Four fast for Lewis and Ellis at Miles For Missions

Keeping a tradition of four-mile races alive in an era when the competitive calendar is choked with five-kilometer events, 128 athletes finished the sixth annual Run For Missions Four Mile in Valdosta, Georgia on Saturday morning, 21 January 2017. Naylor, Georgia athlete John Lewis won the 6,437-meter race, posting a time of 26:46. Valdosta master runner Melanie Ellis was the women's champion, placing fifth overall in 29:32.


Rob McGhin of Valdosta took the runner-up spot in 27:37, just ahead of third-place finisher Parker Reid Jackson. Jackson, a seventh-grader on the Valdosta Middle School cross-country team, ran 27:46. Valdosta High sophomore cross-country runner Bryce Jackson placed fourth in 28:31.


Valdosta's Vanessa Spry was second in the women's standings and eighth overall in 30:52. Pavo, Georgia master runner Pollyanna Bass was the third female finisher and twelfth overall in 31:15.


A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia provided timing and finish line services for the 2017 Run For Missions Four Mile.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Run 4 Missions

1. 26:45.9, John Lewis (M, 36) Naylor, GA
2. 27:36.3, Rob McGhin (M, 37) Valdosta, GA
3. 27:45.1, Parker Reid Jackson (M, 12) Valdosta, GA
4. 28:30.3, Bryce Jackson (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
5. 30:09.2, Billy Taylor (M, 68) Valdosta, GA
6. 30:42.7, Joseph Miles (M, 41) Valdosta, GA
7. 30:57.0, Wesley Heruska (M, 40) Hahira, GA
8. 31:00.1, Steve Taylor (M, 52) Valdosta, GA
9. 31:02.5, Greg Morris (M, 48)
10. 31:38.8, Karl Brown (M, 41) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2017 Run 4 Missions

1. 29:31.4, Melanie Ellis (F, 43) Valdosta, GA
2. 30:51.5, Vanessa Spry (F, 31) Valdosta, GA
3. 31:15.0, Pollyanna Bass (F, 44) Pavo, GA
4. 31:25.7, Brandy Van Jura (F, 37) Hahira, GA
5. 32:40.9, Lauren Bewley (F, 35) Valdosta, GA
6. 34:53.5, Gina Purvis (F, 57) Tifton, GA
7. 36:22.4, Megan Morris (F, 38)
8. 36:32.1, Amy Reese (F, 42) Valdosta, GA
9. 37:16.9, Traci Ferris (F, 34) Valdosta, GA
10. 37:34.1, Chelsea Holcombe (F, 27) Valdosta, GA

Valdosta BCM Run 4 Missions Four-Mile Road Race champions, 2012 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
21 January 2012	22:50, Parker Childree	28:10, Alice Smoot	140
19 January 2013	23:48, Ryan Kelly	31:08, Audrey Williams	100
18 January 2014	23:32, Ryan Kelly	28:49, Mackenzie Morse	86
24 January 2015	23:19, Ryan Kelly	26:48, Makenzee Page	116
23 January 2016	25:43, Rick Mazurkiewicz	28:44, Debbie Green	109
21 January 2017	26:46, John Lewis	29:32, Melanie Ellis	128

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 Run 4 Missions four-mile road race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TG8mPHwfFXJnmRxlP2nf_9cRg_UncRLFLtBpBPLcWzc/pubhtml
  
  
• 2016 story, “Four-mile wins in Valdosta for master runners Mazurkiewicz and Green”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/01/missions-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “A third win for Kelly and record run for Page at Run 4 Missions”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/01/missions-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Kelly and Morse take four”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/01/missions-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Mission accomplished for Ryan Kelly and Audrey Williams”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/01/missions-2013.html
  
  
• Find your next Valdosta road race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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