O'Kelley, Rosen make a little Flash 12K history in Saint Marks

“How far back is he?” called out Chris O’Kelley.


O’Kelley was headed south on the Saint Marks Trail, leading Gulf Winds Track Club’s Flash 12K. The next runner, Michael Rhodes, was far back indeed, about 200 meters behind with less than three kilometers left in the race. On the way to the finish line at San Marcos de Apalache State Park, O’Kelley widened that gap to nearly 400 meters, winning the race in 44:20.

Chris O'Kelley

It was the 30th annual Flash 12K that Saturday morning, 17 February 2018, in Saint Marks, Florida. In a town like Saint Marks, with history going back to the days of Spanish Florida, you’d expect the race to be much older. It would be satisfying, for instance, to learn that the race started in 1718, when the Spanish military commandant stationed at San Marcos de Apalache ordered his men to race tres legua as a display of their fitness for combat. Or perhaps the Flash 12K could trace its lineage to 1818, when Andrew Jackson celebrated his occupation of Saint Marks with a 60-furlong footrace and the execution by hanging of two British citizens, with maybe a few public floggings thrown in. Or maybe the race began in 1838 as recreation for workers on the Saint Marks Railroad, or in 1863 to settle a bet among troops stationed at Fort Ward.

Michael Rhodes

None of those is true. The first Flash 12K wasn’t even in Saint Marks. Joe Dexter began the event in Chaires, Florida in 1989. By 2005 the traffic around Chaires had increased enough that Dexter moved the race to Woodville and the Saint Marks Trail. In 2011 construction on the Saint Marks Trail near Woodville made the course unuseable. Mark Priddy, having taken over as race director from Dexter, moved the Flash 12K to Saint Marks. The Flash was in Saint Marks for the eighth time in 2018 when a new race director, Keith Rowe, gave the runners the command to start just after 8:30 AM.

Travis Parks and Mickey Moore

Michael Rhodes, a master runner from Perry, Florida, took the lead in the 12K near the end of the first kilometer. Chris O’Kelley of Tallahassee, Florida moved into second. Rhodes opened a gap initially, but O’Kelley overtook him before the four-kilometer mark. It was Kelley’s race after that, and he ran home in a winning 44:20. Rhodes took second in 45:39. Behind the first two finishers, Travis Parks and Mickey Moore had been battling for third for almost the entire race. Parks, a Tallahassee Community College cross-country runner, pulled away with a final effort, taking third in 46:58. Moore, a Tallahassee master runner, was fourth in 47:05.

Sheryl Rosen

It was O’Kelley’s first Flash 12K win. On the women’s side, though, Tallahassee lawyer Sheryl Rosen grabbed her fourth title, placing fifth overall in 48:20. Rosen had been the women’s champion of the Flash 12K for the first time in in 2010, back on the Woodville course. Her next three wins--2013, 2015, and 2018--had come in Saint Marks. Tsige Tadesse was the first woman master in the Flash 12K and second to Rosen in the women's standings, twentieth overall in 56:14. Nazarae Holcombe was the third woman and 25th overall in 57:49.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2018 Flash 12K

1. 44:20, Chris O'Kelley (M, 24)
2. 45:39, Michael Rhodes (M, 49)
3. 46:58, Travis Parks (M, 21)
4. 47:05, Mickey Moore (M, 47)
5. 48:48, Paul Guyas (M, 40)
6. 48:58, Myles Gibson (M, 51)
7. 49:17, Steven Wilson (M, 36)
8. 50:09, Matthew Rowan (M, 49)
9. 51:10, Tad David (M, 49)
10. 52:04, Philip Sura (M, 47)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2018 Flash 12K

