Kelly and Luke race for the nurses at ABAC

Ryan Kelly sure does like the half marathon. The Valdosta Middle School cross-country coach from Lake Park, Georgia, has run four of the 13.1-mile races in the last six months, winning three. The most recent was the third annual Run For The Nurses Half Marathon at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia, on Saturday morning, 5 April 2014. Put that one in Kelly's win column; he ran 1:23:37 to finish at the front of a field of 117, finishing over a mile and a half ahead of the next runner. Marty Edge of Soperton was second in 1:35:57, and Jose Trejo of Fitzgerald was third in 1:36:16. The fourth finisher and first master was Marton Kozma of Tifton, Georgia; Kozma covered the distance in 1:37:08.


Melissa Luke of Tifton, Georgia, had won the women's competition at the first Run For The Nurses in 2012. That year, though, the race was only 10K. Luke was back in 2014 to try the longer distance. She was just as successful racing 13.1 miles as she had been two years earlier racing 6.2 miles; Luke finished on top of the women's standings, placing eighth overall in 1:42:07. Brianna Prinsloo of Hahira, Georgia, was runner-up on the women's side, finishing 12th overall in 1:51:07. Kristina Gantt (14th, 1:53:13) was the third woman finisher, and Christal Greene (17th, 1:54:37) the fourth. The top woman master was the fifth female finisher, Tifton's Gina Purvis (18th, 1:54:48).


Proceeds from the Run For The Nurses benefit the Lisa Purvis Allison Spirit of Nursing Scholarship Fund at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Run For The Nurses Half Marathon

1. 1:23:37 ~ Ryan Kelly (M, 35) Lake Park, GA
2. 1:35:57 ~ Marty Edge (M, 37) Soperton, GA
3. 1:36:16 ~ Jose Trejo (M, 35) Fitzgerald, GA
4. 1:37:08 ~ Marton Kozma (M, 45) Tifton, GA
5. 1:39:15 ~ Aaron Williams (M, 29) Valdosta, GA
6. 1:40:25 ~ Jay Davis (M, 29) Fitzgerald, GA
7. 1:41:46 ~ Stephen Sims (M, 16) Douglas, GA
8. 1:47:23 ~ Tim Pippin (M, 45) Zebulon, GA
9. 1:49:04 ~ Francisco Gonzalex (M, 35) Fitzgerald, GA
10. 1:50:22 ~ John Layton (M, 36) Tifton, GA

Top Ten Women, 2014 Run For The Nurses Half Marathon

1. 1:42:07 ~ Melissa Luke (F, 32) Tifton, GA
2. 1:51:07 ~ Brianna Prinsloo (F, 27) Hahira, GA
3. 1:53:13 ~ Kristina Gantt (F, 38) Brooklet, GA
4. 1:54:37 ~ Christal Greene (F, 31) Evans, GA
5. 1:54:48 ~ Gina Purvis (F, 55) Tifton, GA
6. 1:55:06 ~ Melanie Hall (F, 40) Tifton, GA
7. 1:55:50 ~ Guna Chee (F, 42) Tifton, GA
8. 1:55:54 ~ Lacey Culpepper (F, 27) Tifton, GA
9. 1:57:04 ~ Heather Barfield (F, 36) Hahira, GA
10. 1:58:03 ~ Layla Vulcain (F, 26) Hinesville, GA

Run For The Nurses champions, 2012-2014
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
25 February 2012	10K	39:19, Mark McLeod	50:18, Melissa Luke	33
	5K	17:39, Nathan Norton	21:10, Charley Harrison	60
13 April 2013	Half Marathon	1:21:06, Mark McLeod	1:47:51, Stephanie Harley	120
	5K	19:28, Artemio Gomez	23:09, Ashlee Golden	92
5 April 2014	Half Marathon	1:23:37, Ryan Kelly	1:42:07, Melissa Luke	117
	5K	19:51, Lorenzo Gomez	21:46, Karen Garcia	98

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Run For The Nurses Half Marathon
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GmV2jxq94ZBnRocncZqSt2r4-2HO-GEzXWRCqG_uI34/pubhtml
  
  
• Find an upcoming half marathon to run on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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