Tuesday, July 4, 2023

In Tallahassee, Cadden Maxwell and Megan Churchill were flying at the Firecracker

On Tuesday, 4 July 2023, the United States of America turned 247 years old. In Tallahassee, Florida that same morning, the Capital City Kiwanis Club's Firecracker 5K turned 40. More than 400 athletes turned out in Cascades Park to observe that latter anniversary, including Cadden Maxwell, who won the race in 17:41. Also attending the celebration was Megan Churchill, the first woman in the race and fifth overall in 18:55.

Cadden Maxwell
Cadden Maxwell

The race started at 8:00 AM on Suwanee Street, with the athletes heading north. One runner darted out in front of the field.


"I don't remember his name, but he was leading for the first two minutes," recalled Cadden Maxwell.

Josha Robinson
Josha Robinson

That early leader was Josha Robinson, a rising senior at John Paul II Catholic High School. Maxwell overtook Robinson early in the race, and never had to look back again, running unchallenged on his way to a 17:41 win. Running 18:15, Robinson clung to second.


Behind, Maxwell and Robinson, Tallahassee's Hong-Guo Yu and Michael Rhodes of Perry, Florida dueled for the top master runner spot in the 5K. By the end of the second kilometer, the two had moved up through the field and were also fighting for third. They swapped positions a few times during the race, but Hong-Guo Yu was the first master runner across the finish line, third overall in 18:30, while Rhodes took fourth in 18:50.

Hong-Guo Yu
Hong-Guo Yu

A rising junior at Leon High, Maxwell finished his sophomore year high school track season just two months before the Firecracker. On the track, he specialized at 800 meters and 1600 meters, both significantly shorter than the 5000 meters of the Firecracker.


"I adjust really well to the longer distances," said Maxwell. "I like cross-country, where we run 5K, a lot more than track."

Megan Churchill
Megan Churchill

The 2023 race was the 40th Firecracker 5K, but it was the ninth to have been run in Cascades Park. The first Firecracker in the Park was the 2014 race, which was also Megan Churchill's first Firecracker.


"Not my first race, but I have been doing this race for a long time," said Churchill. "I love this race!"

Megan Noonan
Megan Noonan

You have to look deep into the 2014 results to find Churchill's name. After that, though, she started to get serious about racing. After two years of competing in cross-country for Swift Creek Middle School, Churchill raced for Lincoln High and then Chiles High. She'll be wearing the uniform of a Flagler College Saint during the 2023 cross-country season, her third at that school.


Each year, though, Churchill returned to Firecracker, missing only the 2022 race. 2023 was her eighth. Leading the women's field almost from the start, she threw down her fastest Firecracker performance yet--a winning 18:55. Megan Noonan took second in the women's standings, placing eleventh overall in 20:43. Brittney Barnes, women's champ at the 2016 Firecracker 5K, was the third woman in 2023, eighteenth overall in 21:40. Nancy Proctor was the first woman master, placing eighth in the women's division and 40th overall in 24:05.

Brittney Barnes
Brittney Barnes

418 athletes finished the Capital City Kiwanis' 2023 Firecracker 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the race. Look for the 41st annual Firecracker 5K in Cascades Park on Tuesday morning, 4 July 2024.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K
  1. 17:40.3, Cadden Maxwell (M, 16)
  2. 18:14.2, Josha Robinson (M, 17)
  3. 18:29.9, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 54)
  4. 18:49.2, Michael Rhodes (M, 54)
  5. 18:58.1, Elliot Butler (M, 32)
  6. 19:01.7, Gregory Noonan (M, 40)
  7. 20:14.6, Zachariah DeVeau (M, 35)
  8. 20:26.7, Kenneth Gloeckner (M, 39)
  9. 20:41.8, Thoren Knispel (M, 15)
  10. 20:46.5, Andrew Steinbrink (M, 37)

Top Ten Women, 2023 Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K
  1. 18:54.8, Megan Churchill (F, 21)
  2. 20:42.2, Megan Noonan (F, 39)
  3. 21:39.4, Brittney Barnes (F, 35)
  4. 21:46.5, Serafina Rietow (F, 15)
  5. 21:47.9, Madison Sims (F, 16)
  6. 23:42.3, Riley Michaud (F, 19)
  7. 23:59.4, Michelle Hadden (F, 34)
  8. 24:04.2, Nancy Proctor (F, 62)
  9. 24:20.4, Juliana Krueger (F, 25)
  10. 24:50.6, Angela Dempsey (F, 54)

Recent winners of the Firecracker 5000m
DateMenWomenFinishers
4 July 202317:41, Cadden Maxwell18:55, Megan Churchill418
4 July 202217:05, Matt Mizereck19:32, Sheryl Rosen324
4 July 202116:56, Tristan Cravello18:36, Alyson Churchill329
4 July 201917:43, Michael Niezgoda18:03, Ann Centner521
4 July 201815:34, Ricardo Estremera19:12, Katie Sherron479
4 July 201716:48, Charlie Johnson19:42, Katie Sherron520
4 July 201616:06, Stanley Linton20:35, Brittney Barnes399
4 July 201517:00, Michael Potter19:23, Alyson Churchill370
4 July 201417:06, Joseph Garcia18:58, Katie Slater431
4 July 201318:22, Roger Schmidt20:53, Katie Showman180
4 July 201216:14, Stanley Linton22:36, Nancy Stedman128
4 July 201117:20, Joel Piotrowski21:35, Stephanie Stout73
3 July 201018:45, Cliff Skelton22:29, Nancy Stedman87
4 July 200916:46, Daniel Lee19:26, Emily Ness78
4 July 2008
4 July 200718:05, Tony Guillen21:51, Julie Clark88
4 July 200617:40, James Cook20:03, Julia Vola76
4 July 200516:44, Jeff Dubias20:30, Heather Bailey56
3 July 200415:48, Caleb Carmichael18:39, Kara Newell127
4 July 2003
4 July 200216:57, Jason Fulghum22:07, Janice Hochstein80
4 July 200117:22, Paul Hoover17:53, Sarah Docter-Williams94
4 July 200015:57, Gary Droze18:10, Sarah Docter-Williams155
4 July 199916:37, Tim Simpkins17:56, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 July 199816:05, Damian Wilson17:35, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 July 1997
4 July 199615:45, Gary Droze19:13, Carrie Weyant
4 July 199416:07, Gary Droze18:19, Lisa Herman
4 July 199016:55, Bill Crooks19:10, Vikki Saga
4 July 198916:47, Paul Hoover20:27, Mae Cleveland
4 July 198817:02, 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.
Due to COVID-19, there was no 2020 Firecracker 5000.


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Posted by Herb Wills at 5:02 PM
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