. Justin Dickieson, 59:52
5. Brian Manry, 663
6. Jack McDermott, 663
7. Tony Guillen, 675
8. Douglas Bell, 61:40
9. Roger Schmidt, 64:32
10. Bing Xu, 64:38

Top Ten Women, 2010 GWTC Ten-Mile Challenge

1. Allison Eagen, 64:25
2. Kacey Gibson, 66:27
3. Jane Johnson, 70:50
4. Micah Adriani, 73:03
5. Katie Showman, 73:45
6. Brandi Campbell, 73:51
7. Mary Anne Grayson, 74:25
8. Christienne Coutts, 76:12
9. Jennifer Kilinski, 76:22
10. Kelly Stevens, 76:49

For the runners who were not up to the Challenge of the complete ten miles, there was a single-loop option, a five-mile race. Tallahassee schoolteacher Lisa Johnson, coming off a win in the 5K at the Tallahassee Turkey Trot, won the five-miler in 31:37, finishing over 100 meters ahead of the runner-up, Bainbridge's Chase Harris (31:54).


The Ten Mile Challenge had a new race director, Reid Vannoy, this year, and a new course, the fourth different course in six years. Aside from the chilling wait on the starting line, the event seemed to go smoothly. The race route through Ox Bottom Manor was well-marked with signs, chalk, and traffic pylons, the latter also serving to protect the runners from the light residential traffic. There was a course marshal at every turn for the direction and protection of the field. Some might find fault with the length of the race or the hill of Ox Bottom Manor, but without those it wouldn't be either ten miles or a challenge.


Links:

• Complete results of the 2010 GWTC Ten-Mile Challenge at gulfwinds.org
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2010/tenfive_mile_challenge_2010.htm
  
  
• Photos of the 2010 GWTC Ten-Mile Challenge
  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=3042414&id=5215641&l=28c7061d7c
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2010 GWTC Ten-Mile Challenge
  http://picasaweb.google.com/Freddecka/GWTC10M_10
  
  
• "December is time to take the Ten-Mile Challenge"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/11/tmc-advance-2010.html
  
  
• Find more great races to run in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1