Alec Munger and Kelly Lunceford were first on the Fourth in Valdosta

There was a time when you could show up in Atlanta, Georgia on the morning of Independence Day, pay your entry fee, and run the Peachtree Road Race. You could probably even find a spot on the front of the starting line. Atlanta Track Club would have handed out trophies to the age group and overall winners no more than an hour after you finished, and everyone would be on the way home.


Sometime since then, the race added entry lotteries, starting waves, and record numbers of participants. Oh, and record numbers of portable toilets as well. It takes most runners a long time to cross the starting line at Peachtree, but it takes every runner a long time to get to the front of the toilet line.


In South Georgia, though, you can dispense with all that by staying at your own end of Interstate 75 and racing Valdosta's Independence Day 5K.


The fastest runner at Valdosta's 2018 Independence Day 5K was Alec Munger. A rising sophomore on the Lowndes High cross-country team, Munger ran 18:00 to win the tenth annual race. Nick Rosatti of Hahira, Georgia took second in 18:08. Another Hahira athlete, Colin Prinsloo, was third in 19:39.


The men's race was decided by a margin of less than 40 meters, but the women's race was even closer. Kelly Lunceford of Valdosta took the women's title in 21:25, finishing less than 20 meters ahead of runner-up Brianna Prinsloo of Hahira. Ms. Prinsloo, the 2017 women's champion in the race, ran 21:29. Lunceford and Prinsloo were eighth and ninth overall. Alexandra Sayre, a rising junior on the Lowndes High cross-country team, was third in the women's standings and fourteenth overall in 24:21.


Valdosta's Brian Sayre was the top master runner in the race, finishing eighth in the men's standings and tenth overall in 21:36. Gunawati Gunawan of Tifton, Georgia was the first woman master and fifth female finisher, 23rd overall in 25:47.


91 athletes finished the 2018 Valdosta, Georgia Independence Day 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Valdosta Independence Day 5K

1. 17:59.18, Alec Munger (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
2. 18:07.59, Nick Rosatti (M, 21) Hahira, GA
3. 19:38.41, Colin Prinsloo (M, 32) Hahira, GA
4. 19:47.06, Kevius Shaw (M, 19) Valdosta, GA
5. 19:52.22, Quinn McGlamery (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
6. 20:12.15, Gerardo Olivera (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
7. 20:29.18, Daniel Carver (M, 33) Hahira, GA
8. 21:35.59, Brian Sayre (M, 48) Valdosta, GA
9. 22:10.03, Chad Northcutt (M, 34) Quitman, GA
10. 22:43.03, Daniel Zenobia (M, 35) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Females, 2018 Valdosta Independence Day 5K

1. 21:24.53, Kelly Lunceford (F, 28) Valdosta, GA
2. 21:29.00, Brianna Prinsloo (F, 31) Hahira, GA
3. 24:20.59, Alexandra Sayre (F, 16) Valdosta, GA
4. 25:40.57, Katie Jensrud (F, 33) Valdosta, GA
5. 25:46.38, Gunawati Gunawan (F, 46) Tifton, GA
6. 28:04.53, Amy Bradshaw (F, 28) Valdosta, GA
7. 28:19.09, Constance Thomas (F, 49) Nashville, GA
8. 29:07.15, Karina Amundson (F, 48) Valdosta, GA
9. 29:27.56, Rachel King (F, 24) Valdosta, GA
10. 29:29.15, Nanci Scheetz (F, 69) Valdosta, GA

Champions of the Valdosta Independence Day 5K, 2009 - 2018
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
4 July 2006*	32:33, Dave Bernacki	35:28, Susan Fischer	144
4 July 2007*	28:16, John Seppala	37:47, Beth DeLoach	181
4 July 2008*	28:42, John Seppala	33:15, Kelly Fleming	193
4 July 2009	16:38, Alan McGough	20:32, Ashley McGee	228
4 July 2010	16:32, Chris Rice	20:26, Angelina Horne	215
4 July 2011	16:15, Jeff Powers	20:16, Jordanne Helton	123
4 July 2012	16:57, Chris Rice	20:18, Christine Shattles	192
4 July 2013	17:28, Wright Calhoun	20:13, Mary Alice Smoot	163
4 July 2014	17:38, Chance Roe	21:04, Makenzee Page	124
4 July 2015	16:36, Roberto Bonilla, Jr	22:26, Debbie Green	128
4 July 2016	16:28, Kaleb Wolfenden	22:37, Brianna Prinsloo	119
4 July 2017	17:49, Brishen House	21:46, Brianna Prinsloo	126
4 July 2018	18:00, Alec Munger	21:24.53, Kelly Lunceford	91
* The predecessor of the Valdosta Independence Day 5K was the Baytree 8K, run in the streets of Valdosta on Independence Day from 2006 to 2008.

Links

• Complete results of Valdosta's 2018 Independence Day 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vS46j3KxyxTQyEExNQjZ58ofxU9zYVSoYO5AfGVd1ZjJOsvxf3F1Oip29J2xcVApAwXHqtQv9a8vpWt/pubhtml
  
  
• Independence Day 2018 racing coverage on Trouble Afoot!
  • Valdosta GA: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/07/valdosta-independence-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “In Valdosta, House and Prinsloo lead the Independence Day 5K fireworks”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/07/valdosta-independence-2017.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Bonilla and Green keep 'em flying in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/07/valdosta-independence-2015.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Calhoun wins and Smoot sets record on Independence Day in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/valdosta-independence-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Rice and Shattles celebrate America's birthday with Valdosta 5K wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/07/valdosta-independence-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Powers and Helton make the records fall in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/07/valdosta-independence-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “2010 story, "Rice and Horne rock the Fourth in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/07/2010-valdosta-independence-day-5k.html
  
  
• Find a race to run on the next patriotic holiday using the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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