Katie Sherron runs a lightning-fast 17:34 at the Hurricane 5K

On Saturday morning, 3 October 2015, Hurricane Joaquin was finally finished churning up the Bahamas, a powerful reminder that it was still storm season. Tallahassee, Florida, got a less destructive hint of hurricane season that morning, the Red Cross's eighth annual Robin Lotane Memorial Hurricane Run 5K. Florida A & M University student Joseph Garcia successfully defended his title in the event, covering the 3.1 miles in 16:20. Florida State University economics professor Katie Sherron was the first female finisher, placing eighth overall in 17:34, the fastest 5K run by a woman on the Tallahassee roads so far in 2015.


The Hurricane 5K was run on the streets of Southwood, where the annual race had first been held in 2008. From 2012 to 2014 the race had moved to Red Cross headquarters in the Tom Brown Park area, but now it had returned home. Joseph Garcia had won the 2014 race on the Tom Brown course, and he wasn't the only former champion on hand for the test in Southwood. The 2013 Hurricane 5K winner, master runner Bryan Koon, was also on the starting line. Zach DeVeau was also racing, just two weeks after a 17:08 win at the Tallahassee Women's Distance Festival 5K. Garcia, though, was coming to the Hurricane 5K with legs still sore from racing 8K the day before at the FSU Cross Country Invitational.


"This past weekend was my first race so far this year so it was a rust buster," said Garcia.


He didn't look rusty at all, though, as the first of 196 finishers at the Hurricane 5K. Zach DeVeau was second in 16:33, his best time this year. Nate Kaiser was a close third in 16:38, and Vince Molosky took fourth in 17:18. The two fastest master runners in the race battled for fifth place, with Bryan Koon edging Geb Kiros 17:27 to 17:29.


Two weeks before the Hurricane 5K, Katie Sherron went 18:53 in the Tallahassee Women's Distance Festival 5K. It was a fast time for a woman, but not Sherron's fastest, or even her fastest this year.


"I ran 18:40 at the Palace," said Sherron, referring to the Palace Saloon 5K back in April.


She eclipsed both those times on Saturday with her 17:34. Far ahead of the rest of the women's field, Sherron had only the men to race against, and she was running with some of the fastest in the event. On the homestretch Sherron was just a step behind seventh-place finisher Peter Van Brussel. Van Brussel managed to stay ahead, but just barely--both runners were clocked in 17:34.


Jillian Heddaeus was second in the women's standings, coming in 26th overall in 20:51. Nikky Manausa was the third female finisher, 33rd overall in 21:40. Right behind Manausa at 21:43, Angela Dempsey was the first woman master and fourth woman in the race, placing 34th overall.


With temperatures in the 60s, the conditions for running were better than they have been in months, but not as good as they will be later in the fall. As fast as the times were in the Hurricane 5K, expect to see faster on the Tallahassee roads before the end of the year.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Hurricane 5K

1. 16:20 ~ Joseph Garcia (M, 20)
2. 16:33 ~ Zach Deveau (M, 28)
3. 16:38 ~ Nate Kaiser (M, 36)
4. 17:18 ~ Vince Molosky (M, 36)
5. 17:27 ~ Bryan Koon (M, 43)
6. 17:29 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 49)
7. 17:34 ~ Peter Van Brussel (M, 22)
8. 17:53 ~ Peter Kaus (M, 31)
9. 18:00 ~ Michael Martinez (M, 49)
10. 18:06 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M, 46)

Top Ten Women, 2015 Hurricane 5K

1. 17:34 ~ Katie Sherron (F, 33)
2. 20:51 ~ Jillian Heddaeus (F, 32)
3. 21:40 ~ Nikky Manausa (F, 34)
4. 21:43 ~ Angela Dempsey (F, 47)
5. 21:48 ~ Laura McDermott (F, 35)
6. 21:51 ~ Emma Spencer (F, 34)
7. 22:36 ~ Vaishali Desai (F, 28)
8. 22:40 ~ Kory Skrob (F, 45)
9. 22:49 ~ Tsige Tadesse (F, 43)
10. 23:19 ~ Shelby Augustyniak (F, 39)

Robin Lotane Memorial Hurricane 5K champions, 2008 - 2015
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
6 September 2008	15:53, Chris Lake	20:02, Kelsey Scheitlin	227
7 September 2009	15:54, Chris Lake	19:02, Sarah Docter-Williams	620
6 September 2010	14:54, Nate Brannen	18:53, Lisa Johnson	524
5 September 2011	17:06, Stanley Linton	19:24, Katie Showman	272
3 September 2012	16:33, Brian Griffith	18:12, Sheryl Rosen	295
5 October 2013	17:30, Bryan Koon	22:50, Paula O'Neill	165
26 October 2014	16:46, Joseph Garcia	19:02, Chantelle Brodie	180
3 October 2015	16:20, Joseph Garcia	17:34, Katie Sherron	196
From 2008 to 2011, the race was held in Southwood. From 2012 to 2014 the Red Cross moved the Hurricane 5K to the Tom Brown Park area. In 2015 the race returned to Southwood.

Links:

• Complete results of the 2015 Robin Lotane Red Cross Hurricane 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2015/Hurricane%20Run%202015.asp
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2015 Robin Lotane Memorial Hurricane 5K
  https://picasaweb.google.com/112560881455823075870/Hurricane_15
  
  
• 2013 story, “Bryan Koon and Paula O'Neill run like the wind at the Hurricane 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/10/hurricane-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Griffith and Rosen blow by the competition at the Hurricane 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/09/hurricane-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Linton and Showman storm to Hurricane 5K wins”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/hurricane-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Brannen and Johnson breeze to wins at Hurricane 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/hurricane-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “Another win for Chris Lake at the Red Cross Hurricane 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/09/another-win-for-chris-lake-at-red-cross.html
  
  
• Mo' races
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1510