Gardner and Smoot dash rivals hopes at 'Dosta Dash

Back in a bygone Golden Age of Valdosta distance running, one of the fixtures on the south Georgia road-racing scene was the Road Race Valdosta 10K. Since those days, Valdosta State College ended a run of great teams by dropping cross country in 1979, Gary Slayton moved on to other pastures, and Road Race Valdosta disappeared. But for the last seven years, the Valdosta Junior Service League has kept a 10K on the Valdosta racing schedule with the 'Dosta Dash 10K. For runners who quail at the 6.2-mile distance, the event also includes a 5K race and a one-mile fun run.


After coming up second best to Austin McDonald in the 2010 'Dosta Dash 10K, Scot Gardner of Naylor, Georgia returned to race again on 26 March 2011, improving his time 80 seconds to 36:15 and taking the title. McDonald also turned 40 since the 2010 race, so he was the fastest master as well. One thing didn't change from the previous year--Gardner again finished one place ahead of Valdosta's Masked Avenger, runner-up at 37:08. It was the Avenger's first Valdosta-area loss in 2011, a streak he had started with a win over Gardner at the First Race of the New Year 5K on January 8. Alice Smoot continued to win in Valdosta, though, finishing as the top woman and the top woman master. Smoot placed 12th overall in 44:05, crossing the finish line with a 50 meter lead on the women's runner-up, Dr. Gretchen Bielmyer (15th, 45:20).


Top Ten Men, 2011 'Dosta Dash 10K

1. 36:15, Scot Gardner (M, 40) Naylor, GA
2. 37:09, Masked Avenger (M, 32) Valdosta, GA
3. 38:22, James Marino (M, 32) Valdosta, GA
4. 41:45, Tom Phillips (M, 47) Valdosta, GA
5. 41:50, Roger Horton (M, 51) Lake Park, GA
6. 42:13, Mark Ruse (M, 46) Valdosta, GA
7. 42:41, Rusty Jones (M, 58) Valdosta, GA
8. 42:56, Rick Mazurkiewicz (M, 44) Valdosta, GA
9. 43:55, Tyler Thurman (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
10. 44:02, Scott Munger (M, 36) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 'Dosta Dash 10K

1. 44:05, Alice Smoot (F, 53) Valdosta, GA
2. 45:20, Dr. Gretchen Bielmyer (F, 34) Valdosta, GA
3. 46:44, Tammy Jo Allen (F, 39) Valdosta, GA
4. 47:49, Angela Bruhl (F, 27) Quitman, GA
5. 47:49, Jody Penney (F, 37) Valdosta, GA
6. 48:21, Erin Foote (F, 24) Valdosta, GA
7. 48:37, Kim Munger (F, 40) Valdosta, GA
8. 53:12, Shelby Joyner (F, 14) Valdosta, GA
9. 53:14, Alison Thornhill (F, 31) Valdosta, GA
10. 53:15, Gina Arnold (F, 38) Valdosta, GA

Parker Childree, part of the current tradition of VSU Blazer cross-country running, won the 5K race by almost an entire kilometer, running 17:03 to runner-up Colin Prinsloo's 21:10. Rick Register was the third runner in and the first master in the 5K, posting a 23:05. The next runner across the line was the first female finisher, Mary Smoot of Valwood School, the 2010 GISA Region 3-2A cross-country champion. Smoot covered the course in 23:19, finishing over 80 meters ahead of the next woman in, Angel Godwin (5th, 23:44) of Valdosta. The first woman master in the 5K was Stephanie Ayers (27th, 28:04) of Valdosta.


Top Ten Men, 'Dosta Dash 5K

1. 17:03, Parker Childree (M, 21) Valdosta, GA
2. 21:10, Colin Prinsloo (M, 25) Valdosta, GA
3. 23:05, Rick Register (M, 47) Lake Park, GA
4. 24:24, Rob Wise (M, 56) Valdosta, GA
5. 24:42, Charles LaHood (M, 57) Valdosta, GA
6. 24:58, Bob Moon (M, 56) Valdosta, GA
7. 25:23, Gene Murphy (M, 29) Valdosta, GA
8. 25:27, Caleb Munger (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
9. 26:20, Brett Whiddon (M, 39) Hahira, GA
10. 26:23, Jim Davis (M, 48) Pavo, GA

Top Ten Women, 2011 'Dosta Dash 5K

1. 23:19, Mary Alice Smoot (F, 14) Valdosta, GA
2. 23:44, Angel Godwin (F, 37) Valdosta, GA
3. 25:14, Jennifer Hummel (F, 39) Valdosta, GA
4. 25:56, Alden Walker (F, 14) Valdosta, GA
5. 26:19, Christian Davis (F, 20) Pavo, GA
6. 26:26, Joi Jones (F, 15) Valdosta, GA
7. 26:33, Leslie Whiddon (F, 38) Hahira, GA
8. 27:05, Katie Bearden (F, 33) Valdosta, GA
9. 27:05, Ashley Fielding (F, 32) Valdosta, GA
10. 27:05, Charlotte Davis (F, 34) Valdosta, GA

The 10K and 5K races were run on a five-kilometer loop in downtown Valdosta, with the 10K runners completing two loops and the 5K runners finishing after a single loop. 97 runners finished the 10K, with over a hundred more in the 5K, and almost 40 in the one-mile fun run. The Valdosta Junior Service League will use the proceeds from the races to benefit over 30 charities that the League works with throughout the year.


Links:

• Complete results of the 'Dosta Dash at runningintheusa.com
  http://www.runningintheusa.com/Results/View.aspx?ResultsID=85254
  
  
• Tom Durham's photos of the 2011 'Dosta Dash
  http://tdurham.zenfolio.com/p322754224
  
  
• Learn about upcoming races in Valdosta or any other city within 100 miles of Tallahassee
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1