Redwing and Cox break the tape in the Run For The Tape

The Apalachee and their predecessors found the country surrounding Lake Lafayette congenial for their crops and settlements, leaving behind many signs to puzzle archaeologists. In territorial Florida, this same land was prized for cotton cultivation. In particular, the peninsula bounded by Alford Arm to the north became part of Green Chaires' Evergreen Hills Plantation. After the cotton planters moved on, the peninsula could still raise a luxurious growth of grass, and the land was used for cattle. Now the cattle are gone, and the farms have become the Alford Greenway, but the grass is still there.


On Saturday morning, 6 July 2013, around 70 athletes experienced to what extent the grass still rules the Alford Greenway, as well as learning why Chaires called his plantation Evergreen Hills. The occasion was the second annual Run For The Tape, which included an 8K and a 5K cross-country race as well as a one-mile kids run.


The 8K and the 5K started together at 8:30 AM from the trailhead at the south end of Pedrick Road. The grass was wet and heavy. Although it had been mowed, it would never be mistaken for a well-groomed suburban lawn. It was the kind of shaggy turf that inspires threatening letters from the homeowners' association. It swallowed runners feet to the ankles, encouraging those feet to stay where they were. It also gave the Greenway's snakes a place to hide. A few serpents were spotted during the run, livening up the event.


In the 8K field, Charn McAllister took the early lead, racing ahead of even the 5K runners. Master runners Tony Guillen and Mike Peymann were not far behind. If anyone seemed out of contention at the quarter mile mark, it would have been Jack Redwing, who was well off the pace of the leaders. But running patiently, Redwing worked his way up through the field, eventually catching even McAllister. By the last mile of the five-mile race, Redwing had broken contact with McAllister and ran home to a 29:34 win. McAllister followed, runner-up in 29:57. Guillen was the first master finisher, third overall in 30:09.


Renee Cox was out to a fast start. After the first 400 meters of the 8K, she was not only ahead of the rest of the women's field, but also a few steps up on Jack Redwing. Redwing ultimately finished ahead of Cox, but Cox remained the front female throughout the race, taking the women's title. Cox covered the 8K in 34:09, placing tenth overall and finishing more than half a kilometer ahead of women's runner-up Laura McDermott. McDermott was 13th overall with a 36:34. Katie Showman--a winner two days earlier at the Firecracker 5K--was third in the women's competition, finishing 16th overall in 37:32. Fran McLean (27th, 42:44) was the fastest woman master in the 8K.


Top Ten Males, 2013 Run For The Tape 8K

1. 29:34 ~ Jack Redwing (M, 27)
2. 29:57 ~ Charn McAllister (M, 32)
3. 30:09 ~ Tony Guillen (M, 44)
4. 30:50 ~ Michael Kennett (M, 39)
5. 31:44 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 46)
6. 32:03 ~ Mike Peymann (M, 51)
7. 32:20 ~ Michael Savage (M, 56)
8. 32:42 ~ Tad David (M, 44)
9. 32:57 ~ Mike Labossiere (M, 47)
10. 34:48 ~ Daniel Stewart (M, 28)

Top Ten Females, 2013 Run For The Tape 8K

1. 34:09 ~ Renee Cox (F, 26)
2. 36:34 ~ Laura McDermott (F, 33)
3. 37:32 ~ Katie Showman (F, 31)
4. 38:27 ~ Urska Dobersek (F, 30)
5. 38:45 ~ Sheryl Rosen (F, 29)
6. 39:56 ~ Martha Bademan (F, 29)
7. 41:06 ~ Michelle Perry (F, 28)
8. 42:44 ~ Fran McLean (F, 55)
9. 51:27 ~ Ann Guillen (F, 44)
10. 53:56 ~ Chika Okoro (F, 33)

Maclay School track coach Gary Droze was the class of the 5K field, winning the shorter race by 300 meters in 17:52. Aaron Smith, a cross-country runner and rising senior at Wakulla High, finished runner-up in 19:02. Emily Ness was the first female finisher, coming in third overall in 20:04, comfortably ahead of the next woman in, Jackie Druin (4th, 20:33). Mike Weyant (5th, 23:40) and Stephanie Liles-Weyant (6th, 23:41) were the first male master and female master in the 5K.


Top Ten Males, 2013 Run For The Tape 5K

1. 17:52 ~ Gary Droze (M, 52)
2. 19:02 ~ Aaron Smith (M, 17)
3. 23:40 ~ Mike Weyant (M, 47)
4. 23:51 ~ Mike Burns (M, 48)
5. 24:17 ~ Toby Jordan (M, 16)
6. 27:02 ~ A J Thorpe (M, 11)
7. 27:49 ~ James Harrison (M, 50)
8. 28:27 ~ Joel Bissett (M, 43)
9. 30:28 ~ Mark Kellerhals (M, 42)
10. 34:51 ~ Jason Karasevich (M, 34)

Top Ten Females, 2013 Run For The Tape 5K

1. 20:04 ~ Emily Ness (F, 23)
2. 20:33 ~ Jackie Druin (F, 24)
3. 23:41 ~ Stephanie Liles-Weyant (F, 41)
4. 25:25 ~ Heather Hill (F, 17)
5. 26:00 ~ Emma Travis (F, 15)
6. 27:09 ~ Julia Travis (F, 15)
7. 27:59 ~ Maria Mattheu (F, 34)
8. 28:13 ~ Diana Jones-Ellis (F, 56)
9. 29:02 ~ Cardine Jacobsen (F, 13)
10. 31:59 ~ Taylor Thorpe (F, 13)

Roger Schmidt, the champion of the Firecracker 5K two days earlier, directed the Run For The Tape for the Florida State University chapter of Iota Tau Alpha, the athletic training honor society. For the second year in a row ITA held the race at the Alford Greenway, although this time around the distances were a more conventional 8K and 5K instead of 2012's somewhat odd 9.7K and 4.5K. The event also went from a spring date (March 24) in 2012 to a summer one (July 6) in 2013. If increased participation is an indication, then Tallahassee's runners approved of the changes. Proceeds from the race went to benefit athletic training programs in Leon County high schools.


Links

• Complete results of the 2013 Run For The Tape at gulfwinds.org
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2013/Run%20For%20Tape.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2013 Run For The Tape
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10103267490265163.1073741871.5215641&l=63ded37fa7
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2013 Run For The Tape
  https://picasaweb.google.com/Freddecka/ITARace_13
  
  
• Find more runs for tape, balm, ice baths, or what have you on the Trouble Afoot!! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1