No one catches Fox or Claussen at the Pilgrim Chase

They may not all go "over the river and through the wood," but a lot of Americans return to their family home for Thanksgiving Day. Dothan, Alabama's Austin Fox relocated to Iowa City, Iowa, but he was back in Dothan on Saturday, 25 November 2017, two days after Thanksgiving, for the Pilgrim Chase 5K--the eighteenth annual edition of a race he had won twice before. When the race was over, Fox had picked up his third Pilgrim Chase win, covering the 3.1-mile cross-country course through Westgate Park in 17:47. Twelve-year-old Rory Claussen of Panama City, Florida won the women's title, placing tenth overall in 20:53.


Fox finished more than 150 meters ahead of the next runner. Behind him, Alan Flores and Chris Robbins battled for second. Flores, a Northview High frosh cross-country runner, prevailed at the finish line, running 18:23 to Robbins' 18:25. Bob Walker of Baker, Florida was the fastest master runner in the race, coming in sixth overall in 19:58.


Four weeks before the Pilgrim Chase, Rory Claussen had raced Florida's Middle School Girls' Cross-Country State Championship in Lakeland, Florida. A sixth-grader, Claussen had finished second in the three-kilometer race, running 11:21.77. She took an early lead over the women's field at the Pilgrim Chase, going out hard. After a more conservative start, Hannah Samuels caught up with Claussen about two kilometers into the race. Samuels was a junior on the Covenant College cross-country team, but Claussen was having none of that. She surged away from Samuels during the second half of the race, going on to win the women's competition in 20:53. Samuels was second in 22:41, placing fifteenth overall. Ashley Robbins of Eagen, Minnesota was third in the women's standings and 21st overall in 24:32. LaGrange, Georgia's Tanya Woodham was the top woman master and fourth female finisher, 25th overall in 25:24.


The 2017 Pilgrim Chase 5K Trail Race was hosted by the Dothan Runners. 64 athletes finished the eighteenth annual event.


[ A big thank you to master runner Mark McCarra for details on the women's race. ]


Top Ten Men, Dothan Runners' 2017 Pilgrim Chase 5K

1. 17:47, Austin Fox (M, 29) Iowa City, IA
2. 18:23, Alan Flores (M, 14) Dothan, AL
3. 18:25, Chris Robbins (M, 32) Eagan, MN
4. 19:40, Rob Oates (M, 39) Brandon, MS
5. 19:57, Cole Jordan (M, 16) Bascom, FL
6. 19:58, Bob Walker (M, 46) Baker, FL
7. 20:09, Dale Thomas (M, 54) Taylor, AL
8. 20:25, Tom Rainer (M, 35) Durham, NC
9. 20:52, Bradley Wells (M, 30) Birmingham, AL
10. 21:12, Reuben Oatees (M, 33) Clinton, MS

Top Ten Women, Dothan Runners' 2017 Pilgrim Chase 5K

1. 20:53, Rory Claussen (F, 12) Panama City, FL
2. 22:41, Hannah Samuels (F, 21) Tyrone, GA
3. 24:32, Ashley Robbins (F, 33) Eagan, MN
4. 25:24, Tanya Woodham (F, 45) LaGrange, GA
5. 26:07, Robin White (F, 37) Vestavia, AL
6. 26:27, Lindsey Fox (F, 32) Nashville, TN
7. 27:58, Chris Fox (F, 60) Dothan, AL
8. 29:13, Dale Broyles (F, 22) Savannah, GA
9. 30:25, Chandra Hanson (F, 50) Marianna, FL
10. 32:05, Stephanie Jetton (F, 29) Clio, AL

Dothan Runners' Pilgrim Chase 5K Trail Race winners, 2000 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
4 November 2000	18:22, Matt Parker	24:00, Nancy Hein	60
3 November 2001	18:23, David Robinson	22:38, Karen Kenney	68
23 November 2002	16:59, Ben Fish	22:38, Rachel Zent	56
22 November 2003	19:26, Al Goudzwaard	22:17, Donna Dowd	61
20 November 2004	19:14, Brian Hickey	23:43, Lou Ellen Jayroe	38
26 November 2005	19:44, Gabe Mitchell	22:57, Lou Ellen Jayroe	69
25 November 2006	17:36, Aubrey Darnell	22:43, Lou Ellen Jayroe	66
24 November 2007	18:24, Gabe Mitchell	23:54, Lou Ellen Jayroe	73
29 November 2008	19:01, Myles Gibson	24:11, Lou Ellen Jayroe	54
28 November 2009	18:05, Ashley Folkes	21:58, Kayla Fox	81
27 November 2010	16:24, Christopher Hough	24:10, Emily Anne Latta	73
26 November 2011	17:47, Sean Kent	20:02, Ashlee Romani	112
24 November 2012	17:10, David Seymour	22:50, Kayla Fox	127
30 November 2013	17:14, Austin Fox	19:27, In-Mi Matsunaga	96
29 November 2014	18:41, Adam McPherson	23:07, Val Lichner	97
28 November 2015	17:28, Austin Fox	19:36, Ginna Reid	78
26 November 2016	19:19, Rob Oates	22:36, Ella Richards	59
25 November 2017	17:47, Austin Fox	20:53, Rory Claussen	64

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 Pilgrim Chase 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTeK9-ti_GkFGH63RctqC8SBniJgSWhPgcyd7mNFGSfeRcf7cbR8a8BxFhttolYT2zMU-M_HFTK5YM8/pubhtml
  
  
• 2016 story, “Oates and Richards win in Westgate at the Pilgrim Chase”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/11/pilgrim-chase-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Everyone ends up chasing Fox and Reid at the Pilgrim Chase”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/11/pilgrim-chase-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “McPherson and Lichner are Dothan's paramount pilgrim pursuers”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/11/pilgrim-chase-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Veteran harriers Fox and Matsunaga win the Pilgrim Chase 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/12/pilgrim-chase-2013.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Kent and Romani catch titles at Pilgrim Chase 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/12/pilgrim-chase-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “73 athletes chase pilgrims; none catch Hough or Latta”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/11/pilgrim-chase-2010.html
  
  
• Find upcoming races near Dothan or any other city within 100 miles of Tallahassee
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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