Troy Dunkley and Ann Centner were fast tourists at the 40th Boston Mini Marathon

One thing about a half-marathon race is that 13.1 miles gives you plenty of time to take in the scenery. Fortunately for the athletes who compete in South Georgia's Boston Mini Marathon, there is an abundance of scenery along the course. Old US 84 takes the runners past cattle pastures, pecan orchards, cotton fields, and pine plantations. You can also check out the road signs along the course. Less than a mile into the race, as the runners leave Boston during their out-and-back journey, a large sign commands, "Come Back Soon!" Troy Dunkley did just that, making it back to Boston before any of the other runner in the 41st annual Boston Mini and winning the race in 1:18:44. Ann Centner came back soon enough to win the women's title, placing third overall in 1:25:24.

Troy Dunkley

Dunkley wasn't the first one to the "Come Back Soon!" sign on Saturday morning, 26 October 2019. Racing past the Boston city limits, he was trailing the leader, Myles Gibson, a Donalsonville, Georgia master runner. By the time they reached the first water table, staffed by volunteers from the scouts, Dunkley had overtaken Gibson.


"I think it was going into the second mile," said Dunkley. "That's where I passed him."


Gibson had a rough race after that, going on to finish fifth in 1:28:03.

Myles Gibson

"I could only fake it for six-and-a-half miles," said Gibson. "I wanted to beat my time here from two years ago, but, oh well."


Dunkley raced on alone, with little to do but keep running and to enjoy the course.


"I liked it," said Dunkley. "It wasn't too tough. You had a headwind going out, but a tailwind coming back."

Andrew Danford

A Jacksonville, Florida runner, Dunkley had learned about the race through his friends in the Okefenokee Track and Cycling Club of Waycross, Georgia. Negotiating both the tailwind and the headwind, he won the race by more than a mile in 1:18:44. Behind Dunkley, Ocala, Florida master runner Andrew Danford overtook Gibson on the way back to Boston to move into second. Back in Boston, though, in the closing stages of the race, Danford was himself overtaken. Tallahassee runners Chris O'Kelley and Ann Centner passed him, with Kelley going on to take second in 1:25:23 and Centner third in 1:25:24, the first woman in the race. Danford was the fastest master runner of the morning, placing fourth overall in 1:25:32.

Chris O'Kelley and Ann Centner

For Centner, the women's champ, it was her second half-marathon race in October. Thirteen days earlier, she had run 1:24:25 at the 30A Half Marathon on a hot morning in Destin, Florida.


"After the 30A Half I took four days off," said Centner. "Chris and I decided to come to Boston and run 7:00 miles. We didn't really want to race, but then we got on the course and started feeling good."


Good enough to run 6:32 miles, and for Centner to win her first Boston title after being the women's runner-up in 2018. Boston won't be the last half marathon for Centner, either.


"My next race would be the Turkey Trot 10K," said Centner. "Ultimately, I'm aiming for the Tallahassee Half Marathon."

Alyssa Terry

Another second-time Boston runner, Alyssa Terry of Tallahassee, placed second to Centner in the women's standings and seventh overall in 1:34:28--a new personal best.


"It wasn't as cool as last year, but the clouds helped," said Terry. "My previous best was at Boston last year. I was kind of expecting a PR today because my training has been going well. You actually race better when you train more than fifteen miles a week!"

Jane Johnson

Jane Johnson was the first woman master in the race and the third female finisher, coming in 22nd overall in 1:46:57. Johnson was the women's champ at the 2004 Boston Mini.


Many athletes ate in Boston after the Mini, and some stayed for the Boston Mini-Marathon Festival parade. Once the Festival was over, though, it was time for the last of the runners to head home, past the "Come Back Soon!" sign. I don't know about "soon," but many will be back in 2020 for the 41st Boston Mini Marathon.

Don't be a stranger!

Top Ten Men, 2019 Boston (mini) Marathon

1. 1:18:44.0, Troy Dunkley (M, 33) Jacksonville, FL
2. 1:25:23.0, Christopher O'Kelley (M, 26) Tallahassee, FL
3. 1:25:31.1, Andrew Danford (M, 51) Ocala, FL
4. 1:28:02.6, Myles Gibson (M, 53) Donalsonville, FL
5. 1:33:14.5, Chuck Trombley (M, 60) Ocala, FL
6. 1:34:55.2, Carl Plowden Albany, GA
7. 1:35:21.0, Tristan LaNasa (M, 26) Tallahassee, FL
8. 1:35:51.7, Paul Guyas (M, 42) Tallahassee, FL
9. 1:37:55.8, Eric Houge (M, 39) Tallahassee, FL
10. 1:38:51.8, Philip Sura (M, 49) Tallahassee, FL

