Tristan Cravello and Alyson Churchill were on fire at Firecracker

On Sunday, 4 July 2021, Tristan Cravello made his first appearance in the Capital City Kiwanis' Firecracker 5K. It was a fine debut for the Florida State University grad. Cravello ran 16:56 in the 3.1-mile run around Tallahassee, Florida's Cascades Park, winning by nearly 300 meters. On the women's side, Alyson Churchill was already a veteran of the annual race, with four Firecrackers to her credit. Churchill's fifth Firecracker marked her second women's title in the event, as she placed fifth overall in 18:36.

The start of the 2019 Firecracker 5K

Wyatt Beck finished runner-up to Cravello in 17:50. Beck is a rising senior on the Austin High cross-country team. Thomas Parker was third in 18:04. Dr. Hong-Guo Yu was the first master runner in the Firecracker, the Florida State University biology professor placed fourth overall in 18:32.


Alyson Churchill won her first Firecracker title in 2015, back when she was a middle school cross-country runner. Since then, Churchill became a high school cross-country state champion and a NCAA Indoor Track All-American on the Florida State University women's team. At the 2021 Firecracker, Churchill led the women's field the entire way, but not by much. Florida State economics professor Dr. Katie Sherron kept it close, just over 30 meters behind Churchill at the finish line. Sherron was the second woman and sixth overall in 18:44. Like Churchill, Sherron has a winning history at Firecracker, having taken the women's title in 2013, 2017, and 2018.


Deirdre Baldwin was the first woman master and third female finisher, tenth overall in 19:20. Megan Churchill, a cross-country runner at Flagler College, was fourth in the women's division and nineteenth overall in 21:11.


329 athletes finished the Capital City Kiwanis' 2021 Firecracker 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2021 Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K

1. 16:56, Tristan Cravello (M, 22)
2. 17:50, Wyatt Beck (M, 17)
3. 18:04, Thomas Parker (M, 38)
4. 18:32, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 52)
5. 18:46, Jonathan Stern (M, 25)
6. 19:14, Chance Logan (M, 24)
7. 19:18, Jeffrey Rubel (M, 28)
8. 19:20, Tony Guillen (M, 52
9. 19:51, Michael Niezgoda Jr (M, 32)
10. 20:25, Drayden Reams (M, 15)

Top Ten Women, 2021 Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K

1. 18:36, Alyson Churchill (F, 19)
2. 18:44, Katie Sherron (F, 39)
3. 19:20, Deirdre Baldwin (F, 46)
4. 21:11, Megan Churchill (F, 19)
5. 21:28, Melanie Castro (F, 19)
6. 21:51, Elyse Gallegos (F, 33)
7. 21:54, Nicole McConnel (F, 99)
8. 22:18, Deanna McVay (F, 38)
9. 22:55, Annalise Maillet (F, 25)
10. 22:57, Payton Thumm (F, 14)

Recent winners of the Firecracker 5000m
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
4 July 2021	16:56, Tristan Cravello	18:36, Alyson Churchill	329
4 July 2019	17:43, Michael Niezgoda	18:03, Ann Centner	521
4 July 2018	15:34, Ricardo Estremera	19:12, Katie Sherron	479
4 July 2017	16:48, Charlie Johnson	19:42, Katie Sherron	520
4 July 2016	16:06, Stanley Linton	20:35, Brittney Barnes	399
4 July 2015	17:00, Michael Potter	19:23, Alyson Churchill	370
4 July 2014	17:06, Joseph Garcia	18:58, Katie Slater	431
4 July 2013	18:22, Roger Schmidt	20:53, Katie Showman	180
4 July 2012	16:14, Stanley Linton	22:36, Nancy Stedman	128
4 July 2011	17:20, Joel Piotrowski	21:35, Stephanie Stout	73
3 July 2010	18:45, Cliff Skelton	22:29, Nancy Stedman	87
4 July 2009	16:46, Daniel Lee	19:26, Emily Ness	78
4 July 2008
4 July 2007	18:05, Tony Guillen	21:51, Julie Clark	88
4 July 2006	17:40, James Cook	20:03, Julia Vola	76
4 July 2005	16:44, Jeff Dubias	20:30, Heather Bailey	56
3 July 2004	15:48, Caleb Carmichael	18:39, Kara Newell	127
4 July 2003
4 July 2002	16:57, Jason Fulghum	22:07, Janice Hochstein	80
4 July 2001	17:22, Paul Hoover	17:53, Sarah Docter-Williams	94
4 July 2000	15:57, Gary Droze	18:10, Sarah Docter-Williams	155
4 July 1999	16:37, Tim Simpkins	17:56, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 July 1998	16:05, Damian Wilson	17:35, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 July 1997
4 July 1996	15:45, Gary Droze	19:13, Carrie Weyant
4 July 1994	16:07, Gary Droze	18:19, Lisa Herman
4 July 1990	16:55, Bill Crooks	19:10, Vikki Saga
4 July 1989	16:47, Paul Hoover	20:27, Mae Cleveland
4 July 1988	17:02, Paul Hoover
From 1983 to 2012 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Gadsden County from Sycamore to Greensboro. In 2013 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Tallahassee on trails in Phipps Park. In 2014 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Tallahassee from Cascades Park on USATF Certified Course FL14067EBM. In 2015 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Tallahassee from Cascades Park on USATF Certified Course FL15071EBM. In 2016 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Tallahassee from Cascades Park on USATF Certified Course FL14149EBM.

Links:

• Complete results of the 2021 Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQr8vM9GZaEzTeBBjUvtDYpQWndhqatTSxZUY5A-49bIk3Sr9Ih7j7WOOWko1Qttn06eHD-QMto-8SP/pubhtml
  
  
• Independence Day 2021 racing coverage on Trouble Afoot!
  • Gainesville FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/07/ftc-melon-2021.html
  • Jay FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/07/jay-freedom-2021.html
  • Saint George Island FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/07/spritzer-2021.html
    
  • Tallahassee FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/07/firecracker-2021.html
    
  • Valdosta GA: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/07/valdosta-independence-2021.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Micheal Niezgoda and Ann Centner provided the fireworks at the Firecracker 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/07/firecracker-2019.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Johnson and Sherron were the bomb at the Firecracker 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/07/firecracker-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Linton and Barnes win a steamy Firecracker 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/07/firecracker-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Potter and Churchill have a blast at the Firecracker 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/07/firecracker-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Firecracker victories for Garcia and Slater”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/07/firecracker-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Capital City Kiwanis brings the Firecracker 5000 to Tallahassee”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/firecracker-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Out with a bang, the final Firecracker 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/07/firecracker-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Banging good runs for Piotrowski and Stout at Firecracker 5000”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/07/firecracker-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Skelton and Stedman win at Greensboro”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/07/firecracker-2010.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map for the 2016 Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL14149EBM
  
  
• Find more classic races in the region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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