Andrew Steinbrink and Elyse Gallegos make many right turns to win the Nene Fest 5K

Because of COVID-19, it took three years after the sixth annual Nene Fest 5K for the seventh Nene Fest 5K to return to the streets of Tallahassee, Florida. Return it did, though, and on Saturday morning, 30 April 2022 athletes raced through Indianhead Acres. Andrew Steinbrink took first with a 19:30, while Elyse Gallegos was the top woman, placing second overall in 22:14.

Andrew Steinbrink

The 2022 event featured a gimmick--athletes could choose which direction to run the course, either counter-clockwise (as in years past) or clockwise. Aside from difficulties with marking the course, traffic control, and runners on collision courses at mid-race, this could also add some mystery to the competition--am I really leading, or is someone running in the opposite direction ahead of me?


There wasn't much mystery as it turned out, because eleven of the top twelve athletes chose the clockwise course, including the winner, Andrew Steinbrink. His nearest competitors may have been running on the same course as Steinbrink, but he was still so far ahead as to be out of their sight for most of the race. His winning 19:30 put him across the finish line 700 meters in front of the next man in the race.


Sean McConnell finished second in the men's standings and third overall in 22:38. Eleven-year-old Chase Sims was third in the men's division and fifth overall in 23:31. Michael Kennett was the top master runner and fourth male finisher, seventh overall in 23:49.

Elyse Gallegos

Elyse Gallegos didn't have the kind of lead in the women's competition that Steinbrink had in the men's race, but her 22:14 still put her well over a hundred meters ahead of her rivals. Oh, and she was pushing a stroller.


Monica Toth was the second woman in the race and fourth overall in 23:00. Cate Rozier, a junior on the Leon High cross-country team, was third in the women's division and sixth overall in 23:31. Loranne Ausley was the first woman master and fourth female finisher, eighth overall in 24:50. Ausley was also the first runner to finish the counter-clockwise course that morning.


46 athletes finished the 2022 Nene Fest 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Nene Fest 5K

1. 19:30, Andrew Steinbrink (M, 36)
2. 22:38, Sean McConnell (M, 23)
3. 23:31, Chase Sims (M, 11)
4. 23:49, Michael Kennett (M, 48)
5. 25:04, Manderson Meuth (M, 15)
6. 25:50, Mickey Phillips (M, 49)
7. 26:36, Michael LaBossiere (M, 56)
8. 26:47, Patrick Bateman (M, 34)
9. 27:05, Joshua Flesch (M, 37)
10. 30:07, David Cox (M, 64)

Top Ten Women, 2022 Nene Fest 5K

1. 22:14, Elyse Gallegos (F, 34)
2. 23:00, Monica Toth (F, 33)
3. 23:31, Cate Rozier (F, 17)
4. 24:50, Loranne Ausley (F, 59)
5. 25:49, Laura Floyd (F, 38)
6. 26:13, Jena Hessman (F, 37)
7. 27:08, Iris Lee (F, 10)
8. 27:16, Kim Sims (F, 43)
9. 28:31, Amy Starkey (F, 47)
10. 28:55, Catherine Murray (F, 49)

Nene Fest 5K winners, 2014 - 2022
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
3 May 2014	18:24, Reikan Lin	22:02, Paula O' Neill
9 May 2015	15:49, Chris Lake	22:28, Paula O'Neill	84
30 April 2016	16:26, Matt Mizereck	23:36, Laura Reina	86
29 April 2017	17:57, Jim Halley	21:39, Katie Sherron	88
28 April 2018	17:02, Vince Molosky	19:16, Katie Sherron	159
27 April 2019	17:53, Khalil Randell	20:23, Genevieve Printiss	73
30 April 2022	19:30, Andrew Steinbrink	22:14, Elyse Gallegos	46

Links

• Complete results of the 2022 Nene Fest 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTbklu76Q192vwGjoKwQmUzMYJ4E0ZbxOXMqc3Whr7YKw0gCMIpDkSM_GZHBprEGE8FvKhNBv1mjaiR/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of the 2022 Nene Fest 5K and one-mile fun run
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10119360465733323
  
  
• 2019 story, “Khalil Randell gets a big win and Genevieve Printiss a close win at Nene Fest”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/04/nene-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Vince Molosky and Katie Sherron add to their Indianhead victories at Nene Fest”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/04/nene-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Halley and Sherron handle the hills at Nene Fest”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/04/nene-2017.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Chris Lake blasts a 15:49 at the Nene Fest 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/05/nene-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Lin and O'Neill find the Nene to victory”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/05/nene-2014.html
  
  
• Nene Fest 5K Facebook page
  https://www.facebook.com/nene5k
  
  
• USATF course certification map FL17042TY for the 2014 Nene Fest 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL17042TY
  
  
• Indianhead Lehigh Neighborhood Association, hosts of Nene Fest
  http://ihlna.org/
  
  
• Road races, trail races, or nene races--you'll find 'em on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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