Gibson and Parrish keep on winning at the Brian Dowling 5K

Two weeks after a road win in the Dothan, Alabama, Fit To Fight 10K, Myles Gibson was back in town for a test on the South Alabama trails. The occasion was 16 May 2015 running of the Dothan Runners' annual Brian Dowling Memorial 5K Trail Race in Westgate Park. When the Saturday morning race was over, Gibson had another Dothan championship to his credit, having run the 3.1-mile course in 18:26. 2014 women's champ CJ Parrish successfully defended her Brian Dowling 5K title, placing eighth overall in 24:25.


Soon after the start the run became a race between two athletes, Gibson, the Donalsonville master runner, and William Pearson, a Campbellsville University cross-country runner. Racing close, Gibson and Pearson left the rest of the field far behind, finishing the five-kilometer run nearly a kilometer ahead of the next runner. In the end Gibson prevailed over Pearson, 18:26 to 18:36. Master runner Bo Thurman was a distant third in 23:05. Master runner Tony Gilbert was fourth in 23:34, and Austin Long edged John Knopp 23:47 to 23:51 for fifth.


Gibson and Pearson may have been a kilometer ahead of the rest of the men's field, but CJ Parrish didn't have nearly that big a lead in the women's competition. Still, Parrish's 24:25 was good enough for a repeat win while putting her 100 meters ahead of the women's runner-up. Behind Parrish, Kimberly Floyd and master runner Val Lichner were in a fight for the second women's spot. Lichner got the nod at the finish line, placing ninth overall in 24:50 while Floyd came in tenth overall in 24:52. Master runner Tara Whaley was fourth in the women's standings, 19th overall in 28:40. The fifth female finisher was Kristi Holland, 20th overall in 28:47.


50 athletes finished the 2015 Brian Dowling Memorial 5K Trail Run.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Brian Dowling Memorial 5K Trail Run

1. 18:26 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 48)
2. 18:36 ~ William Pearson (M, 21)
3. 23:05 ~ Bo Thurman (M, 42)
4. 23:34 ~ Tony Gilbert (M, 60)
5. 23:47 ~ Austin Long (M, 17)
6. 23:51 ~ John Knopp (M, 49)
7. 24:19 ~ Will Scott (M, 12)
8. 24:55 ~ David Forrester (M, 36)
9. 25:17 ~ James Edmondson (M, 24)
10. 25:52 ~ Chad Tyson (M, 49)

Top Ten Women, 2015 Brian Dowling Memorial 5K Trail Run

1. 24:25 ~ CJ Parish (F, 35)
2. 24:50 ~ Val Lichner (F, 56)
3. 24:52 ~ Kimberly Floyd (F, 36)
4. 28:40 ~ Tara Whaley (F, 40)
5. 28:47 ~ Kristi Holland (F, 38)
6. 29:32 ~ Cassie Logan (F, 52)
7. 29:37 ~ Jessica Bures (F, 34)
8. 30:11 ~ Carole Thompson (F, 68)
9. 31:13 ~ Rachel Austin-Hickey (F, 37)
10. 31:35 ~ Katie Barrentine (F, 30)

Past winners of the Brian Dowling Memorial 5K, 2001 - 2015
Date	Men	Women
7 April 2001	20:05, Jerry Armstrong	24:08, Piper Stockman
13 April 2002	19:12, Jonathan Braun	21:57, Piper Stockman
12 April 2003	18:58, Shane Gingrich	24:04, Chris Fox
1 May 2004	18:59, Douglas Holt	24:19, Amy Padgett
7 May 2005	19:12, Brian Hickey	22:21, Teresa Lafleur
6 May 2006	18:39, Matt Fechan	23:24, Lou Ellen Jayroe
28 April 2007	18:13, Gabe Mitchell	23:08, In-Mi Matsunaga
17 May 2008	18:44, Zalin Smith	23:20, Lou Ellen Jayroe
25 April 2009	19:08, Nick Vance	26:06, Kristina Bennett
22 May 2010	19:10, Theron Carter	24:35, Amber Hodor
23 April 2011	18:50, Sean Kent	20:46, Megan Howell
7 April 2012	20:05, Jeff Dasinger	24:40, Abby Rogers
18 May 2013	21:00, Justin Cagle	24:21, Carolyn Houston
10 May 2014	20:32, Dale Thomas	24:45, CJ Parrish
16 May 2015	18:26, Myles Gibson	24:25, CJ Parish
In 2000 Dothan Runners Club member Brian Dowling was killed during a training run, struck by a hit-and-run driver. The Woofstock 5K was started in his memory in 2001. In 2002 DRC officially renamed the race the Brian Dowling Memorial 5K. Kudos and a big thank you to Larry Dykes for much of the information in this table!

Links

• Complete results of the 2015 Brian Dowling Memorial 5K Trail Run at dothanrunners.com
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fn2JHUw7YVNAQ5FnBRjtL07phFudEiNNYEtSphwbueU/pubhtml
  
  
• 2014 story, “Thomas and Parrish triumph on the trail at Brian Dowling 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/05/dowling-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Cagle and Houston add Brian Dowling 5K wins to their running resumés”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/05/dowling-2013.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Kent and Howell hit the trail at Brian Dowling 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/04/dowling-2011.html
  
  
• Find upcoming trail runs in Dothan and other cities in the region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar:
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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