McCoy and Mixon master the Melon Run

If there is an official fruit of summer, it is the watermelon. Tomatoes have their fans, and there is nothing wrong with plums or a good peach, but none of these can match the popularity of watermelons. This popularity is reflected in the large number of Watermelon Runs you'll find on America's roads throughout the summer. I'm not saying that you won't find races dedicated to pumpkins, grapes, or apples. It's just that you'll find many, many more events that celebrate watermelon. Such races are scheduled in multiple towns in each state. Cordele, Georgia is one such town.


On Saturday morning, 18 June 2016, Hinesville, Georgia master runner Robert McCoy won Cordele's 2016 Watermelon Race by nearly 600 meters, covering the five kilometer course in 19:44. Rand McDonald, an eighth-grader on the Early County Middle School cross-country team, was second overall in 22:23. Bucky Thompson of Byromville, Georgia placed third in 23:02.


Vienna, Georgia distance runner Caitlin Mixon was the women's champ, finishing fourth overall in 24:02. Atlanta, Georgia's Whitney Conner was runner-up on the women's side and eighth overall in 27:02. Cordele's own Adrienne Worley was the third woman and ninth overall in 27:14. Dale Lawson of Cordele was the top woman master and fourth female finisher, tenth overall in 27:33.


59 athletes finished Cordele's 2016 Watermelon 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Cordele Watermelon 5K

1. 19:43.81 ~ Robert McCoy (M, 50) Hinesville, GA
2. 22:22.05 ~ Rand McDonald (M, 13) Blakely, GA
3. 23:01.75 ~ Bucky Thompson (M, 33) Byromville, GA
4. 25:02.33 ~ Garan Daw (M, 15) Unadilla, GA
5. 25:20.25 ~ Will Lanneau (M, 16) Cordele, GA
6. 26:33.60 ~ Angel Valdes (M, 25) Cordele, GA
7. 29:22.14 ~ Jud Lanneau (M, 46) Cordele, GA
8. 29:48.82 ~ Rick Lawson (M, 53) Cordele, GA
9. 30:28.98 ~ Ben Carey (M, 37) Cobb, GA
10. 30:43.61 ~ Dagan Kennedy (M, 17) Cordele, GA

Top Ten Women, 2016 Cordele Watermelon 5K

1. 24:01.08 ~ Caitlin Mixon (F, 27) Vienna, GA
2. 27:01.25 ~ Whitney Conner (F, 27) Atlanta, GA
3. 27:13.58 ~ Adrienne Worley (F, 35) Cordele, GA
4. 27:32.33 ~ Dale Lawson (F, 49) Cordele, GA
5. 30:10.90 ~ Stacey McGarr (F, 44) Cordele, GA
6. 30:54.08 ~ Rebecca Walker (F, 37) Cordele, GA
7. 31:36.51 ~ Erica Rickerson (F, 17) Hawkinsville, GA
8. 34:27.60 ~ Andrea Wade (F, 47) Cordele, GA
9. 34:58.23 ~ Toni Lanneau (F, 46) Cordele, GA
10. 35:03.04 ~ Jennifer Edalgo (F, 36) Cordele, GA

Cordele Watermelon 5K
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
14 June 2008	10K	33:46, David Marley	51:34, Elizabeth Lambert	45
	5K	20:37, Patrick Calcutt	22:25, Neeli Fortson	70
13 June 2009	12K	43:34, Austin McDonald	60:35, Cheryl Vail	63
	5K	17:47, Nathan Norton	24:35, Katherine McGarr	84
12 June 2010	12K	54:24, Bret Campbell	62:39, Emily Parker	59
	5K	19:00, Nathan Norton	22:12, Molly Smith	95
10 June 2011	10.5K	45:54, Sean McConnell	51:16, Leah Ellis	25
	5K	18:47, Masked Avenger	24:50, Heidi Taylor	64
9 June 2012	10.2K
	5K
8 June 2013	5K	18:54, Robert Bledsoe	21:18, Katherine McGarr	103
7 June 2014	5K	18:45, Hunter Kimball	24:41, Lauren Pollock	78
27 June 2015	5K	21:21, Robert McCoy	25:49, Charlene Pennymon	67
18 June 2016	5K	19:44, Robert McCoy	24:02, Caitlin Mixon	59

Links

• Complete results of the 2016 Cordele Watermelon 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17QVTgNC3VoLAIy9o3Oq_PZYPVpqSwBV3Xq0kZp5y1KM/pubhtml
  
  
• “Summer is Watermelon [Run] Season”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/06/melon-runs.html
  
  
• Find all the upcoming Watermelon Runs in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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