Paul Guyas beats the Batman at FSU's Autism Superhero 5K

Until a few days before the ninth annual FSU Autism Superhero 5K, the Northwood Centre was infested with enough brown bats to populate any bat cave. So it was appropriate that when that race started in front of the Northwood Centre, it was a runner dressed as Batman that jumped out into the lead. However, the Caped Crusader wasn't first over the finish line. Instead it was Paul Guyas who won the race in 18:14, finishing more than a hundred meters ahead of the Dark Knight. Leigh Ann Bradley was the first woman in the 5K, placing 22nd overall in 24:41. 198 athletes finished the 3.1-mile race.

Paul Guyas and Tyler Sununu

The hosts of the race, the Florida State University Center For Autism, is somewhat responsible for the appearance of Batman. After seven years of branding the race as the FSU Autism 5K, the Center added "Superhero" to the title in 2015. "We are encouraging participants to come dressed in their best Superhero costume!" read the pre-race information. So Tyler Sununu showed up at that eighth annual race dressed as Batman, placing second after leading for the first three kilometers. Sununu was back as The Bat in 2016, despite the consequences of running in the heavily-insulated costume.


"I'm already burning up in here," Sununu confessed before the start of the race. He spoke in a rasping Batman voice of course.

Aaron Taylor

The runners got going just after 9:00 AM, starting with a circuit of the Northwood Center parking lot. Out onto Tharpe Street and west into the Parkside-Park Terrace neighborhood, Sununu led the field around the course. Late in the third kilometer Paul Guyas caught up with Sununu. Getting past him took a little longer.


"He kept surging," said Guyas. "I was like he was doing intervals in his batsuit."


"I was doing the voice the whole time," said Sununu. So in addition to changes in pace, Guyas also had to cope with occasional exclamations of "Justice!" and "I'm Batman!" That ended, though, with a kilometer to go.


"I passed him on the turn onto Tharpe Street," said Guyas. "I got onto the inside of the turn and went."

#4835 Case Gregory and #3281 Michael Savage

The Batman may have caught many criminals since his first appearance in Detective Comics in 1939, but this Batman wasn't going to catch Guyas. Guyas won going away in 18:14, while Sununu was second in 18:39. Aaron Taylor was third in 20:00, Jeremy Fowler third in 20:07 and Ronnie Bonds fourth in 20:57. Twelve-year-old Case Gregory held off the top master runner in the race, Michael Savage, for fifth, both runners clocked in 21:20. Earlier in the morning, Gregory had run 6:50 in the FSU Autism Superhero Mile, finishing first in a field of 128 athletes.


Behind women's winner Leigh Ann Bradley, Debbie Peters was the top woman master and second female finisher, 23rd overall in 26:19. Anna Busby and Sarah Busby were the third and fourth women across the finish line, coming in 24th and 25th overall with identical times of 26:34.

Leigh Ann Bradley

The FSU Autism Institute uses the proceeds of their Autism Superhero Run to provide consultation, resources, education, and other services free of charge to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, their families, and the professionals who work with them. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip timed the races.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Run For Autism 5K

1. 18:14 ~ Paul Guyas (M, 38)
2. 18:39 ~ Trevor Sununu (M, 20)
3. 20:00 ~ Aaron Taylor (M, 22)
4. 20:07 ~ Jeremy Fowler (M, 27)
5. 20:57 ~ Ronnie Bonds (M, 39)
6. 21:20 ~ Case Gregory (M, 12)
7. 21:20 ~ Michael Savage (M, 58)
8. 22:29 ~ Michael Labossiere (M, 49)
9. 23:05 ~ Daryn Oney (M, 26)
10. 23:28 ~ Cody Canavan (M, 24)

Top Ten Women, 2016 Run For Autism 5K

1. 26:09 ~ Leigh Ann Bradley (F, 37)
2. 26:19 ~ Debbie Peters (F, 55)
3. 26:34 ~ Anna Busby (F, 25)
4. 26:34 ~ Sarah Busby (F, 22)
5. 26:38 ~ Sharon Sollohub (F, 51)
6. 26:41 ~ Jhenai Chandler (F, 28)
7. 27:11 ~ Deirdre McCarthy (F, 36)
8. 27:33 ~ Alithea Schoborg (F, 16)
9. 27:54 ~ Holly Ardolf (F, 25)
10. 27:54 ~ Aydan Molthen (F, 15)

Run For Autism 5K champions, 2009 - 2016
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
18 April 2009	19:21, Daniel Bradford	20:39, Jennifer Watts	163
17 April 2010	18:01, Brian Corbin	21:08, Jamie Barrett	280
26 March 2011	17:55, Peter Kaus	21:10, Jamie Barrett	192
7 April 2012	17:43, Peter Kaus	22:14, Jennifer Hall	243
30 March 2013	17:25, Jeff O' Connell	22:18, Sheri Poskanzer	273
5 April 2014	19:38, Jemal Legrand	21:48, Lydia Ware	137
18 April 2015	19:03, Michael Martinez	23:16, Melanie Leitman	199
10 April 2016	18:14, Paul Guyas	24:41, Megan Myers	197
Please contact me if you have any information about the results of the 2008 race.

Links

• Complete results of the 2016 Run For Autism 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2016/Run%20for%20Autism%202016.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2016 Run For Autism 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10107478698155793.1073742180.5215641&l=c1ef29e954
  
  
• 2015 story, “Martinez and Leitman outrun the zanies at the Autism 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/04/autism-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “LeGrand and Ware prove amphibious at the Autism 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/04/autism-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Southwood wins for O'Connell and Poskanzer in Run For Autism 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/03/autism-2013.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Kaus sets record while Barrett defends title at Autism 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/03/autism-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “It's Corbin and Barrett's race at the Autism 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/04/2010-autism-5k.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map FL14068EBM for the 2015 FSU Autism 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL14068EBM
  
  
• Choose your next 5K race from the assortment on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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