Colby Smith and Ann Centner set the pace in Albany's Love Run

Saturday morning, 10 February 2018, was four days before Valentine's Day. Colby Smith had 98 people chasing him that morning, but they weren't admirers. They were the rest of the field of Albany, Georgia's fifth annual Love Run 5K, and Smith finished nearly 200 meters ahead of the nearest pursuer. Ann Centner of Blakely, Georgia won the women's title, finishing second overall in 19:25.


Will Tomlinson, a frosh-year runner on the Lee County High cross-country team, was second to Smith in the men's standings, placing third overall in 20:59. Chase Reeves, a Lee County Middle School cross-country runner, was the third male finisher and fourth overall in 22:24. Oscar Viquez was the first master runner in the race, placing fifth overall in 22:40.


Centner's 19:25 was a new Love Run record for women, breaking the old record of 19:52 set by Elena Oslund in 2014 at the first Love Run. Behind Centner, Karen McNally was the top woman master and the second female finisher, eighth overall in 23:50. Ten-year-old Lily Kate Castle was third in the women's standings and tenth overall in 24:33.


99 athletes finished the 2018 Love Run 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Albany, Georgia, Love Run 5K

1. 18:41.6, Colby Smith (M, 23)
2. 20:58.1, Will Tomlinson (M, 15)
3. 22:23.3, Chase Reeves (M, 13)
4. 22:39.1, Oscar Viquez (M, 48)
5. 23:28.7, Jim Tully (M, 71)
6. 23:34.6, Braden Miller (M, 44)
7. 24:23.1, Ward Wright (M, 12)
8. 24:56.4, Timothy Ellis (M, 13)
9. 25:02.5, James Brooks (M, 49)
10. 25:07.4, Wayne Kountis (M, 58)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Albany, Georgia, Love Run 5K

1. 19:25.0, Ann Centner (F, 26)
2. 23:49.5, Karen McNally (F, 53)
3. 24:32.5, Lily Kate Castle (F, 10)
4. 25:11.8, Christina Aguilar (F, 35)
5. 25:23.0, Madelyn Carter (F, 40)
6. 26:18.8, Stacy Shiver (F, 38)
7. 26:39.2, Catherine Jones (F, 58)
8. 27:03.0, Carrie "CT" Phillips (F, 27)
9. 27:27.0, Taylor Gallagher (F, 24)
10. 27:55.7, Eady Hall (F, 13)

Albany, Georgia, Love Run 5K winners 2014 - 2018
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
8 February 2014	17:42, Wright Calhoun	19:52, Elena Oslund	293
7 February 2015	19:52, Henry Plowden	24:02, Emily Phillips	126
6 February 2016	19:21, Henry Plowden	23:25, Karen McNally	96
11 February 2017	18:53, Trevor Cleveland	23:23, Emily Phillips	121
10 February 2018	18:42, Colby Smith	19:25, Ann Centner	99

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 Love Run 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vS3a7OAbSYvHCKe_fMVOmxe417R4BQwnWlc7t2ZFCeSdi1WG20KO1xMv37FhKW8WU11xNkOxSIen-q9/pubhtml
  
  
• 2017 story, “Harriers Cleveland and Phillips lead the Love Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/02/yeiser-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “More love in Albany for Plowden and McNally”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/02/yeiser-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Plowden and Phillips succeed in the second Love Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/02/yeiser-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Victories in Albany for Calhoun and Oslund in the Love Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/02/yeiser-2014.html
  
  
• Find more upcoming affectionate events on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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