Charlie Kline and Amanda Sava finish a dozen kilometers in a Flash

On the outskirts of Saint Marks, Florida less than fifteen seconds separated four runners racing south on the Saint Marks Trail. It was Saturday morning, 16 February 2019, and Charlie Johnson, Charlie Kline, Michael Rhodes, and Chris O'Kelley were leading Gulf Winds Track Club's 31st annual Flash 12K, just 2500 meters from the finish line at Fort San Marcos de Apalachee State Park. Minutes later it was Charlie Kline who crossed that finish line first, passing Charlie Johnson late in the race to win the 12K in 43:04. Amanda Sava was the first woman, placing twelfth overall in 52:08.

Chris O'Kelley, Charlie Kline, and Charlie Johnson

The race also started from the park, with the runners heading six kilometers north on the Saint Marks Rail Trail before turning around to retrace their route for the second half of the race. Three minutes after the 8:30 AM command to start, Michael Rhodes was leading the 12K field. The Perry, Florida master runner had also led the Flash in 2018. That year he had eventually been overtaken by Chris O'Kelley, who went on to win in 44:20 while Rhodes took second in 45:39. This year O'Kelley was in a group of three runners chasing Rhodes, including Charlie Johnson and Charlie Kline. At two kilometers Rhodes was 80 meters ahead, but the pursuit was closing.

Michael Rhodes

"They passed me right at the water table at the turnaround," said Rhodes.


Johnson led on the return trip, followed by Kline and O'Kelley, then Rhodes. Defending champ O'Kelley fell back, and he and Rhodes began racing for third place. But Kline kept in contact with Johnson.

Charlie Johnson

"Charlie had the lead coming off the bike path," said Kline. "He was still five seconds up on me and I didn't think I could close. But he started waving to me and saying, 'Come on, Charlie!' I passed him with 600 meters to go. I thought he would come back, but he didn't."


No, he didn't. Kline made it back to the Fort first in 43:04, with Johnson second in 43:11. O'Kelley passed Rhodes on the final stretch to take third in 43:23. Close behind in 43:27, Rhodes was the first master runner in the race and fourth overall.

Charlie Kline

Twelve kilometers is an unusual distance in the world of road racing, which is dominated by five kilometer races with a sprinkling of ten kilometer events, half marathons, and full marathons. 12K was not a familiar distance for Amanda Sava.


"I hadn't run 12K before," said Sava. "But I ran several 6K races back in college. I ran for FIT in Melbourne."

Amanda Sava

Six kilometers is the championship distance for women's cross-country in the NCAA, so she had raced 6K more than once while competing for the Florida Tech Panthers cross-country team. Now studying for a master's degree in meteorology at Florida State, Sava was doubling that distance at the Flash 12K. She trailed Brittney Barnes in the early going, but by the two-kilometer mark Sava was setting the pace for the women's field.


"The course was flat and fast and the weather was great," said Sava. "It was hard after the turnaround, though. There wasn't anyone to run with."

Stephanie Liles-Weyant

The long, straight stretches of the Saint Marks Trail may not be physically difficult, but they are psychologically taxing. Sava toughed it out, though, finishing with a 300 meter lead over the next woman in the race in a winning 52:08. About two miles from the finish, Stephanie Liles-Weyant overtook Barnes. Liles-Weyant, the first woman in the 2008 Flash 12K, went on to finish runner-up in the women's standings and fifteenth overall in 53:23. Running 54:31, Barnes was the third woman and 22nd overall.

