Kiros and Rosen take the TMH For Life Challenge

Racing for the first time in the new year, Tallahassee master runner Geb Kiros won the third annual TMH For Life Challenge Winter 5K on Saturday morning, 7 January 2017. The Florida A & M University biostatistics professor covered the 3.1-mile course through the streets of Tallahassee in 18:07, finishing close to sixty yards ahead of the next runner. Sheryl Rosen, the women’s champ at the race in 2015, added another TMH For Life title to her collection, winning the women’s competition in 19:35. Rosen finished fifth overall.

Geb Kiros

It was a cold morning, thanks to one of those winter storms that the Weather Channel likes to name. The fringes of the system had dropped heavy rain on the city overnight. By race time the rain had stopped, but the temperatures were just over freezing. Gusts of wind made it feel even colder.


“Windy!” summarized Sheryl Rosen.

Sheryl Rosen

“Extreme weather!” said meteorologist Ryan Truchelut, who won the race in 2015. “I like it cold, though. I run more efficiently at low temperatures. I don’t get really cold till it’s down to fifteen degrees. We’d get weather like that in New Jersey.”


Which could explain why after studying at Princeton, Truchelut chose Florida State for his doctoral program.


Sunny Tallahassee wasn’t living up to its reputation when the race started just after 8:45 AM. Kiros dashed out ahead quickly, with Truchelut and Tallahassee Community College cross-country coach Gary Droze close behind. After two years of starting on Medical Drive, a course change had moved the start to Miccosukee Road. However, the middle mile of the race still took the runners through the well-named Miccosukee Hills neighborhood.

Gary Droze and Ryan Truchelut

“That would be a good place to run a downhill mile,” said Droze. “I was looking for an elevator coming back up, though.”


Droze and Truchelut kept Kiros in sight through Miccosukee Hills. Back on Miccosukee Road, racing toward the finish on Surgeons Drive, the two narrowed Kiros’ lead a bit as they dueled for second. No one was catching the professor, though, and Kiros crossed the finish line unchallenged in 18:07. Behind him, Droze and Truchelut fought for the runner-up spot.


“I thought I could lose him on the hills,” said Droze. “But he held on and went by me at the end.”

Krista Killius

Truchelut accelerated on the home stretch to take second in 18:19, while Droze was third in 18:23. Mickey Moore, the race winner in 2016, finished fourth in 19:13.


Sheryl Rosen was fifth overall in 19:35, taking the women's title for the second time in three years. Krista Killius of Tallahassee was the top woman master and second female finisher, placing ninth overall in 23:55. Tallahassee master runner Tsige Tadesse was third in the women's standings and thirteenth overall in 24:17.


141 athletes finished the 2017 TMH For Life Challenge Winter 5K. DRC Sports, Inc., of Inverness, Florida chip timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2017 TMH For Life Challenge Winter 5K

1. 18:06.44, Geb Kiros (M, 50) Tallahassee, FL
2. 18:18.66, Ryan Truchelut (M, 31) Tallahassee, FL
3. 18:22.41, Gary Droze (M, 55) Tallahassee, FL
4. 19:12.66, Mickey Moore (M, 46) Tallahassee, FL
5. 20:11.41, Duane Evans (M, 49) Crawfordville, FL
6. 21:36.51, Colby Allen (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
7. 23:13.67, Michael LaBossiere (M, 50) Tallahassee, FL
8. 23:58.98, Bradley Stewart (M, 33) Tallahassee, FL
9. 24:01.17, Jackson Rowe (M, 10) Tallahassee, FL
10. 24:12.84, Jonathan Kiros (M, 8) Tallahassee, FL

Top Ten Women, 2017 TMH For Life Challenge Winter 5K

1. 19:34.67, Sheryl Rosen (F, 32) Tallahassee, FL
2. 23:54.92, Krista Killius (F, 53) Tallahassee, FL
3. 24:16.33, Tsige Tadesse (F, 44) Tallahassee, FL
4. 26:18.13, Fran McLean (F, 59) Tallahassee, FL
5. 26:53.23, Julianne Colle (F, 30) Tallahassee, FL
6. 27:08.58, Rachael Brooks (F, 22) Tallahassee, FL
7. 27:12.93, Ann Geiger (F, 17) Tallahassee, FL
8. 27:30.14, Shannon Hall (F, 46) Moultrie, GA
9. 27:35.68, Tracy Davis (F, 49) Pavo, GA
10. 27:39.43, Leslie Brett (F, 25) Tallahassee, FL

TMH For Life Challenge Winter 5K winners, 2015 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
3 January 2015	18:40, Ryan Truchelut	19:42, Sheryl Rosen	142
9 January 2016	18:44, Mickey Moore	21:55, Kayla Wilson	182
7 January 2017	18:07, Geb Kiros	19:35, Sheryl Rosen	141

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 TMH For Life Challenge Winter 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2017/TMH%20for%20Life%2001-2017.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2017 TMH For Life Challenge Winter 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10108871775587453.1073742252.5215641&l=64b5b0112f
  
  
• 2016 story, “Moore and Wilson emerge from Miccosukee Hills as winners”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/01/tmh-for-life-winter-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Truchelut and Rosen hit hard on the TMH hills”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/01/tmh-for-life-2014.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map for the 2017 TMH For Life Challenge Winter 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL16081TY
  
  
• Upcoming races with big hills and small in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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