Vince Molosky returns to the top at Torreya

Tallahassee, Florida athlete Vince Molosky won the first seven Draggin' Tail Ultra Trail Challenges, each annual 50K race from 2008 to 2014. That streak ended in 2015 when Charn McAllister took the title, and Molosky had to settle for second best. On 2 April 2016, though, Molosky returned yet again to the trails of Florida's Torreya State Park and won the ninth annual Draggin' Tail 50K, running 4:57:01. While Molosky was earning his eighth championship, Juanita Chalmers was winning the women's division for the first time. Chalmers ran the race in 6:42:20, placing sixth overall.


Conditions were troubling in the hours before the race as a severe storm passed through. The Draggin' Tail Ultra Trail Challenge isn't totally immune to the weather. The 2009 race had to be postponed when a particularly wet spring caused the Apalachicola River to rise out of its banks, flooding many of the trails. A little bit a rain may never have hurt anyone, but it's hard to run on a course that's several fathoms underwater. But by the Saturday morning of the 2016 Draggin' Tail the storm was gone. Wet trails had been added to the Challenge, but the race went on.


Behind Molosky, Patrick Gallagher was the top master in the 50K, placing second overall in 5:14:40. Greg Bargo was third overall in 5:17:44, and 2015 champ Charn McAllister was fourth in 6:13:04.


Caroline Thomas was runner-up in the women's standings, coming in eighth overall in 6:50:40. Danielle Zemola edged Chrissy Coutts 7:16:43 to 7:16:44 for the third woman's spot, Zemola finishing eleventh overall and Coutts twelfth. Coutts was also the top woman master in the race.


24 athletes finished the 50K at the 2016 Draggin' Tail Ultra Challenge.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Torreya Draggin' Tail 50K

1. 4:57:01 ~ Vince Molosky (M, 37)
2. 5:14:40 ~ Patrick Gallagher (M, 40)
3. 5:17:44 ~ Greg Bargo (M, 33)
4. 6:13:04 ~ Charn McAllister (M, 33)
5. 6:19:07 ~ Herb Kieklak (M, 36)
6. 6:44:44 ~ Corey Gardner (M, 29)
7. 7:00:25 ~ Gary Johnson (M, 41)
8. 7:08:02 ~ Michael Woods (M, 38)
9. 7:30:28 ~ Aaron Kronick (M, 32)
10. 8:24:39 ~ Dana Stetson (M, 59)

Top Ten Women, 2016 Torreya Draggin' Tail 50K

1. 6:42:20 ~ Juanita Chalmers (F, 33)
2. 6:50:40 ~ Caroline Thomas (F, 30)
3. 7:16:43 ~ Danielle Zemola (F, 37)
4. 7:16:44 ~ Chrissy Coutts (F, 44)
5. 8:29:27 ~ Andrea Nelson (F, 44)
6. 8:29:57 ~ Soledad Rodriguez (F, 45)
7. 8:45:45 ~ Laura Flores (F, 40)
8. 8:45:45 ~ Lisa Causey (F, 57)
9. 8:45:46 ~ Debbie Tossas (F, 53)
10. 9:11:47 ~ Letha Cruthirds (F, 62)

If 31 miles of running up and down the bluffs of the Apalachicola River on wet hiking trails was too much for you, there was always the Draggin' Tail 25K--the same, but only half as much of it. Tallahassee master runner Andy Roberts won the "short" race. Lydia Miles--a Wewahitchka, Florida master runner--took the women's title in 2:59:43, placing fifth overall. 55 athletes finished the 25K, the most ever in Draggin' Tail history.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Torreya Draggin' Tail 25K

1. 2:36:48 ~ Andy Roberts (M, 49)
2. 2:44:52 ~ Mark Jones (M, 41)
3. 2:51:27 ~ Ken Thrasher (M, 50)
4. 2:58:26 ~ Michael Kennett (M, 42)
5. 3:05:53 ~ Jeff Bryan (M, 48)
6. 3:06:59 ~ Michael Wiser (M, 51)
7. 3:13:40 ~ Scott Barloga (M, 47)
8. 3:23:15 ~ Patrick Bateman (M, 28)
9. 3:34:58 ~ Nathaniel Russell (M, 31)
10. 3:35:39 ~ Glen Smith (M, 52)

Top Ten Women, 2016 Torreya Draggin' Tail 25K

1. 2:59:43 ~ Lydia Miles (F, 43)
2. 3:23:11 ~ Norma McPherson (F, 33)
3. 3:24:57 ~ Paula Lunt (F, 50)
4. 3:35:05 ~ Edna Reed (F, 41)
5. 3:38:18 ~ Megan Federico (F, 32)
6. 3:42:46 ~ Cathy Tibbetts (F, 61)
7. 3:51:48 ~ Carla Elliott (F, 54)
8. 3:53:04 ~ Faith Stoutamire (F, 40)
9. 3:57:10 ~ Lori Bufka (F, 54)
10. 3:57:34 ~ Lynn Masimore (F, 37)

Winners of Torreya State Park's Draggin' Tail Ultra Trail Challenge, 2008 - 2016
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
19 April 2008	50K	5:52:53, Vince Molosky	7:21:59, Casey Rodgers	12
	25K	2:34:59, Brian Corbin	2:49:16, Lisa Purul	25
23 May 2009	50K	5:10:06, Vince Molosky	6:38:20, Shana Ryberg	15
	25K	2:28:40, Michael Kennett	3:02:57, Kirsten Baggett	20
10 April 2010	50K	4:59:06, Vince Molosky	6:42:39, Chrissy Coutts	17
	25K	2:19:29, Mike McConnell	3:10:30, Kate McCabe	23
9 April 2011	50K	4:44:35, Vince Molosky	6:27:34, Chrissy Coutts	11
	25K	2:26:59, Paul Brannon	2:44:03, Ashley Daily	33
7 April 2012	50K	4:53:55, Vince Molosky	6:09:44, Chrissy Coutts	15
	25K	2:15:43, Camilo Ordonez	2:45:07, Kate Chunka	41
6 April 2013	50K	4:40:06, Vince Molosky	5:47:48, Ashley Dailey	19
	25K	2:18:46, Michael Kennett	2:58:15, Melissa Hooke	38
5 April 2014	50K	4:45:02, Vince Molosky	6:05:30, Kathleen Baker	20
	25K	2:32:41, Joel Piotrowski	3:00:30, Amanda Hudson	48
11 April 2015	50K	4:54:04, Charn McAllister	6:15:07, Ashley Daily	18
	25K	2:18:40, Eric Godin	3:03:15, Kristen Bowers	50
2 April 2016	50K	4:57:01, Vince Molosky	6:42:20, Juanita Chalmers	24
	25K	2:36:48, Andy Roberts	2:59:43, Lydia Miles	55

Links

• Complete results of Torreya State Park's 2016 Draggin' Tail 50K & 25K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nbeDB6n-D_DAEbkBtHG0lNtmEvL35GqrH_9mr943ajA/pubhtml
  
  
• 2015 story, “McAllister and Daily master the Draggin' in Torreya”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/04/torreya-ultra-2015.html
  
  
• Torreya State Park's Draggin' Tail 25k/50k Ultra Trail Challenge on Facebook
  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Torreya-State-Parks-Draggin-Tail-25k50k-Ultra-Trail-Challenge/112939732129824
  
  
• Torreya State Park
  https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Torreya
  
  
• If there's a race involving dragons, unicorns, or basilisks, you'll find it on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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