Thursday, July 6, 2023

Cody Thompson wins and Haley Hasty repeats at Florida Track Club's Melon Run

45th annual Jack Gamble Melon RunFourth of July road races aren't uncommon. John Adams foretold as much in 1776. Most cities have such a race, and Gainesville, Florida is no exception. But while everyone else has a "Freedom Run" or a "Firecracker Road Race," Gainesville's race has always been the Melon Run. Oh, in the early years when the Florida Track Club was still on the metric wagon it was the Metric Melon 5K. More recently it has been the Jack Gamble Melon Run. But for 45 years the race has been the Melon Run and for most of those years it has been three miles. If yards and miles were good enough for the Founding Fathers, those units are good enough for the Florida Track Club on the birthday of the United States.


On Tuesday morning, 4 July 2023, Cody Thompson won Florida Track Club's 45th annual Jack Gamble Melon Run by more than a minute, covering the three-mile course around Westside Park in 15:42. Haley Hasty successfully defended her 2022 women's title in the race, coming in fifth overall in 17:46.


Thompson entered the 2023 Melon Run with four years of experience racing cross-country for the Crystal River High Pirates, and another three years as a harrier for the Randolph College Wildcats. Two Gainesville athletes dueled for second, with Ivan Ruchkin edging Zane Grabau for the runner-up spot 16:50 to 16:51. Lake Mary, Florida athlete Daniel McCarthy was the first master runner in the race and the eighth male finisher, placing tenth overall in 18:35.


Gainesville's Katelyn Greenleaf took nearly 40 seconds off her time from the 2022 Melon Run to go 18:26 in 20:23, placing ninth overall and taking second in the women's standings. Katie Avery was third in the women's division, the same as in 2022. Her time in 2023 was 18:48, putting her thirteenth overall--just ahead of the 18:50 posted by the fourth women, Grace Kelly of Cincinnati, Ohio. Kelly was fourteenth overall. Sarah Williams of Gainesville was the first woman master and the ninth female finisher, 40th overall in 22:35.


285 athletes finished Florida Track Club's 2023 Jack Gamble Melon Run. Second Wind Race Timing of Chester County, Pennsylvania clocked the race. Expect the 46th annual Melon Run back in Westside Park on Thursday morning, 4 July 2024.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Melon Run Three Mile
  1. 15:42, Cody Thompson (M, 20-29) Dunnellon, FL
  2. 16:50, Ivan Ruchkin (M, 30-39) Gainesville, FL
  3. 16:51, Zane Grabau (M, 30-39) Gainesville, FL
  4. 17:06, Sam Weiler (M, 10-19) Gainesville, FL
  5. 17:15, Gus McDaniel (M, 10-19) Gainesville, FL
  6. 18:14, Sean Kullmann (M, 20-29) Gainesville, FL
  7. 18:25, Robert Walkiewicz (M, 30-39) Gainesville, FL
  8. 18:35, Daniel McCarthy (M, Master) Lake Mary, FL
  9. 18:44, Joseph Angelillo (M, 20-29) Gainesville, FL
  10. 18:47, Mikell Squires (M, 40-49) Gainesville, FL

Top Ten Women, 2023 Melon Run Three Mile
  1. 17:46, Haley Hasty (F, 20-29) Gainesville, FL
  2. 18:26, Katelyn Greenleaf (F, 20-29) Gainesville, FL
  3. 18:48, Katie Avery (F, 20-29)
  4. 18:50, Grace Kelly (F, 20-29) Cincinnati, OH
  5. 20:12, Danielle Kolb (F, 30-39) Gainesville, FL
  6. 20:14, Jamie Saunders (F, 30-39) Gainesville, FL
  7. 21:44, Mya Forbes (F, 10-19) Gainesville, FL
  8. 22:17, Leslie Dugger (F, 30-39) Casselberry, FL
  9. 22:35, Sarah Williams (F, Master) Gainesville, FL
  10. 23:17, Michi Le (F, 40-49) Gainesville, FL

Gainesville, Florida, Melon Run Three Mile winners, 1979 - 2023
DateMenWomenFinishers
4 July 1979*15:43, Paul Rehfus22:04, Diann Eley
4 July 198014:47, Joe Dubina18:14, Ruth Smith167
4 July 198114:25, Jeff Kramer18:51, Lisa Davis179
4 July 198215:14, Byron Dyce20:10, Ann Hanrahan
4 July 198315:14, Roger Sutton18:14, Ruth Smith
4 July 198414:29, Scott McMillen18:06, Kathy Schaefer
4 July 198514:47, Mark Kennard18:25, Kathy Schaefer279
4 July 198615:22, John Matthews18:28, Shelly Allen219
4 July 1987
4 July 1988
4 July 198915:20, Scott McMillen18:00, Anita Kelly
4 July 199015:08, Scott McMillen19:09, Johanna Reneke
4 July 1991
4 July 1992
4 July 199315:14, John Pianhorst18:01, Jim Schultz
4 July 199415:31, Randall Hollinger19:04, Lisa Gable
4 July 199514:58, Stephen Kortenkamp17:14, Monica O'Reilly
4 July 199614:48, Randall Hollinger19:38, Annemarie Kosarek
4 July 199715:34, Randall Hollinger17:58, Wendy Frazier
4 July 1998
4 July 199914:57, Connor Holt18:52, Shannon Lennon
4 July 200015:51, Randy Hollinger18:40, Shannon Lennon240
4 July 200116:22, Randy Hollinger18:48, Allison Burnett276
4 July 200215:40, Darin Shearer18:44, Ashley Espy281
4 July 200315:49, Alex Phipps17:55, Anna Brew311
4 July 200416:07, Justin Jacobs18:26, Larisa Timchina222
4 July 200515:44, Enoch Nadler17:59, Friderike Wilde222
4 July 200615:35, Michael Anderson17:53, Sheryl Rosen282
4 July 200715:02, Alex Phipps18:03, Amanda Hahn406
4 July 200815:43, Geoffrey Anderson17:39, Lisa Vaill460
4 July 200915:34, Andrew Robinson18:48, Michele Howell287
4 July 201014:46, Michael Anderson17:30, Allison Costello308
4 July 201115:38, Michael Anderson17:38, Betsy Suda339
4 July 201215:24, Michael Anderson18:05, Betsy Suda460
4 July 201314:58, Mike Hensley20:00, Danielle Kolb410
4 July 201414:34, Matt Hensley17:32, Betsy Suda444
4 July 201515:59, Mike Hensley17:41, Betsy Suda304
4 July 201616:26, Mike Hensley17:51, Anne Creamer337
4 July 201714:33, Eduardo Garcia16:47, Jess Pascoe398
4 July 201815:50, Calum McFetridge18:02, Betsy Suda440
4 July 201915:12, Enoch Nadler18:42, Meredith DeFranco323
4 July 202115:30, Matthew Taddeo18:30, Julia Buddendorff190
4 July 202215:31, Cade Monk17:31, Haley Hasty230
4 July 202315:42, Cody Thompson17:46, Haley Hasty285
* The inaugural race in 1979 was the “5 km Metric Melon.”


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Posted by Herb Wills at 10:40 PM
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