1. 48:20, Sheryl Rosen (F, 33)
2. 56:14, Tsige Tadesse (F, 50)
3. 57:49, Nazarae Holcombe (F, 27)
4. 58:32, Abby Ross (F, 36)
5. 58:50, Sherri Wise (F, 36)
6. 59:23, Danielle De Greef (F, 22)
7. 59:56, Ruffian Tyner (F, 42)
8. 60:33, Kory Skrob (F, 47)
9. 60:55, Nancy Johnson (F, 44)
10. 61:33, Ludmila De Faria (F, 49)

Since 2009, a 6K has been run concurrently with the Flash 12K. In 2018, the shorter race was the tenth Flash 6K. Eric Houge led early, setting the pace for 12K runners and 6K runners alike. Houge was still ahead at the 3K mark, the turnaround on the out-and-back course, ten seconds up on on the next runner, 2017 Flash 6K champion Geb Kiros. On the return trip, Kiros made up that ten seconds and then some, passing Houge and winning the race in 22:53. Houge was second in 22:57. Michael Martinez, the 2013 Flash 6K champion, was third in 24:34.

Christina Linton

Christina Linton was the first woman in the 6K, placing eighth overall in 27:05. Paula O'Neill was the first woman master and second female finisher, twelfth overall in 28:41. Master runner Madeleine Ely was third in the women's standings and fourteenth overall in 29:13.


168 athletes finished the Flash 12K and another 114 completed the Flash 6K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed both races.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2018 Flash 6K

1. 22:53, Geb Kiros (M, 51)
2. 22:57, Eric Houge (M, 37)
3. 24:34, Michael Martinez (M, 52)
4. 25:55, Clint Beam (M, 32)
5. 26:36, Jonathan Kiros (M, 9)
6. 26:49, William Pafford (M, 32)
7. 26:58, Jack Schwenkler (M, 10)
8. 27:29, Erik Andersen (M, 35)
9. 28:17, Jon Roddenberry (M, 44)
10. 28:34, Brennan Abramowitz (M, 21)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2018 Flash 6K

1. 27:05, Christina Linton (F, 37)
2. 28:41, Paula O'Neill (F, 56)
3. 29:13, Madeleine Ely (F, 44)
4. 29:56, Lynn Masimore (F, 39)
5. 30:35, Kennedy Hall (F, 19)
6. 31:48, Shelby Varner (F, 23)
7. 32:01, Leah Kiros (F, 12)
8. 32:05, Heather Malloy (F, 49)
9. 32:35, Catherin Jones (F, 58)
10. 33:50, Cheryl Moore (F, 50)

