Friday, March 13, 2015

McLeod and Watson are 2015 Youth Ranch Marathon champions

Back in 1897 the Boston Marathon started off as a fairly cozy event. A few of the guys in the Boston Athletic Association thought it would be interesting to run that long event that had debuted at the first modern Olympic Games the previous year, and then decided to make it an annual event. Somewhere long the line more than a few dozen people wanted to run, then more than a few hundred. By the 1970s you needed a qualifying time to run. Then you needed a faster qualifying time. Now your qualifying time doesn't guarantee you entry into the race, the marathon starts in different waves, and it takes almost as much time to cross the starting line as it does to get your turn at one of the portable toilets.


I'm not sure what went wrong over the years, but none of that has happened in Live Oak, Florida, at the Youth Ranch Marathon. The sixth annual Youth Ranch Marathon was held on Sunday morning, 8 March 2015, and none of the Boston problems (or Boston hills) were evident. 22 athletes finished the 26.2-mile race, with another 24 in the half marathon, and a few more in a 10K and 5K.


Wellborn, Florida athlete James Lambert surged to an early lead in the marathon. He was still nearly 400 meters ahead of the next runner at the halfway point, but Live Oak's Denise Watson was closing in, as was Nick McLeod of Keystone Heights, Florida. Watson was the first of half a dozen runners to overtake Lambert. Nick McLeod was the next to pass Lambert, meanwhile narrowing the gap with Watson. In the closing miles McLeod caught Watson, going on to win the race in 3:53:43. Watson was second in 3:56:25, the first woman in the race. The top master runner in the marathon was Mike Smith of Live Oak, third overall in 4:14:19. Amy Yanni of Fort Myers, Florida, was the first female master runner, placing fifth overall in 4:29:36.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Youth Ranch Marathon
  1. 3:53:43 ~ Nick McLeod (M, 37) Keystone Heights, FL
  2. 4:14:19 ~ Mike Smith (M, 44) Live Oak, FL
  3. 4:25:33 ~ Joe Shuta (M, 64) Duncansville, PA
  4. 4:43:03 ~ Jeremy Buzbee (M, 44) Live Oak, FL
  5. 5:00:51 ~ James Lambert (M, 23) Wellborn, FL
  6. 5:10:30 ~ Teo Gradinaru (M, 39) Live Oak, FL
  7. 5:29:54 ~ Bill Vanderpol (M, 55) McCalla, AL
  8. 5:30:51 ~ Wilfred Goron (M, 60) Wheatley, ON
  9. 5:56:14 ~ Chuck Savage (M, 76) Ocala, FL
  10. 7:08:36 ~ Henry Rueden (M, 65) DePere, WI

Top Ten Women, 2015 Youth Ranch Marathon
  1. 3:56:25 ~ Denise Watson (F, 39) Live Oak, FL
  2. 4:29:36 ~ Amy Yanni (F, 60) Ft. Myers, FL
  3. 5:33:55 ~ Regina Hammond (F, 46) Jasper, FL
  4. 5:51:47 ~ Terri Varnadoe (F, 55) Ocala, FL
  5. 5:52:51 ~ Amy Waggoner (F, 44) Jackson, GA
  6. 6:15:00 ~ Elizabeth Gmerek (F, 54) Merritt Island, FL
  7. 6:22:00 ~ Amber Friis (F, 33) Live Oak, FL
  8. 6:45:56 ~ Bettie Wailes (F, 70) Winter Park, FL
  9. 6:46:30 ~ Cheryl Murdock (F, 64) Pensacola, FL
  10. 6:47:24 ~ Mellody Hughes (F, 51) DeFuniak Springs, FL

Bobby Sauer of Atlanta, Georgia, won the half marathon, running the 13.1-mile event in 1:46:19. Finishing runner-up in 1:58:10 was the first woman in the race, Ashley Cannon of Live Oak. Joe Shuta (3rd, 2:11:30) of Duncansville, Pennsylvania, was the first master runner and Christine McClung (10th, 2:20:19) of Midland, Georgia, was the first female master runner.


Top Nine Men, 2015 Youth Ranch Half-Marathon
  1. 1:46:19 ~ Bobby Sauer (M, 38) Atlanta, GA
  2. 2:11:30 ~ Joe Shuta (M, 64) Duncansville, PA
  3. 2:15:17 ~ Troy Roberts (M, 31) Lake City, FL
  4. 2:15:17 ~ Trevin Myers (M, 36) Brandon, FL
  5. 2:17:56 ~ Don Baker (M, 57) Live Oak, FL
  6. 2:26:38 ~ David Grudzien (M, 57) Lawrenceville, GA
  7. 2:41:53 ~ Dan Jongeling (M, 59) Ft Myers, FL
  8. 3:05:52 ~ Steve Shaw (M, 58) Valdosta, GA
  9. 3:17:12 ~ Josh Blackmon (M, 29) Glen St. Mary, FL

Top Ten Women, 2015 Youth Ranch Half-Marathon
  1. 1:58:10 ~ Ashley Cannon (F, 28) Live Oak, FL
  2. 2:04:52 ~ Mykayla McLeod (F, 15) Keystone Heights, FL
  3. 2:14:31 ~ Dawn Koval (F, 37) St. Augustine, FL
  4. 2:15:17 ~ Alba Murillo (F, 38) Tampa, FL
  5. 2:20:19 ~ Christine McClung (F, 48) Midland, GA
  6. 2:21:35 ~ Marivel Garza (F, 41) Panama City, FL
  7. 2:22:44 ~ Stephanie Holmes (F, 33) Madison, FL
  8. 2:31:24 ~ Laura Roberts (F, 31) Lake City, FL
  9. 2:41:04 ~ Michelle Furney (F, 46) Columbus, GA
  10. 2:55:46 ~ Michele Kren (F, 46) Columbus, GA

Florida Boys Ranch Marathon champions, 2010 - 2015
DateRaceMenWomenFinishers
14 March 2010Marathon3:25:07, Dave Carver3:48:52, Julia Keevey6
Half1:48:55, Bobby Sauer1:59:15, Catherine Burke6
13 March 2011Marathon2:51:17, Jack McDermott3:48:06, Laura McDermott28
Half1:37:20, Jim Heberle2:01:59, Ericka Wright25
11 March 2012Marathon3:13:54, Troy Mitchell3:30:56, Kay Evans36
Half1:47:47, Bobby Sauer1:48:21, Marisa Rea25
10 March 2013Marathon2:49:19, Roger Schmidt3:13:19, Anna Komitov46
Half1:37:14, Jay Silvanima1:41:34, Denise Watson32
9 March 2014Marathon3:03:36, Richard Purcell3:34:59, Loni Smith37
Half1:43:04, Jim Heberle1:46:24, Virginia Edmonds19
8 March 2015Marathon3:53:43, Nick McLeod3:56:25, Denise Watson22
Half1:46:19, Bobby Sauer1:58:10, Ashley Cannon24


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