Kelly and Andreu work the Valdosta roads on Labor Day

Since 2009 there has been a Labor Day 5K on the streets of Valdosta, Georgia. On Monday morning, 7 September 2015, Ryan Kelly of Lake Park, Georgia, won the seventh annual edition of that event, edging David Burnett 18:56 to 19:04 for the title. On the women's side, Dr. Darien Andreu of St. Augustine, Florida, was the first female finisher and top woman master, placing twelfth overall in 22:38. 87 athletes finished the 3.1-mile race.


Behind Kelly and Burnett, Brian Rohrbach was third in 19:39. Valdosta's Rick Mazurkiewicz was the fastest master runner in the race, coming in third overall in 20:04.


For Dr. Darien Andreu, Valdosta Labor Day 5K women's champion is only the latest entry on a long resume of athletic honors. The Flagler College professor's name still appears near the top of Florida State University's all-time performance lists in the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs, events where she once held school records of 16:39.40 and 34:42.74. If you're familiar with road racing in South Georgia, you might be aware that Andreu still holds the women's course record of 34:57 for Thomasville's Rose City 10K--a record that has stood since 1983.


Valdosta master runner Debbie Green was second in the Labor Day 5K women's standings, running 23:18 for 15th overall. Martha Mazurkiewicz, another Valdosta master runner, was the third female finisher, 20th overall in 24:16.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Valdosta Labor Day 5K

1. 18:55.4 ~ Ryan Kelly (M, 36) Lake Park, GA
2. 19:03.3 ~ David Burnett (M, 39) Valdosta, GA
3. 19:38.2 ~ Brian Rohrbach (M, 38) Valdosta, GA
4. 20:03.5 ~ Rick Mazurkiewicz (M, 48) Valdosta, GA
5. 20:36.8 ~ Randall Rathmann (M, 46) Valdosta, GA
6. 21:00.0 ~ Jeremy Storey (M, 42) Valdosta, GA
7. 21:21.1 ~ Randy Maples (M, 46) Valdosta, GA
8. 21:37.5 ~ Dylan Guilmette (M, 19) Lake Park, GA
9. 21:45.5 ~ Andrew Caruana (M, 12) Valdosta, GA
10. 21:57.4 ~ Billy Taylor (M, 66) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women 2015 Valdosta Labor Day 5K

1. 22:37.3 ~ Darien Andreu (F, 55) St Augustine, FL
2. 23:18.0 ~ Debbie Green (F, 49) Valdosta, GA
3. 24:15.9 ~ Martha Mazurkiewicz (F, 47) Valdosta, GA
4. 24:22.3 ~ Melanie Hall (F, 42) Tifton, GA
5. 24:42.1 ~ Lauren Bewley (F, 34) Valdosta, GA
6. 24:49.9 ~ Samantha DeMersseman (F, 36) Valdosta, GA
7. 26:19.2 ~ Ceci Johnson (F, 46) Blackshear, GA
8. 26:37.5 ~ Beth Knodel (F, 35) Valdosta, GA
9. 26:46.2 ~ Jennifer Caruana (F, 37) Valdosta, GA
10. 27:18.4 ~ Pollyanna Bass (F, 43) Pavo, GA

Valdosta Labor Day 5K winners, 2009 - 2015
Date	Men	Women	Finshers
7 September 2009	18:19, Drew Dunbar	20:28, Ashley McGee	122
6 September 2010	16:18, Chris Rice	20:27, Jordanne Helton	290
5 September 2011	17:55, Masked Avenger	20:59, Mary Alice Smoot	108
3 September 2012	17:44, James Marino	22:27, Taylor Harrington	93
2 September 2013	18:15, Matthew Baun	19:48, Mary Alice Smoot	89
1 September 2014	17:07, Matthew Baun	21:58, Alice Smoot	65
7 September 2015	18:56, Ryan Kelly	22:38, Darien Andreu	87

Links:

• Complete results of the 2015 Valdosta Labor Day 5K courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u4YqAj2YFGsZnnKWJ8x0gjmbYgNtIgr9HSfwrrMF0CU/pubhtml
  
  
• 2013 story, “Mary Alice Smoot's 19:48 is a new mark in the Valdosta Labor Day 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2013.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Rain can't spoil Valdosta's Labor Day picnic on the roads”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Valdosta Labor Day 5K, Valdosta, Georgia, 6 September 2010”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2010.html
  
  
• Find your next holiday road race in the region using the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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