Top Ten Women, 2019 Boston (mini) Marathon

1. 1:25:23.9, Ann Centner (F, 27) Tallahassee, F
2. 1:34:27.8, Alyssa Terry (F, 26) Tallahassee, F
3. 1:46:56.6, Jane Johnson (F, 60) Tallahassee, FL
4. 1:48:14.0, Sherri West (F, 38) Tallahassee, FL
5. 1:49:36.6, Sarah Dugas (F, 40) Tallahassee, FL
6. 1:49:57.2, Jillian Heddaeus (F, 36) Tallahassee, FL
7. 1:50:29.8, Grace Kennedy (F, 30) Tallahassee, FL
8. 1:52:07.4, Samantha Filmore (F, 43) Tallahassee, FL
9. 1:52:54.8, Nancy Stedman (F, 57) Tallahassee, FL
10. 1:53:18.3, Hope Eidson (F, 34) Thomasville, GA

Boston (mini) Marathon Champions, 1979 - 2019
Date	Men	Women
26 October 2019	78:44, Troy Dunkley	85:24, Ann Centner
27 October 2018	75:48, Joshua Grant	82:07, Sheryl Rosen
28 October 2017	74:47, Joshua Grant	85:42, Sheryl Rosen
29 October 2016	67:00, Stanley Linton	83:05, Allison Eagen
31 October 2015	79:50, Drew Rabun	96:10, Jillian Heddaeus
25 October 2014	72:20, Chris Lake	85:15, Katie Sherron
26 October 2013	71:17, Stanley Linton	80:42, Sheryl Rosen
27 October 2012	73:46, Chris Lake	83:27, Sheryl Rosen
29 October 2011	69:29, Kevin Sullivan	82:10, Sheryl Rosen
30 October 2010	75:13, Vince Molosky	86:59, Lisa Johnson
31 October 2009	79:49, Vince Molosky	87:10, Sheryl Rosen
25 October 2008	81:50, Myles Gibson	86:19, Sheryl Rosen
27 October 2007	76:18, John Seppala	87:35, Sheryl Rosen
28 October 2006	81:18, Michael Martinez	82:49, Sheryl Rosen
29 October 2005	81:11, Myles Gibson	96:32, Jennifer Kilinski
30 October 2004	83:55, David Yon	91:57, Jane Johnson
25 October 2003	76:20, Myles Gibson	97:52, Lisa Whitworth
26 October 2002	84:38, Mike Posey	92:41, Carrie Weyant
27 October 2001	82:36, Steven Walker	95:24, Carrie Weyant
28 October 2000	75:28, Art Remillard	83:20, Sarah Docter-Williams
30 October 1999	78:22, Corey Cherr	95:28, Julie Carico
31 October 1998	80:25, Rusty Jones	97:01, Peggy Simpson
25 October 1997	81:21, Rusty Jones	82:55, Michelle LeFleur
26 October 1996	76:26, Jeff Nielsen	86:12, Carrie Weyant
28 October 1995	78:21, Paul Hough	91:01, Katherine Perez
29 October 1994	72:42, Paul Hough	92:34, Diane Turchick
30 October 1993	75:33, Paul Hough	86:09, Carrie Weyant
31 October 1992	77:45, Steve Carney	86:05, Carrie Hunnicutt
26 October 1991
27 October 1990	79:33, Brian Murphy	86:44, Donna Miller
28 October 1989	71:23, Alex Walmsley	93:10, Mary Jean Yon
29 October 1988	74:22, T. C. Carroll	1:41:54, Nancy Widener
1987	no race held	no race held
8 November 1986
11 November 1985	67:30, Herb Wills	88:06, Patti Sudduth
27 October 1984	74:21, Scott Hinkle	Dot Skofronick
29 October 1983	70:25, Noel Shuman	87:01, Patti Sudduth
30 October 1982	67:48, Noel Shuman	91:41, Donna Murdock
31 October 1981	69:57, Gary Slayton	88:56, Lt. Vickie Monroe
25 October 1980	71:49, Gary Slayton	96:03, Judy Taylor
27 October 1979	70:52, Bruce Carpenter	1:47:13, Robin Anderson
Got any information on the missing years? Let me know! Send an e-mail to hwills@gmail.com, or leave a comment below.

Links:

• Complete results of the 2019 Boston (mini) Marathon
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQU8NFz-J_JVyqHC-aQYGyH_BQyD-S48IY6H6Hq7fV7FMcwcf2sLJ1-ELxhALlXrCXO6w42UDAEchf0/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! pictures of the 2019 Boston (mini) Marathon
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10114496495363933
  
  
• 2018 story, “Joshua Grant and Sheryl Rosen repeat at Boston”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/10/boston-mini-2018.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Rabun and Heddaeus win Boston, Southern-style”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/10/boston-mini-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Herds of spectators see Lake and Sherron win Boston Mini”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/10/boston-mini-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Linton and Rosen are Boston (mini) Strong”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/10/boston-mini-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “First Boston win for Chris Lake; sixth for Sheryl Rosen”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/10/boston-mini-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Sullivan and Rosen smokin' at the Boston Mini”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/10/boston-mini-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Molosky makes it two-in-a-row at the Boston Mini”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/10/boston-mini-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “Another Boston Mini Win For Rosen”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/11/another-boston-mini-win-for-rosen.html
  
  
• USATF certification map GA18076WC for the 2018 Boston (mini) Marathon
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA18076WC
  
  
• Upcoming races in the Tallahassee region; mini, maxi, ultra, or whatever
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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