Brittney Barnes

Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Flash 12K

1. 43:04, Charlie Kline (M, 26)
2. 43:11, Charlie Johnson (M, 39)
3. 43:23, Chris O'Kelley (M, 25)
4. 43:27, Michael Rhodes (M, 50)
5. 46:34, Ryan Truchelut (M, 33)
6. 48:06, Myles Gibson (M, 52)
7. 48:54, Don Smith (M, 39)
8. 49:25, Thomas Murphy (M, 49)
9. 49:45, David Knauf (M, 54)
10. 50:07, Bill McNulty (M, 60)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Flash 12K

1. 52:08, Amanda Sava (F, 24)
2. 53:23, Stephanie Liles-Weyant (F, 46)
3. 54:31, Brittney Barnes (F, 31)
4. 55:31, Lourena Maxwell (F, 44)
5. 56:22, Sherri Wise (F, 37)
6. 56:37, Laura McDermott (F, 39)
7. 56:59, Jillian Heddaeus (F, 35)
8. 57:55, Laura Sellati (F, 39)
9. 58:03, Monica Toth (F, 30)
10. 58:12, Ruffian Tyner (F, 43)

Since 2009, the Flash has included a 6K race, run concurrently with the 12K. Jana Stolting, at the time a Maclay School cross-country runner, won that inaugural 6K, running 21:36. No one had run a faster Flash 6K since.

Gary Droze

Not until 2019, anyway. Master runner Gary Droze, who had been Stolting's coach at Maclay, hammered the 2019 Flash 6K, leading from start to finish and winning by more than 900 meters in new event record of 21:04. Master runner Michael Martinez, himself the 2013 winner of the Flash 6K, took second in 24:56. Joshua Liles placed third in 25:34.


Eleven-year-old Madison Sims, a sixth-grader on the Fort Braden Middle School cross-country team, took first in the women's standings, placing seventh overall in 28:51. Georgina Hernandez was the women's runner-up and eighth overall in 29:04. Paula O'Neill was the first woman master and third female finisher, eleventh overall in 30:56.

Madison Sims

181 athletes finished the 2019 Flash 12K, and another 111 completed the 6K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed both races.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Flash 6K

1. 21:04, Gary Droze (M, 57)
2. 24:56, Michael Martinez (M, 53)
3. 25:34, Joshua Liles (M, 19)
4. 26:22, Kevin Lane (M, 29)
5. 27:35, William Carter (M, 54)
6. 28:10, Nathan Rhodes (M, 40)
7. 29:46, Stephen Gensits (M, 63)
8. 30:30, Kyle Sill (M, 35)
9. 31:13, Erik Davis (M, 37)
10. 31:35, Jonathan Jackson (M, 39)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Flash 6K

1. 28:51, Madison Sims (F, 11)
2. 29:04, Georgina Hernandez (F, 28)
3. 30:56, Paula Oneill (F, 57)
4. 31:13, Kristina Lamb (F, 32)
5. 31:16, Mercedes Puig (F, 34)
6. 31:19, Kaitlyn Lane (F, 26)
7. 32:12, Holly Otoole (F, 42)
8. 32:37, Kara Barrentine (F, 37)
9. 32:37, Andria Achong (F, 34)
10. 32:41, Kasey Gordon (F, 28)

Gulf Winds Track Club Flash 12K Champions, 1989 - 2019
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
16 February 2019	12K	43:04, Charlie Kline	52:08, Amanda Sava	181
	6K	21:04, Gary Droze	28:51, Madison Sims	111
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 2011-2019 the race started and finished at Fort San Marcos de Apalachee in St. Marks. (FL11133EBM)

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Flash 12K (and 6K)
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRa9PRzUKfoJx2-eUBqstLup1D5YYXgtm7uUSSMV6u9BPNqbb5QnOuyj1_7yK6i4Nqkzs9TNtTbmLNY/pubhtml
  
  
• More photos of the 2019 Flash 12K (and 6K)
  
  • Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10113165845646633&type=1&l=8b2ea8e6c5
  • Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10113166557165743&type=1&l=ec4aa43b7c
  
  
• Kat Sack's photos of the 2019 Flash 12K (and 6K)
  https://photos.app.goo.gl/WWAMh82DozzeXHt76
  
  
• 2018 story, “O'Kelley, Rosen make a little Flash 12K history in Saint Marks”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/02/flash-2018.html
  
  
• 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://certifiedroadraces.com/certificate?type=l&id=FL11133EBM
  
  
• USATF course certification map (FL16069TY) for the Flash 6K
  https://certifiedroadraces.com/certificate?type=l&id=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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