Monday, January 4, 2016

Bell and Zemola survive the Swamp Forest Trail

The course for the Swamp Forest Trail Marathon is four six-and-a-half-mile laps of narrow paths, sharp turns, stream crossings, hills, and roots in Tallahassee, Florida's Phipps Park.


"I hope I can make it," said Doug Bell, leading after the third lap. "My legs are so sore!"

Doug Bell
Bell endured. After the fourth lap he had won Gulf Winds Track Club's third annual Swamp Trail Marathon, staged on Sunday morning, 3 January 2016. The Tallahassee master runner covered the 26.2 rugged miles in 3:59:49, a course record. Bell is the only athlete to ever run the course in less than four hours, as well as the only one to win the race twice--he also won the inaugural Swamp Trail Marathon in 2014.


Bell wasn't entirely confident of victory with one lap to go, though. "I'm worried about the guy from Macon. He looked fast."


The Macon runner was Caleb Yawn, a pony-tailed 24-year-old from middle Georgia. Bell had left Yawn behind after the first lap, though. Meanwhile, Andy Roberts of Tallahassee had overtaken Yawn and Joe Pinter to move into second, becoming Bell’s closest challenger. During the final lap around the course, Roberts narrowed the gap on Bell, gaining two minutes on the leader. But Bell was still 600 meters ahead when he crossed the finish line in a winning 3:59:49. Roberts took second in 4:03:15, with Pinter third in 4:07:02 and Yawn fourth in 4:09.47.

Danielle Zemola
Trail runner Danielle Zemola won the women's title, placing tenth overall in 5:07:47. Heather Davenport was the first woman master and second female finisher, fourteenth overall in 5:35:54.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail Marathon
  1. 3:59:49 ~ Douglas Bell (M, 46)
  2. 4:03:15 ~ Andy Roberts (M, 48)
  3. 4:07:02 ~ Joe Pinter (M, 42)
  4. 4:09:47 ~ Caleb Yawn (M, 24)
  5. 4:19:35 ~ Greg Bargo (M, 32)
  6. 4:29:34 ~ Matt Swanson (M, 43)
  7. 4:51:14 ~ James Wilkinson (M, 32)
  8. 4:55:02 ~ Peter McNiece (M, 47)
  9. 5:00:01 ~ Jimmy Sauls (M, 36)
  10. 5:07:48 ~ Gary Griffin (M, 66)

Top Two Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail Marathon
  1. 5:07:47 ~ Danielle Zemola (F, 37)
  2. 5:35:54 ~ Heather Davenport (F, 49)

Taylor Buzzard
"That course is beautiful!" remarked Gary Griffin, eleventh overall in 5:07:48. Most everyone concurred, but not everyone agreed that you needed a full four laps to appreciate the beauty of the Phipps Park trails. For anyone who thought that two laps was enough, there was the Swamp Forest Trail Half Marathon. Taylor Buzzard, a University of Alabama-Huntsville cross country runner, was the fastest of the 56 athletes taking the two-lap option. Buzzard set a course record of 1:36:58, winning the 13.1-mile race for the second year in a row. Jim Halley was second in 1:53:54, and Jon Mason was the first master runner, third overall in 1:55:05.

Isabel Anderson
Tallahassee's Isabel Anderson edged Marie Dennis for the women's title, 2:20:54 to 2:20:58. The two athlete were eighteenth and nineteenth overall in the half marathon. Monica Judd was third in the women's standings, twentieth overall in 2:21:49.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail Half Marathon
  1. 1:36:58 ~ Taylor Buzzard (M, 21)
  2. 1:53:54 ~ Jim Halley (M, 36)
  3. 1:55:05 ~ Jon Mason (M, 42)
  4. 1:58:11 ~ David Graf (M, 39)
  5. 2:04:17 ~ Camilo Ordoñez (M, 37)
  6. 2:04:22 ~ Todd Henderson (M, 47)
  7. 2:04:48 ~ Eric Bernard (M, 36)
  8. 2:05:02 ~ Juan Ordoñez (M, 42)
  9. 2:05:20 ~ Stephen Andrews (M, 29)
  10. 2:05:42 ~ Eric Laywell (M, 51)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail Half Marathon
  1. 2:20:54 ~ Isabel Anderson (F, 36)
  2. 2:20:58 ~ Marie Dennis (F, 41)
  3. 2:21:49 ~ Monica Judd (F, 41)
  4. 2:29:02 ~ Kelsey Bernard (F, 29)
  5. 2:30:34 ~ Martha Bademan (F, 31)
  6. 2:31:44 ~ Shannon McNees (F, 45)
  7. 2:36:26 ~ Cynthia Kimball (F, 63)
  8. 2:39:14 ~ Audra Reese Derrenberger (F, 32)
  9. 2:43:16 ~ Tracy Godin (F, 35)
  10. 2:43:48 ~ Leisa Eastman (F, 36)

Lindsay James
Concurrent with the marathon and half marathon, there was a also a one-lap option, the Swamp Forest Quarter Marathon. Master runner Jose Fernandez was the first to finish the one-lap race, running a course record 54:17. Maclay School cross country runner Lindsay James was first on the women's side, placing sixth overall in the field of 68 with a 1:02:50.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail Quarter Marathon
  1. 54:17 ~ Jose Fernandez (M, 45)
  2. 56:06 ~ Scott Minert (M, 47)
  3. 57:18 ~ Grady Smith (M, 39)
  4. 58:54 ~ Felton Wright (M, 58)
  5. 59:56 ~ Eric Godin (M, 31)
  6. 64:19 ~ Ryan Rodenberg (M, 41)
  7. 64:20 ~ Brian Burch (M, 41)
  8. 65:19 ~ Erik Andersen (M, 33)
  9. 67:09 ~ Richard Stephens (M, 49)
  10. 68:18 ~ David Glassner (M, 27)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail Quarter Marathon
  1. 62:50 ~ Lindsay James (F, 12)
  2. 66:16 ~ Urska Dobersek (F, 33)
  3. 66:44 ~ Kristin Halley (F, 34)
  4. 68:17 ~ Sarrah Carroll (F, 33)
  5. 71:37 ~ Carla McDonald (F, 37)
  6. 73:26 ~ Sonya Dudley (F, 47)
  7. 75:04 ~ Megan Long (F, 29)
  8. 75:42 ~ Nissi Himes (F, 26)
  9. 75:54 ~ Lynn Kinney (F, 48)
  10. 78:47 ~ Susan Burkley (F, 38)

Gulf Winds Track Club's Swamp Forest Trail Marathon winners, 2014 - 2016
DateDistanceMenWomenFinishers
4 January 2014Marathon4:07:10, Douglas Bell5:26:39, Carla McDonald23
Half Marathon1:54:23, Jon Mason2:02:14, Brook Pace65
Quarter Marathon56:03, David Hill1:05:38, Shelley Yaun35
3 January 2015Marathon4:06:02, Dink Taylor5:04:46, Jamie Harris21
Half Marathon1:43:54, Taylor Buzzard2:17:32, Kenzie Mazziotta82
Quarter Marathon54:34, Jim Halley1:01:22, Angela Dempsey55
3 January 2016Marathon3:59:49, Douglas Bell5:07:47, Danielle Zemola17
Half Marathon1:36:58, Taylor Buzzard2:20:54, Isabel Anderson56
Quarter Marathon54:17, Jose Fernandez1:02:50, Lindsay James68


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