Blazing trails for David and Squires at Trailblazers 5K

Racing over wet streets in northeast Tallahassee, master runner Tad David ran 18:53 to win DeSoto Trail Elementary School's Trailblazer 5K. Elizabeth Squires was the first female finisher, placing 15th overall in 23:53. 123 athletes completed the 3.1-mile event.


The race started from DeSoto Trail Elementary at 8:30 on Saturday morning, 23 February 2013, after a night of rain. Tad David was out front early. 800 meters into the race, just after the runners turned off of Velda Dairy Farms Road to head for Shannon Lakes Drive on the Kerry Forest Parkway, David already had a comfortable lead on Crawfordville master runner Duane Evans. Behind Evans another master runner, Carter Hay, was holding down third. David expanded his lead as the runners traversed Shannon Lakes Drive and Bantry Bay Drive before turning around to return to the school. By the time David crossed the finish line back at DeSoto Trail with an 18:53 and a win, he had built up a lead of more than 250 meters. Duane Evans, meanwhile, had been less successful in getting away from Carter Hay. Hay began to close on Evans as the runners approached the school, but Evans evaded him to take second, 20:09 to 20:11. Mike Jaynes made it a master runner sweep of the first four places, taking fourth in 21:22.



800 meters into the women's competition, Elizabeth Squires had a couple of steps on Debbie Peters, with Alyssa Rudd and Sharon Rudd a little farther back. Squires continued to hold the lead, while Peters fell back and Sharon Rudd moved up into second. Approaching the school and the finish line, Sharon Rudd wasn't far behind Elizabeth Squires, but Squires was nevertheless in the lead and stayed there to take the women's title in 23:53. Sharon Rudd finished runner-up, 16th overall in 24:01. The third female finisher was Alyssa Rudd, 18th overall in 24:26. Debbie Peters was the fourth woman and first woman master, placing 20th overall in 25:38.



Top Ten Males, 2013 Trailblazer 5K

1. 18:53 ~ Tad David (M, 44) Tallahassee, FL
2. 20:09 ~ Duane Evans (M, 45) Crawfordville, FL
3. 20:11 ~ Carter Hay (M, 41) Tallahassee, FL
4. 21:22 ~ Mike Jaynes (M, 45) Tallahassee, FL
5. 21:50 ~ Nathan Rhodes (M, 34)
6. 21:57 ~ Jackson McKnight (M, 15)
7. 22:33 ~ David Anderson (M, 62)
8. 23:11 ~ Matt McKibbin(M, 40)
9. 23:40 ~ Sanders O'Kelley (M, 9)
10. 23:41 ~ Chris O'Kelley (M, 19)

Top Ten Females, 2013 Trailblazer 5K

1. 23:53 ~ Elizabeth Squires (F, 33) Tallahassee, FL
2. 24:01 ~ Sharon Rudd (F, 33) Tallahassee, FL
3. 24:26 ~ Alyssa Rudd (F, 14) Tallahassee, FL
4. 25:38 ~ Debbie Peters (F, 52) Tallahassee, FL
5. 26:17 ~ Allison Carter (F, 35) Tallahassee, FL
6. 26:40 ~ Karen Godbey (F, 57)
7. 27:22 ~ Sabrina Mauldin (F, 34)
8. 27:52 ~ Emily Webster (F, 34)
9. 28:11 ~ Nellie Crlenjak (F, 12)
10. 28:25 ~ Laura Lawrence (F, 37)

Links

• Complete results of the 2013 Trailblazer 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2013/DeSoto%20Trailblazer%202013.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2013 Trailblazer 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102796587313453.3453802.5215641&l=f62d1d3b26
  
  
• Find your next 5K or longer run on the Trouble Afoot! race schedule
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1