Chris O'Kelley and Jamila Allen dazzle the competition at the Flash 12K

Saturday morning, 15 February 2020, was chilly by the standards of Saint Marks, Florida. The manatees had paddled up the Wakulla River, seeking the warmth of Wakulla Springs. Vultures clustered on the metal roof of the Saint Marks Yacht Club, basking in the rising sun. Some 300 athletes, though, beat the chill that morning by racing Gulf Winds Track Club's 12K and 6K on the Saint Marks pavement. Chris O'Kelley was the fastest in the 32nd annual 12K, winning the race by nearly 600 meters in 42:58. Jamila Allen was the first woman in the race, placing sixth overall in 50:50.

Chris O'Kelley

For O'Kelley, a Tallahassee, Florida athlete, it was his second win in four years at the race. It was also his fastest time yet in the Flash 12K, even if he wasn't aware of it.


"The time isn't that memorable, because I only run one of these a year," said O'Kelley. "It's not like a 10K or something."

Michael Rhodes

Just shy of 7-1/5 miles, twelve kilometers isn't like a half-marathon, either. Less than two weeks before the Flash, O'Kelley had run the Tallahassee Half Marathon, placing eighth overall in 1:17:01. He had plans to run Boston Marathon in April. Even if twelve kilometers is an unfamiliar distance for O'Kelley, he handled it well enough at the Flash, leading nearly from start to finish.


"I did the first one or two miles at 6:00," said O'Kelley. "Then I dropped down to 5:40 a mile, with a few miles under 5:40."

Jamila Allen

His winning time of 42:58 works out to about 5:46 a mile. The first master runner in the race was Michael Rhodes of Perry, Florida, who finished runner-up to O'Kelley in 45:11. It was Rhodes' third straight year as the top master at the Flash. Dr. Philip Sura took third in 49:34 and Dr. Geb Kiros was fourth in 50:27.


Jillian Heddaeus of Tallahassee set the pace for the women's field in the early going of the Flash 12K, but Jamila Allen was never far behind. Four kilometers into the race, Allen taken the lead, 50 meters ahead of Heddaeus. By the end of the race Allen had stretched that margin to almost half a kilometer, winning the women's title with a 50:50. Heddaeus took second in the women's standings, coming in thirteenth overall in 53:01. Grace Kennedy was the third woman and fifteenth overall in 55:01. Kathy Greene was the first woman master and fourth female finisher, nineteenth overall in 56:19.

Jillian Heddaeus

Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2020 Flash 12K

1. 42:58, Chris O'Kelley (M, 26)
2. 45:11, Michael Rhodes (M, 51)
3. 49:34, Philip Sura (M, 49)
4. 50:27, Geb Kiros (M, 53)
5. 50:46, William Mrazek (M, 35)
6. 51:10, Jon Nash (M, 40)
7. 51:44, Kyle Kraeft (M, 30)
8. 51:53, Nathan Ebersole (M, 37)
9. 52:26, William Carter (M, 55)
10. 52:45, Darien Angelier (M, 44)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2020 Flash 12K

1. 50:50, Jamila Allen (F, 30)
2. 53:01, Jillian Heddaeus (F, 36)
3. 55:01, Grace Kennedy (F, 31)
4. 56:19, Kathy Greene (F, 46)
5. 58:30, Sarah Dugas (F, 41)
6. 59:20, Kennedy Hall (F, 21)
7. 59:23, Nancy Stedman (F, 58)
8. 60:12, Leah Kiros (F, 14)
9. 60:43, Greta Mikell (F, 23)
10. 61:31, Melissa Hooke (F, 41)

Gary Droze set the Flash 6K course record in 2019, running 21:04. The Tallahassee Community College cross-country coach's mark lasted 364 days, till Trevor Sununu blazed a 19:42 in the Flash 6K.

Trevor Sununu

"It was a fun race," said Sununu, a Tallahassee baker. "Faster than I ran at the Bowlegs 5K. My mile splits were 5:20, 5:20, and 5:05."


Dr. Ryan Truchelut, Tallahassee's running meteorologist, took second in 21:49. Chance Logan of Tallahassee placed third in 21:58. Mike Martinez, the 2013 Flash 6K champion, was the top master runner in the 2020 race, coming in fourth overall in 22:05.

Katie Sherron & Brittney Barnes

Brittney Barnes led the women's field most of the way, with Dr. Katie Sherron just a step behind. Sherron took over late in the race, winning the women's title in 24:41 and placing eleventh overall. Barnes finished second in the women's standings and twelfth overall in 24:51. In the race for first woman master, Laura McDermott edged Laura Reina 26:08 to 26:14, the third and fourth women in the 6K. McDermott and Reina were 21st and 24th overall.


124 athletes finished the Flash 12K, with another 177 completing the 6K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed both races.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2020 Flash 6K

1. 19:42, Trevor Sununu (M, 24)
2. 21:49, Ryan Truchelut (M, 34)
3. 21:58, Chance Logan (M, 23)
4. 22:05, Mike Martinez (M, 54)
5. 22:13, Tony Guillen (M, 51)
6. 22:53, Tristan Lanasa (M, 27)
7. 23:17, Paul Guyas (M, 42)
8. 23:34, David Knauf (M, 55)
9. 23:36, Jonathan Kiros (M, 11)
10. 23:52, Fanxiu Zhu (M, 51)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2020 Flash 6K

1. 24:41, Katie Sherron (F, 38)
2. 24:51, Brittney Barnes (F, 32)
3. 26:08, Laura McDermott (F, 40)
4. 26:14, Laura Reina (F, 55)
5. 26:57, Sophie Smith (F, 36)
6. 27:35, Ruffian Tyner (F, 44)
7. 27:46, Kory Skrob (F, 49)
8. 28:02, Cecilia Bouaichi (F, 24)
9. 28:03, Tsige Tadesse-Kiros (F, 52)
10. 28:27, Nancy Procter (F, 59)

Gulf Winds Track Club Flash 12K Champions, 1989 - 2020
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
15 February 2020	12K	42:58, Chris O'Kelley	50:50, Jamila Allen	124
	6K	19:42, Trevor Sununu	24:41, Katie Sherron	177
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 2011-2020 the race started and finished at Fort San Marcos de Apalachee in St. Marks. (FL11133EBM)

Links

• Complete results of the 2020 Flash 12K (and 6K)
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRs5mKY8VWSBUzj8rLXhR3blG8po_DxcVzxg6ayrCeDhWK_sMd4bY2qp26m18uObxG4t9THICTz2DLJ/pubhtml
  
  
• More photos of the 2020 Flash 12K (and 6K)
  
  • Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10115314612530573
    
  • Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10115316096831023
    
    
• 2019 story, “Charlie Kline and Amanda Sava finish a dozen kilometers in a Flash”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/02/flash-2019.html
  
  
• 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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