Saturday, March 9, 2013

Linton and Grayson first up 'Pancake Hill'

Mary Anne Grayson"It wasn't the big hill, the one at the two-mile mark, that got me," said Mary Anne Grayson. "It was the last one, the little one."


She was talking about the hills on the Shamrock Scurry 5K course. The "little one" would be the climb on Longford Drive up to Shamrock South, about a quarter mile from the finish line at Killearn United Methodist Church. Call it Pancake Hill--either because it's the last hill you negotiate before they serve you post-race pancakes at the church, or because of the way the hill leaves you feeling. Neither Pancake Hill nor any other hill on the course could have been too much of a problem for Grayson, though. The Thomasville master runner ended up being the first woman finisher in the 2013 Shamrock Scurry 5K, placing 11th overall in 20:38.


The race on Saturday morning, 9 March 2013 was the 25th named the Shamrock Scurry, but not the 25th annual. The first Shamrock Scurry 5K was run from Killearn UMC in 1981. The race continued without interruption through 1996, although there was a year when it had to be postponed a couple of months because of the 1993 "Storm of the Century." A long hiatus followed, after which a Shamrock Scurry 5K was run at Celebration Baptist Church from 2004 to 2008. There was no event in 2009, but in 2010 the Shamrock Scurry resumed on its original course and location at Killearn UMC. So you could call this year's race the fourth annual, or the 20th running at Killearn UMC, or the 25th running overall, or the 32nd anniversary race. Take your pick.


Stanley LintonWhatever number you chose, well over 600 athletes left the church for the streets of Killearn in this year's Shamrock Scurry. FSU NROTC midshipman Stanley Linton paced the parade down Shamrock West, hitting the mile in 5:05. Nate Kaiser led the pursuit of Linton, but Kaiser was already 100 meters down when Linton crested the hill at the two-mile mark in 10:14. Barely noticing Pancake Hill, Linton ran home in 16:13--the fastest time since the Scurry was revived in 2010. Kaiser followed, finishing runner-up in 16:50. Maclay School's Jake Mazziotta was third in 18:40. FSU student Chris O'Kelley held off Tallahassee master runner Bing Xu for fourth, 19:12 to 19:13.


Mary Anne Grayson has run every Shamrock Scurry starting from 2010, when the race returned to Killearn UMC. That year she finished a close second in the women's division behind Anna Busby. Since then, Grayson took third place in 2011 and 2012, deciding that the Scurry was one of her favorite races. This year's Scurry certainly isn't going to change Grayson's mind. She led the women's field from the start, and in spite of any distress she may have felt on Pancake Hill, went on to take the women's title in 20:38. Her nemesis from 2010, Anna Busby of Capital City Runners, was runner-up among the women, finishing 15th overall in 21:18.


In addition to some 600 finishers in the 5K, more than 250 completed a one-mile fun run. Add in nearly 200 volunteers, and that's quite a mob. Nevertheless, anyone in the horde who was hungry was served post-race pancakes and sausage. It was a small-town touch for what is becoming quite a big race.


Top Ten Males, 2013 Shamrock Scurry 5K
  1. 16:13 ~ Stanley Linton (M, 19) Crawfordville, FL
  2. 16:50 ~ Nate Kaiser (M, 33) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 18:40 ~ Jake Mazziotta (M, 14) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 19:12 ~ Chris O' Kelley (M, 19) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 19:13 ~ Bing Xu (M, 45) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 19:16 ~ Aaron Guyer (M, 37) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 19:32 ~ James Taylor (M, 49) Perry, FL
  8. 19:54 ~ Dan Anderson (M, 49) Perry, FL
  9. 20:27 ~ Michael La Bossiere (M, 46) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 20:56 ~ Daniel McNair (M, 28)

Top Ten Females, Shamrock Scurry 5K
  1. Shannon Colavecchio20:38 ~ Mary Anne Grayson (F, 47) Thomasville, GA
  2. 21:18 ~ Anna Busby (F, 22) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 22:28 ~ Jillian Heddaeus (F, 29) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 22:28 ~ Shannon Colavecchio (F, 35) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 22:52 ~ Beth Culley (F, 48) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 23:04 ~ Mary Vancore (F, 49) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 23:46 ~ Martha Bademan (F, 28) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 24:53 ~ Liz Cockrell (F, 47)
  9. 24:57 ~ Emily Culley (F, 12) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 25:10 ~ Debbie Peters (F, 52) Tallahassee, FL

Known Shamrock Scurry 5K winners, 1981-2012
DateMenWomen
1981

13 March 198217:05, Paul Hodge21:22, Cathy Shuler
12 March 198315:35, Adam Pinkston19:21, Cheryl Jennings
17 March 198416:19, Bobby Shackleford17:42, Nellie Orr
16 March 198514:35, Jeff Wentworth19:20, Angie Crook
15 March 198615:33, David Keen18:42, Janice Hochstein
7 March 198715:21, Richard Corbett18:15, Janice Hochstein
12 March 198816:01, Bill Crooks19:59, Robin Tanner
11 March 198915:57, Bill Crooks19:32, Yvonne Gsteiger
17 March 199015:39, John Charlton20:07 Jane Henderson
16 March 199115:32, Gary Droze19:15, Vikki Saga
14 March 199215:53, Jessie Close17:50, Paula Johnson
8 May 1993

19 March 199415:17, Robin Rogers18:38, Jane Johnson
18 March 1995

1996

   
13 March 200416:02, Ryder Leary16:44, Sinead Evans
5 March 200516:29, Matthew Dobson19:21, Breeda Willis
18 March 200618:21, Michael Martinez20:10, Jennifer Emo
17 March 200715:43, Joey Zins21:55, Jun Inoue
15 March 200814:47, Mark Carroll16:55, Barbara Parker
   
13 March 201017:25, Jay Wallace21:03, Anna Busby
12 March 201118:14, Peter Kaus19:35, Sheryl Rosen
10 March 201216:27, Stephen Cox19:43, Carrie Seiberlich
9 March 201316:13, Stanley Linton20:38, Mary Anne Grayson
Originally scheduled for March 13, the 1993 race had to be
postponed because of a severe winter storm.
The Shamrock Scurry was held from Killearn UMC from 1981
to 1996.
The Shamrock Scurry was not held from 1997 to 2003.
From 2004 to 2008 the Shamrock Scurry was held from 
Celebration Baptist Church.
The Shamrock Scurry was not held in 2009.
From 2010 to 2013 the Shamrock Scurry was held from Killearn 
UMC.


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2 comments:

  1. Joe G.March 10, 2013 at 2:21 PM

    Grayson's getting better w/ age. I've watched her progress. She'll break 20 if she wants to.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Herb WillsMarch 10, 2013 at 2:48 PM

    Of Dr. Grayson's four runs on the Shamrock Scurry 5K course, this was her second fastest: 21:09 in 2010, 21:13 in 2011, 20:22 in 2012, 20:38 in 2013.

    Herb.

    ReplyDelete