The tenth Half-Shell Hustle 5K goes to Roland Zech and Eden Keene

13 January 2024 was the Saturday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so it was also the day of the Apalachicola, Florida Oyster Cook-Off. For distance runners, the highlight of the festival was the tenth annual Half-Shell 5K, won by Roland Zech in 21:17. Master runner Eden Keene was the first woman in the race, placing third overall in 23:19.


Richard Ray was the fastest master runner in the race, placing second to Zech in 22:34. Master runner Terance Keenan was the third man across the finish line, coming in sixth overall in 23:38.


Eden Keene may or may not have been at the first Half-Shell Hustle in 2014, but she has raced all nine Hustles since then, racking up four women's titles--2018, 2019, 2023, and now 2024. Runner-up to Keene in the 2024 women's standings was another past winner; master runner Genee Meleski, the 2017 women's champ. This time out, Meleski was fourth overall in 23:48. Clare Keenan edged Madeleine Keenan for third on the women's side, both athletes clocked in 24:37. Clare and Madeleine were fifth and sixth overall.


100 athletes finished the 2024 Half-Shell Hustle 5K. With the 2025 Oyster Cook-Off slated for the Saturday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, you can look for the eleventh annnual Half-Shell Hustle on the streeets of Apalachicola on Saturday morning, 18 January 2025.


Top Ten Men, 2024 Half-Shell Hustle 5K

1. 21:16.5, Roland Zech (M, 33)
2. 22:33.5, Richard Ray (M, 61)
3. 24:37.3, Terance Keenan (M, 59)
4. 24:59.9, Jared Bethke (M, 28)
5. 28:13.8, Tanner Klink (M, 30)
6. 28:14.4, Mark Goins (M, 57)
7. 28:42.1, Ben Rosson (M, 45)
8. 28:53.6, Dan Leffers (M, 72)
9. 29:08.7, Patrick Babington (M, 64)
10. 29:16.5, Bob Dever (M, 74)

Top Ten Women, 2024 Half-Shell Hustle 5K

1. 23:18.7, Eden Keene (F, 41)
2. 23:47.3, Genee Meleski (F, 55)
3. 24:36.7, Clare Keenan (F, 23)
4. 24:37.0, Madeleine Keenan (F, 26)
5. 25:07.3, Sophia Fonseca (F, 27)
6. 26:35.3, Donna Starrenberg (F, 58)
7. 27:18.8, Madison Minacci (F, 26)
8. 28:34.6, Apryl Brooks (F, 40)
9. 28:45.3, Monica Petrella (F, 32)
10. 30:06.5, Michaela Metcalfe (F, 29)

Half-Shell Hustle winners, 2014 - 2024
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
18 January 2014
17 January 2015	18:51, Lane Williams	21:44, Christy Phillips	72
16 January 2016	17:14, Bryce Cole	19:16, Amy Hines	64
14 January 2017	18:16, Paul Guyas	22:23, Genee Meleski	93
13 January 2018	19:20, Chance Logan	21:53, Eden Keene	80
19 January 2019	20:43, Noble Davidson	23:16, Eden Keene	104
18 January 2020	18:18, Shawn Logan	23:07, Paula O’Neill	106
15 January 2022	19:49, Josiah Friddle	22:42, Kelsey Hanger	109
14 January 2023	19:53, Duane Evans	23:04, Eden Keene	100
13 January 2024	21:17, Roland Zech	23:19, Eden Keene	100
The 2014 Half-Shell Hustle was a 3,000-fathom race (just under 5,500 meters) Because of COVID-19, there was no 2021 Half-Shell Hustle.

Links

• Complete results of the 2024 Half-Shell Hustle 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQWpag7iaZFZezIHsQ1ntdx4DXjNjsvMcH2EgfHn5kF3tkcznczn9GDKdA7VlsukZblKR07QIfjuwAR/pubhtml
  
  
• 2022 story, “Josiah Friddle and Kelsey Hanger lead the return of the Half-Shell Hustle”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/06/half-shell-hustle-2022.html
  
  
• 2020 story, “Shawn Logan and Paula O'Neill were Half-Shell Hustlers in Apalachicola”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/01/half-shell-hustle-2020.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Davidson wins and Keene repeats at the Half-Shell Hustle”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/01/half-shell-hustle-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Logan and Keene show that there's an 'R' in 'Race' at the Half-Shell Hustle”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/01/half-shell-hustle-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Guyas and Meleski head the Half-Shell Hustle”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/01/half-shell-hustle-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “A pearl of a race for Cole and Hines at the Half-Shell Hustle”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/01/half-shell-hustle-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Williams and Phillips win the Half-Shell Hustle”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/01/half-shell-hustle-2015.html
  
  
• Course map, 2020 Half-Shell Hustle 5K
  https://app.box.com/s/unc00g49r4fdm0mzpiwawvcwp5tedny5
  
  
• Apalachicola Oyster Cook Off
  http://www.oystercookoff.com/
  
  
• Find another upcoming race celebrating raw bivalves on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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