Gulf Winds Track Club Flash 12K Champions, 1989 - 2018
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
28 January 1989	12K	39:44, John Devine	48:50, Barbara Balzer	155
17 February 1990	12K	44:10, David Rigby	54:40, Kathy Weiss	102
26 January 1991	12K	39:36, Jessie Close	50:24, Tina Davies	163
18 January 1992	12K	39:33, Jessie Close	45:24, Paula Johnson	132
23 January 1993	12K	42:40, Jonathan Bigg	45:43, Linda Nilges	134
15 January 1994	12K	38:02, Robin Rogers	45:34, Jane Johnson	91
21 January 1995	12K	40:49, Gary Droze	45:34, Jane Johnson	145
27 January 1996	12K	41:10, Gary Droze	44:27, Jane Johnson	132
11 January 1997	12K	39:25, Brian Erb	47:57, Sarah Williams	75
7 February 1998	12K	42:57, Clarence Calloway	45:12, Sarah Williams	164
20 February 1999	12K	44:40, Tim Simpkins	46:27, Sarah Williams	82
19 February 2000	12K	39:44, Michael Strickland	46:06, Sara Docter-Williams	107
17 February 2001	12K	43:56, Tim Unger	45:38, Sarah Docter-Williams	98
16 February 2002	12K	40:35, Gary Droze	47:17, Jane Johnson	148
1 February 2003	12K	42:52, Shawn Patterson	52:18, Lisa Whitworth	80
7 February 2004	12K	42:46, Tim Unger	52:49, Lisa Whitworth	89
5 February 2005	12K	42:05, Lee Willis	45:30, Sarah Docter-Williams	118
4 February 2006	12K	42:49, Vince Molosky	50:21, Lisa Johnson	89
17 February 2007	12K	44:58, Todd Smoot	52:22, Kim Likens	74
16 February 2008	12K	43:10, Tripp Southerland	50:57, Stephanie Liles	131
21 February 2009	12K	42:34, Jay Wallace	50:48, Jane Johnson	105
	6K	23:21, Brian Corbin	21:36, Jana Stolting	30
20 February 2010	12K	41:57, Daniel Lee	47:12, Sheryl Rosen	176
	6K	24:43, Ben Kail	31:35, Rachel Phipps	53
19 February 2011	12K	40:57, Thomas Kunish	49:23, Kelly Stevens	214
	6K	23:59, Caleb Harris	31:26, Ashton McMurray	73
18 February 2012	12K	41:23, Stephen Cox	49:52, Katie Showman	214
	6K	24:57, Duane Evans	27:39, Nancy Gribble	89
16 February 2013	12K	38:41, Kevin Sullivan	46:17, Sheryl Rosen	268
	6K	21:54, Michael Martinez	25:09, Jessica Gillard	70
15 February 2014	12K	39:39, Stanley Linton	45:20, Seeley Gutierrez	262
	6K	21:56, Jon Mason	28:15, Sarah Taff	85
21 February 2015	12K	42:03, Zach Deveau	47:33, Sheryl Rosen	207
	6K	23:30, Duane Evans	24:20, Katie Gorman	98
20 February 2016	12K	40:52, Roger Schmidt	50:43, Katie Sherron	213
	6K	23:17, Travis Parks	32:26, Leah Kiros	87
18 February 2017	12K	43:25, Vince Molosky	47:31, Katie Sherron	162
	6K	22:02, Geb Kiros	26:02, Katie Sack	128
17 February 2018	12K	44:20, Chris O'Kelley	48:20, Sheryl Rosen	168
	6K	22:53, Geb Kiros	27:05, Christina Linton	114
In 1989-2004 the race started and finished in Chaires. (FL88036BH and FL94001DL) In 2005-2010 the race started and finished at J. Lewis Hall Park in Woodville. (FL05007DL) In 2011-2017 the race started and finished at Fort San Marcos de Apalachee in St. Marks. (FL11133EBM)

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 Flash 12K (and 6K) at gulfwinds.org
  
  • 12K:http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2018/Flash12K2018.html
  • 6K: http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2018/Flash6K2018.html
  
  
• More photos of the 2018 Flash 12K (and 6K)
  
  • Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10111425165902793.1073742340.5215641&type=1&l=5fbd610f2e
    
  • Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10111426976324693.1073742341.5215641&type=1&l=84a707c87b
    
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2018 Flash 12K (and 6K)
  https://photos.app.goo.gl/3Z6TFjNmWHyzltjx2
  
  
• 2017 story, “Not for the first time, Molosky and Sherron are first at the Flash”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/02/flash-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Schmidt and Sherron fly through the Flash”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/02/flash-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “DeVeau and Rosen first in the Flash”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/02/flash-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Linton and Gutierrez try, try again...and win, at the Flash 12K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/02/flash-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Flashy victories for Sullivan and Rosen”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/02/flash-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “A dozen fast for Cox and Showman at Flash 12K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/02/flash-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Kunish and Stevens are the fastest Flashers in St. Marks”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/02/flash-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Lee and Rosen Flash to the Front”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/02/flash-12k.html
  
  
• 2008 Flash 12K story
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2008/02/2008-flash-12k.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map (FL11133EBM) for the Flash 12K
  https://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL11133EBM
  
  
• USATF course certification map (FL16069TY) for the Flash 6K
  https://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL16069TY
  
  
• 12K, 6K, or some other distance, find upcoming races on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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