Thomas Eager and Tia O'Leary finish as champs at the "Sprint Like A Saint" Saint John 5K

Late October to early November is the period when people start to think about packing up Hallowe'en decorations and dressing their homes for Thanksgiving. In Valdosta, Georgia that's also the time of year that athletes anticipate the annual Saint John Road Race. In accord with that expectation, the nineteenth Saint John 5K was run on Saturday morning, 2 November 2024. Valdosta's Thomas Eager won the race by almost 400 meters, running 18:20. Tia O'Leary of Adel, Georgia was the first woman in the race, coming in sixth overall in 23:53.


Juan Pablo Ledesma-Rodriguez, an eighth-grader on the Saint John Catholic School cross-country team, took the runner-up spot with a 19:43. Another eighth-grade harrier, Valdosta Middle School's Jake Matheny, placed third in 21:33.


Valdosta's Sarah Kiggins was the second woman in the race, finishing seventh overall in 24:25. Another Valdosta athlete, Sara Hamblin, was the third woman and ninth overall in 25:02.


Scott Merrit of Berlin, Georgia was the first master runner in the race, the ninth male finisher and thirteenth overall in 26:16. The first woman master was Valdosta's Marcela Paredes, the fifth female and nineteenth overall in 28:47.


64 athletes finished the 2024 Saint John Road Race 5K. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2024 Saint John Road Race

1. 18:19.2, Thomas Eager (M, 26) Valdosta, GA
2. 19:42.2, Juan Pablo Ledesma (M, 13) Valdosta, GA
3. 21:32.7, Jake Matheny (M, 13) Valdosta, GA
4. 23:17.7, Armando Carbajal (M, 33) Valdosta, GA
5. 23:19.8, Juan Pascual Simon (M, 24) Newton, GA
6. 24:45.7, Leland Thompson (M, 37) Valdosta, GA
7. 25:23.8, Sawyer Moore (M, 11) Valdosta, GA
8. 26:13.6, Michael Shaw (M, 14) Alapaha, GA
9. 26:15.2, Scott Merritt (M, 45) Berlin, GA
10. 27:15.4, Nate Stevenson (M, 13) Hahira, GA

Top Ten Women, 2024 Saint John Road Race

1. 23:52.7, Tia Oleary (F, 36) Adel, GA
2. 24:24.5, Sarah Kiggins (F, 38) Valdosta, GA
3. 25:01.5, Sara Hamblin (F, 39) Valdosta, GA
4. 26:07.1, Ana Paula Lima (F, 32) Valdosta, GA
5. 28:46.4, Marcela Paredes (F, 46) Valdosta, GA
6. 28:58.8, Skylar Garduño (F, 11) Hahira, GA
7. 29:18.2, Jill Bullard (F, 24) Adel, GA
8. 29:40.8, Toa Wortman-Paredes (F, 12) Valdosta, GA
9. 29:41.0, Marcela Wortman-Paredes (F, 10) Valdosta, GA
10. 30:31.8, Keylee Daugherty (F, 18) Valdosta, GA

Winners of the Saint John School 5K Road Race, 2004 - 2024
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
30 October 2004	16:17 John Seppala	20:26 Susan Fischer
29 October 2005	16:10 Andy Minnicks	18:32 Melissa Daugherty
28 October 2006	16:26 Brandon Young	19:27 Melissa Daugherty	329
27 October 2007	16:38 D. J. Smith	19:06 Jana Grygarova	328
25 October 2008	17:23 Corey Stejback	19:57 Ashley Rall-McGee	286
31 October 2009	17:55 Marc Kaiser	19:42 Ashley McGee	338
30 October 2010	16:09 Chris Rice	21:03 Brandi Faircloth	326
29 October 2011	17:44 Austin Wallace	21:27 Amy Sharon	296
27 October 2012	15:54 Jesse Prince	21:29 Kelsey Morse	288
26 October 2013	17:13, Joshua Hall	20:46, Mackenzie Morse	598
25 October 2014	21:02, George Powell	22:33, Debbie Green	150
31 October 2015	18:27, Max Steele	22:20, Debbie Green	213
29 October 2016	18:59, Dan Butzin	21:48, Alice Smoot	157
28 October 2017	17:36, Justin Tracy	21:30, Elizabeth Smith	173
27 October 2018	16:57, Alec Munger	22:51, Alice Smoot	172
26 October 2019	17:36, Morgan Bolmer	22:56, Pollyanna Bass	108
31 October 2020	Virtual Race
2021	No Race
29 October 2022	18:08, Patrick Wallace	23:39, Martha Mazurkiewicz	106
28 October 2023	17:08, Patrick Wallace	23:38, Tamara Martin	100
2 November 2024	18:20, Thomas Eager	23:53, Tia Oleary	64

Links

• Complete results of the 2024 Saint John School 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRJkzQg4cj_R-IMzR2xAybOeAyq0UUeFv1lLURjLhDCNJsi9E7zxuPd-mjSodePdkLCLSfrEEbPhDVy/pubhtml
  
  
• 2023 story, “Valdosta High junior Patrick Wallace repeats as Saint John Road Race champ”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2023/10/st-john-2023.html
  
  
• 2022 story, “Patrick Wallace and Martha Mazurkiewicz celebrate the return of the Saint John Road Race with wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/10/st-john-2022.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Morgan Bolmer and Pollyanna Bass ring up wins at the Saint John Road Race”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/10/st-john-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Alec Munger and Alice Smoot headline the Saint John Road Race”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/10/st-john-2018.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Steele and Green treat themselves on Hallowe'en at the St John Road Race”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/11/st-john-2015.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Jesse Prince is the first to break 16:00 at the St. John 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/10/st-john-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Wallace takes a time out from trails to win St John 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/11/st-john-2011.html
  
  
• Saint John Road Race
  https://www.stjohnroadrace.org/
  
  
• Find an upcoming race to run in Valdosta or any other city within 100 miles of Tallahassee
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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