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!"

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.

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)

"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.

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)

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
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
4 January 2014	Marathon	4:07:10, Douglas Bell	5:26:39, Carla McDonald	23
	Half Marathon	1:54:23, Jon Mason	2:02:14, Brook Pace	65
	Quarter Marathon	56:03, David Hill	1:05:38, Shelley Yaun	35
3 January 2015	Marathon	4:06:02, Dink Taylor	5:04:46, Jamie Harris	21
	Half Marathon	1:43:54, Taylor Buzzard	2:17:32, Kenzie Mazziotta	82
	Quarter Marathon	54:34, Jim Halley	1:01:22, Angela Dempsey	55
3 January 2016	Marathon	3:59:49, Douglas Bell	5:07:47, Danielle Zemola	17
	Half Marathon	1:36:58, Taylor Buzzard	2:20:54, Isabel Anderson	56
	Quarter Marathon	54:17, Jose Fernandez	1:02:50, Lindsay James	68

Links

• Complete results of Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail races at gulfwinds.org
  http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2016/Swamp%20Forest%20Trail%202016.asp
  
  
• More photos of Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail races
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10107071951219913.1073742162.5215641&l=adb6cf937c
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Swamp Trail races
  https://picasaweb.google.com/112560881455823075870/Swamp_16
  
  
• Find upcoming races on trails, tracks, and roads using the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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