Matt Buys and Katja Blunden lead the Hurricane Michael Relief Run

Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, 10 October 2018. Two months later, the region was still recovering. It will be for some time.


Storm recovery takes resources. Nowadays, it seems like everyone's favorite fund-raiser is a 5K road race. In Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Props Brewery had started putting on a an annual Fathers Day 5K in 2017. Why not a 5K Hurricane relief fundraiser as well? So on Saturday morning, 15 December 2018, on the opposite end of the calendar from the Props Father's Day 5K, Props Brewery and Run For It hosted the Hurricane Michael Relief Run 5K.


Matt Buys won the 3.1-mile race by just over 100 meters, running 18:31. Katja Blunden was the women's champ, placing third overall in 19:06.


John Guagenti finished runner-up in the 5K with an 18:57. Frank McKenzie was first master runner across the finish line, placing third in the men's standings and fifth overall in 20:34.


Rachel Staples was second on the women's side and fourth overall in 19:25. Susan Frazier, winner of Props' 2018 Fathers Day 5K, was the third woman and ninth overall in 21:09. Donna Harris was the top woman master and sixth female finisher, 29th overall in 24:09.


164 athletes finished the Hurricane Michael Relief Run 5K. The race may be over, but storm recovery is not.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Hurricane Michael Relief Run 5K

1. 18:31, Matt Buys (M, 32)
2. 18:57, John Guagenti (M, 29)
3. 20:34, Frank McKenzie (M, 54)
4. 20:40, Erik Williams (M, 39)
5. 20:48, Kent Watson (M, 49)
6. 20:51, Luis Mercado (M, 38)
7. 21:21, Javier Guitron (M, 35)
8. 21:39, Jay McKenzie (M, 56)
9. 21:56, Ricardo Betanto (M, 32)
10. 22:01, Brad DeSmith (M, 40)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Hurricane Michael Relief Run 5K

1. 19:06, Katja Blunden (F, 39)
2. 19:25, Rachel Staples (F, 33)
3. 21:09, Susan Frazier (F, 24)
4. 23:35, Andrea Korenak (F, 39)
5. 24:05, Rebecca Cox (F, 22)
6. 24:09, Donna Harris (F, 49)
7. 24:36, Paula Piazza (F, 54)
8. 24:48, Angela Gilzene (F, 37)
9. 25:00, Clarissa Seales (F, 34)
10. 25:20, Libanessa Pichardo (F, 38)

Links

• Complete results, 2018 Hurricane Michael Relief Run 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQoG2tfpELKu2C_U1YIQ6ekReEjsuhMV0K-7cuGTw3_ElgK-73nqLKTCuW733JeJUoJMG7SnomqAOY8/pubhtml
  
  
• Upcoming events on the latest Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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