Leonardo Canete and Virginia Marlow take the prize at the Bowlegs 5K

I've met many historians over the years. They were good people, and I would like to deserve their respect. So I feel obligated to point out that there never was a pirate called ""Billy Bowlegs." There was a Florida pirate (polite people say "adventurer") named William Bowles, and a Florida Seminole chief called Billy Bowlegs. Neither were good people by 21st century standards. Somehow the two got confused, and Fort Walton Beach, Florida celebrates an annual Billy Bowlegs Pirate Invasion. We don't really need to discuss whether or not a pirate invasion is something to celebrate, do we? Anyway, since 1975 the Billy Bowlegs Road Race has been part of that festival.


Tallahassee master runner Leonardo Canete won the 49th annual Billy Bowlegs 5K on Saturday morning, 3 June 2023, running 17:32 and finishing nearly a minute and a half ahead of the next runner. On the women's side, top finisher Virginia Marlow finished exactly a minute and a half ahead of the next woman in the race, placing ninth overall in 20:28.


Eli Scharf, an eighth-grader on the cross-country team at Destin Middle School, took second in the race at 18:58. Master runner Bobby Flynn ran 19:11 for third--one place better than his finish in the 2022 Billy Bowlegs.


Floorje Rawa took the runner-up spot in the women's standings, coming in twentieth overall in 21:58. A few steps behind Rawee, April Classick finished 22nd overall in 22:02, making her the third woman and first woman master in the race.


198 athletes finished the Northwest Florida Track Club's 2023 Billy Bowlegs 5K. Mike O'Brien directed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Billy Bowlegs 5K

1. 17:32, Leonardo Canete (M, 44)
2. 18:58, Eli Scharf (M, 13)
3. 19:11, Bobby Flynn (M, 43)
4. 19:37, Yancey Ream (M, 52)
5. 19:45, Ramsey Reaves (M, 16)
6. 19:52, Greg Dawson (M, 44)
7. 19:55, Scott Pena (M, 29)
8. 19:59, David Walters (M, 60)
9. 20:30, Tim Sullivan (M, 64)
10. 20:57, Zach Smith (M, 16)

Top Ten Women, 2023 Billy Bowlegs 5K

1. 20:28, Virginia Marlow (F, 36)
2. 21:58, Floorje Rawee (F, 31)
3. 22:02, April Classick (F, 42)
4. 22:14, Liz Mosler (F, 26)
5. 22:23, Addie Brooks (F, 17)
6. 22:36, Beverly Fair (F, 52)
7. 23:50, Susan Frazer (F, 28)
8. 24:10, Catherine Barnett (F, 39)
9. 24:43, Lauren Desjardin (F, 30)
10. 24:54, Alex Furtado (F, 27)

Billy Bowlegs Road Race winners, 1975 - 2023
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
31 May 1975	Mike Clay	Cathy Sigler	82
5 June 1976	14:30*, Tim Simpkins	17:11*, Esther Stovall	132
4 June 1977	14:33*, Ken Misner	17:37*, Nancy McCormac	202
3 June 1978	14:48*, Jeff Galloway	17:43*, Nancy McCormac	~450
2 June 1979	14:58.5*, Mike Conley	17:52*, Dolly Harrison
31 May 1980	14:43*, Fred Carley Jr.	17:28*, Dolly Harrison	~1200
30 May 1981	14:43*, Jere Boutz	17:30*, Judy Stokley	~1200
5 June 1982	14:33*, Mike Zerressen	17:04*, Judy Stokely
4 June 1983	14:34*, Mike Zerressen	17:04*, Barbara Balzer	1086
2 June 1984	14:28*, J.D. Evilsizer	17:41*, Barbara Balzer	1039
1 June 1985	14:17*, Mark Patterson	16:39*, Helen Rogers	1475
7 June 1986	14:45*, Mike Plumb	Michele Linihan
6 June 1987	14:26*, James Frazier	18:03*, Jodie Steigerwald	1100+
5 June 1993	15:01, Matt Dobson
7 June 1997	15:14, Everett Whiteside	17:14, Sarah Kramer
6 June 1998	15:10, Everett Whiteside	18:18, Kelly Wild
5 June 1999	14:56, Rudolf Jun	17:59, Kelly Wild
3 June 2000	15:51, Rudolph Jun	17:29, Anna Pichrtova	524
2 June 2001	15:44, Steve Garst	18:06, Kelly Wild	530
1 June 2002	15:34, Everett Whiteside	20:08, Sarah Nandes	557
7 June 2003	16:07, James Frazier	18:27, Sarah Kramer	472
5 June 2004	16:22, Travis Deutman	18:23, Kelly Wild	382
5 June 2005	16:11, Brennan Galloway	18:34, Kelly Wild	450
4 June 2006	16:38, James Uthmeier	18:29, Kelly Wild	516
3 June 2007	15:41, Everett Whiteside	19:02, Kelly Wild	667
8 June 2008	16:06, Kyle Vanzile	19:07, Anna Hallex	685
6 June 2009	16:27, Adam Saloom	19:52, Kate Accardo	778
5 June 2010	15:55, Adam Saloom	18:57, Megan Jenkins	600
4 June 2011	15:57, Adam Saloom	19:46, Lisa Lewis	658
2 June 2012	15:21, Adam Saloom	19:20, Debby Vannoy	711
1 June 2013	15:45, Adam Saloom	18:50, Cynthia Blendermann	621
7 June 2014	16:29, Frito Bandito	18:52, Cheryl Held	530
6 June 2015	16:37, Dewayne Riley	19:05, Logan Bishop	495
4 June 2016	16:46, Dewayne Riley	19:47, Lillian Holtery	402
3 June 2017	16:47, Dewayne Riley	21:07, Brigid Gutierrez	290
2 June 2018	16:38, Dewayne Riley	19:02, Presley Miles	334
1 June 2019	16:00, Matt Blunden	19:37, Sophie Kellogg	333
1 June 2020	Tim Sullivan	Andrea Kay
5 June 2021	15:37, Matt Bevil	17:19, Margaret Conelly	159
4 June 2022	17:22, Philip Bauer	18:24, Val Curtis	242
3 June 2023	17:32, Leonardo Canete	20:28, Virginia Marlow	198
* Early races in the series were three miles rather than five kilometers.

Links

• Complete results of Fort Walton Beach's 2023 Billy Bowlegs 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQ4ZxmRoI-xddfAteSFejSaV76vLjGttAiwPoHILJ6ZpMOGvF2yHA9k0PGtHmok5Ef2o_LE5lCOCdJi/pubhtml
  
  
• 2022 story, “Billy Bowlegs 5K in the morning works for Phillip Bauer and Val Curtis”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/06/fwb-bowlegs-2022.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Matt Blunden and Sophie Kellogg take home the loot from the Billy Bowlegs 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/06/fwb-bowlegs-2019.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Dewayne Riley rolls to his third straight Billy Bowlegs 5K title”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/06/fwb-bowlegs-2017.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Riley and Bishop win the race inspired by the Dread Pirate Bowles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/06/fwb-bowlegs-2015.html
  
  
• USATF Course Certification Map FL13020EBM for the 2015 Billy Bowlegs 5K
  https://certifiedroadraces.com/certificate/?type=l&id=FL13020EBM
  
  
• The race named after the real Billy Bowlegs
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/01/bowlegs-2019.html
  
  
• Find other 40-year-old races in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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