I'd like to think that it's by design that the Goose Pond Trail in Tom Brown Park runs almost exactly 2,500 meters from its one end on Weems Road to its other end at Connor Boulevard. It would be great to believe that when the twelve-foot wide paved, multi-use trail was in the planning stages, someone pointed at the drawings and said, "No, put in another bend right there; we need another 100 meters to bring it up to 2,500." Actually, though, the length of the trail is probably just coincidence, but a happy coincidence, because going from one end of the trail to the other and back again is almost exactly five kilometers, America's most popular road-racing distance. Several events have taken advantage of that two-and-a-half kilometers of Goose Pond Trail to stage a traffic-free 5K race--most recently, the Big Hits Family 5K on Friday evening, July 13.
The race actually started from the middle of the trail, near Pavilion 13 in the park, heading to Connor Boulevard and back and then to Weems and back to log a full 3.1 miles. A starting time of 7:15 PM took the edge off of the afternoon temperatures, as well as giving runners a chance to make it to the race after work. Around 60 of them set out, with Elijah Sarmiento of Wewahitchka High School setting a brisk pace for the field. A little too brisk, as it turned out. Master runner Dan Anderson was a few steps behind Sarmiento when the leaders passed the mile mark.
"We went through the first mile in 5:56," recalled Anderson. "I knew I was in trouble then."Not as much trouble as Sarmiento, though. About halfway through the race, Anderson grabbed the lead as Sarmiento faded. Sarmiento kept it close till the two mile mark, but on the third mile Anderson started to open a gap. After that, Anderson ran unchallenged to the finish line, completing the race in 19:32. Sarmiento hung on to the runner-up spot with a 20:08, while Duane Evans was the third runner and second master in 20:23.
Ashley Daily was the first woman finisher in the race, taking fourth place overall in 20:48. Daily led the women's field the entire race, crossing the line nearly three minutes ahead of the next female finisher, Melissa Hooke.
Sponsored by Ernie Sims' Big Hits Foundation, the event was a benefit for the Lupus Support Network in Tallahassee. 58 athletes completed the 5K.
Top Ten Men, 2012 Big Hits 5K
19:32 ~ Dan Anderson (M, 48) - 20:08 ~ Elijah Sarmiento (M, 13)
- 20:23 ~ Duane Evans (M, 45)
- 20:51 ~ Daren Evans (M, 20)
- 22:57 ~ Kyle Westman (M, 20)
- 23:03 ~ David Few (M, 26)
- 23:06 ~ Itay Basevitch (M, 40)
- 23:37 ~ Logan Robinson (M, 14)
- 24:00 ~ Cody Neeley (M, 29)
- 24:57 ~ Yumit Tokac (M, 29)
Top Ten Women, 2012 Big Hits 5K
20:48 ~ Ashley Daily (F, 25) - 23:14 ~ Melissa Hooke (F, 34)
- 24:23 ~ Charlene Radler (F, 22)
- 27:15 ~ Joy Portero (F, 50)
- 28:10 ~ Karen McGinnis (F, 38)
- 28:25 ~ Layna Kirkham (F, 39)
- 30:52 ~ Marquesas Blimes (F, 29)
- 31:13 ~ Stephanie Figueroa (F, 27)
- 31:14 ~ Sanshell Bussey (F, 39)
- 32:43 ~ Lesa Evans (F, 45)
Links
- Complete results of the 2012 Big Hits Family 5K at gulfwinds.org
http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2012/Big%20Hits.asp - More photos of the 2012 Big Hits Family 5K
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102122273309123.3363607.5215641&l=f9e278a22d - If there's a Super Smackdown 6K or a Prodigious Punch 8K coming up, you'll find it here:
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
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