Garcia and Reed shred the FSECC 5K record books

"I'm a bit fatigued," said Joseph Garcia.


The rest of the athletes competing in the 15th annual Florida State Employees Charitable Campaign 5K most likely have no desire to see what Garcia runs like when he's feeling fresh. The 20-year-old Florida A & M University ran the 3.1-mile race through Tallahassee's Southwood neighborhood in a course record 15:54, winning by nearly 400 meters. Maclay School cross-country coach Gary Droze was the top master runner in the race, finishing second-overall in 17:08. Emma Reed of Bristol, Great Britain, took the women's title, coming in fifth overall in 18:22--a new course record for women. 225 athletes finished the 5K.


The race started on a Thursday morning, 29 October 2015, with the runners headed north on Esplanade Way. Joseph Garcia shot to the front of the pack, leading as the runners turned east onto Merchants Row Boulevard half a kilometer into the race. A kilometer farther on, as the race passed through the Southwood Town Center, Garcia was twenty seconds ahead and continuing to pull away. Gary Droze was leading the pursuit, with Peter Kaus another five seconds back. Behind Kaus, Emma Reed and Tallahassee master runner Michael Martinez fought for fourth.


Up front, though, it was all Garcia. "I did the first mile in 5:03, the second in 5:10, and the third mile in 5:07. I'm not happy about the second mile. I think I zoned out in the park."


As happy as Garcia was with the win and the course record, he has bigger goals. He'll be back in Southwood November to pursue one of them--a 15:00 5K. "I'm really going to go after it at the Turkey Trot."


After Garcia and Droze, Peter Kaus finished third in 17:55 and Michael Martinez placed fourth in 18:04.


Emma Reed was fifth in 18:22, the first female finisher. Her time cracked the four-year-old women's record for the FSECC 5K, a 19:50 run by Stephanie Liles in the 2011 race. A graduate assistant with the Florida State University women's cross country team, Reed was at the race on business.


"The ACC cross country meet is tomorrow," said Reed. "I brought some of our girls who aren't running to the race this morning."


Those girls included Seminoles Cecilia McMillan, Lois Bartlett, and Julia Anzano. McMillan was runner-up on the women's side, placing seventh overall in 19:22. Bartlett was the third female finisher, tenth overall in 20:01. Fourth in the women's standings went to Juanita Chalmers, eleventh overall in 20:53, while Anzano was the fifth women, 17th overall in 22:30.


Reed is from the United Kingdom, but arrived in Tallahassee by way of the American Southwest. "I ran for New Mexico," said Reed. "It's in my blood."


Top Ten Men, 2015 FSECC 5K

1. 15:54 ~ Joseph Garcia (M, 20)
2. 17:08 ~ Gary Droze (M, 54)
3. 17:55 ~ Peter Kaus (M, 31)
4. 18:04 ~ Michael Martinez (M, 49)
5. 19:20 ~ Bill McNulty (M, 57)
6. 19:31 ~ Tim Unger (M, 56)
7. 19:43 ~ Randall Porcher (M, 0)
8. 20:55 ~ Michael Kennett (M, 42)
9. 20:55 ~ Taylor Van Winkle (M, 24)
10. 20:56 ~ Bob Reifinger (M, 31)

Top Ten Women, 2015 FSECC 5K

1. 18:22 ~ Emma Reed (F, 26)
2. 19:22 ~ Cecilia McMillan (F, 20)
3. 20:01 ~ Lois Bartlett (F, 21)
4. 20:53 ~ Juanita Chalmers (F, 33)
5. 22:30 ~ Julie Anzano (F, 19)
6. 22:58 ~ Amy Miles (F, 28)
7. 23:31 ~ Martha Bademan (F, 31)
8. 23:37 ~ Lilli Unger (F, 13)
9. 23:58 ~ Rebecca Sponholtz (F, 42)
10. 24:50 ~ Becky Leckinger (F, 52)

Recent champions of the FSECC 5K, 2008 - 2015
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
20 November 2008	18:15, Tim Unger	21:31, Brook Pace	247
5 November 2009	17:56, Kevin Sweeney	21:06, Kelly Stevens	414
4 November 2010	16:38, Matt Dobson	22:12, Brook Pace	758
10 November 2011	16:46, Gary Droze	19:50, Stephanie Liles	538
29 November 2012	17:06, Bryan Koon	20:47, Stephanie Liles	261
31 October 2013	16:56, Gary Droze	20:09, Renee Cox	365
30 October 2014	16:19, Trevor Touchton	20:58, Meaghan Faletti	251
29 October 2015	15:54, Joseph Garcia	18:22, Emma Reed	225

Links

• Complete results of the 2015 FSECC 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2015/FSECC%202015.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2015 FSECC 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10106852795854023.1073742145.5215641&l=f0fa2fc74b
  
  
• 2014 story, “Touchton and Faletti fleetest at FSECC 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/10/fsecc-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Thursday morning wins for Droze and Cox at FSECC 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/10/fsecc-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Koon and Liles precede work with a win”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/11/fsecc-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Neither Droze nor Liles show charity in FSECC 5K wins”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/11/fsecc-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Dobson and Pace finish first at a foggy FSECC 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/11/fsecc-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “Kevin Sweeney wins FSECC 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/11/kevin-sweeney-wins-fsecc-5k.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map FL11111EBM for the 2015 FSECC 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL11111EBM
  
  
• If there's another Thursday race coming up in the Tallahassee region, you'll find it here:
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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