Three years in the Memorial Day 5K winner's circle for Linton

At the seventh annual Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race on Monday, 27 May 2013, FSU NROTC midshipman Stanley Linton ran 15:46 to win the race for the third straight time. Behind him in the runner-up spot, Myles Gibson of Donalsonville, Georgia repeated as the top master, running 18:13. Tallahassee's Emily Jensenius took the women's title, edging out Bainbridge master runner Julie Harris 25:41 to 25:52.


When two-time defending champion Stanley Linton arrived at the starting line of the 2013 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K, there was one key difference from his championship runs in 2011 and 2012. This time around, Linton had already raced earlier in the day, outrunning a field of over 1100 runners to win Eglin Air Force Base's 28th annual Memorial Day Gate-to-Gate 4.4-Mile Run. Just twelve hours later he was back on the streets in Bainbridge, going for a double as well as a three-peat.


Soon after the start of the Bainbridge 5K, Linton was on track for both goals. Just a few hundred meters into the race he had a commanding lead. By the mile mark Linton had widened the gap to 200 meters. Behind him, Myles Gibson and Bainbridge High School distance runner Dre Banks battled for second place. Linton raced unchallenged to the finish line, crossing in 15:46. Gibson outfought Banks for second, 18:13 to 18:23.


The women's competition echoed the close race in 2012 between Tiffany Roddenberry and Paula O'Neill for the Memorial Day 5K women's title. Coming around the final corner on the course Emily Jensenius was leading the women's field, but Julie Harris was just four seconds behind. Racing down the homestretch, Jensenius expanded her lead to take the first female spot 25:41 to 25:52, placing 24th overall. Harris, 25th overall, was both the women's runner up and the first woman master.


62 athletes finished the seventh annual race, a fundraiser for Bainbridge High School cross country. The course lacks the guarantee of accuracy of USATF certification, but seems to be close to five kilometers. It's the same course that was used in the 2012 race, and a variation of the courses that were used in 2007-2011. The same streets will no doubt see runners again on 26 May 2014 in the eighth annual Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race.


Top Ten Males, 2013 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race

1. 15:45.67 ~ Stanley Linton (M, 19) Crawfordville, FL
2. 18:12.55 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 46) Donalsonville, GA
3. 18:22.72 ~ Dre Banks (M, ) Bainbridge, GA
4. 19:05.10 ~ Erick Juarez (M, 20) Bainbridge, GA
5. 19:24.54 ~ James Taylor (M, 49) Perry, FL
6. 19:29.42 ~ Albert Smythe (M, 15) Crawfordville, FL
7. 19:36.54 ~ Ridge Harper (M, 36) Bainbridge, GA
8. 19:42.36 ~ John Jensenius (M, 27) Tallahassee, FL
9. 19:45.59 ~ Travis Parks (M, 17) Crawfordville, FL
10. 19:54.56 ~ Josh Dismuke (M, 20) Crawfordville, FL

Top Ten Females, 2013 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race

1. 25:40.52 ~ Emily Jensenius (F, 28) Tallahassee, FL
2. 25:51.51 ~ Julie Harris (F, 47) Bainbridge, GA
3. 28:09.47 ~ Denise Butler (F, 40) Camilla, GA
4. 29:17.87 ~ Melanie Knight (F, 32)
5. 29:42.86 ~ Suzanne Angell (F, 47)
6. 29:58.68 ~ Anita King (F, 49)
7. 30:12.86 ~ Alex Bird (F, 24)
8. 32:18.40 ~ Dana Raybon (F, 56)
9. 32:20.57 ~ Ellie Thomas (F, 20)
10. 32:37.96 ~ Jennifer Willis (F, 37)

Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Run Champions, 2007-2013
Date	Men	Women
28 May 2007	???	???
26 May 2008	18:36, Caleb Bergon	23:05, Rachel Willis
25 May 2009	16:11, Tyler Price	23:16, Erica Pemberton
31 May 2010	17:35, Gabriel Leitz	23:12, Perra Harrell
30 May 2011	17:06, Stanley Linton	22:02, Paula O'Neill
28 May 2012	16:17, Stanley Linton	21:46, Tiffany Roddenberry
27 May 2013	15:46, Stanley Linton	25:41, Emily Jensenius

Links:

• Complete results of the 2013 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2013/Memorial%20Day%20Night%202013.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2013 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10103103674074123.1073741861.5215641&l=96b23fc041
  
  
• 2012 story, "Linton and Roddenberry beat Beryl in Bainbridge"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/05/bainbridge-night-race-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, "Linton and O'Neill fleet in the streets of Bainbridge"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/05/bainbridge-night-race-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, "Leitz and Harrell rule the night in Bainbridge"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/05/bainbridge-night-race-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, "The Price is Right--Tyler Price's 16:11 wins the Memorial Day 5K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/06/price-is-right-tyler-prices-1611-wins.html
  
  
• Find your next night run, day run, or morning run in the Tallahassee region
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1