From Americus, Georgia to Columbus, Georgia is about a sixty-mile trip. That's the trip that Americus athlete Brian Miller made to be in Columbus on Saturday morning, 6 July 2024, to win the fourteenth annual Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile in 27:44. Coming from the other direction, Abigail Garner traveled twenty miles from Salem, Alabama for the Heatwave Five Mile; Garner was the first woman in the race, placing eleventh overall in 31:30.Blake Sims of Midland, Georgia was the first master runner in the Heatwave, coming in second overall in 28:41. Jake Griffith of Americus took third at 29:37.
Miller had won the men's division by nearly a minute, but Abigail Garner led the women's division by close to three minutes. An alum of Phenix, Alabama Central High, Garner is currently a cadet at the United State Military Academy, where she runs cross-country and track.
Effie Rose Ward was runner-up in the women's standings for the second year in a row; this time the Harris County High sophomore was nineteenth overall in 34:14. Columbus' Erin Pugh was the third woman across the finish line, 25th overall in 35:28. Midland, Georgia's Liz Brooks was the first woman master and the fifth female finisher, 41st overall in 38:10.
210 athletes finished the 2024 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile. Lightning Sports Racing of Columbus, Georgia timed the race.
Top Ten Men, 2024 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile
- 27:43.41, Brian Miller (M, 26) Americus, GA
- 28:40.31, Blake Simms (M, 45) Midland, GA
- 29:36.94, Jake Griffith (M, 33) Americus, GA
- 29:47.08, Evan Rehrauer (M, 20) Hamilton, GA
- 29:49.44, Kaleb Ellis (M, 20) Fortson, GA
- 30:14.21, David Ford (M, 25) Columbus, GA
- 30:37.69, Bailey Miller (M, 19) Ellerslie, GA
- 30:39.88, Zack Adams (M, 16) Columbus, GA
- 31:22.48, Andrew Mullins (M, 39) Midland, GA
- 31:22.66, Kobie Buglioli (M, 26) Upatoi, GA
Top Ten Women, 2024 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile
- 31:29.04, Abigail Garner (F, 18) Salem, AL
- 34:13.48, Effie Rose Ward (F, 16) Cataula, GA
- 35:27.51, Erin Pugh (F, 26) Columbus, GA
- 36:01.68, Talya Abenoza (F, 28) Columbus, GA
- 38:09.62, Liz Brooks (F, 48) Midland, GA
- 38:33.30, Stacy Richardson (F, 54) Pine Mountain, GA
- 38:38.06, Emma Mathis (F, 16) Waverly Hall, GA
- 39:25.32, Danelle McNew (F, 40) Fortson, GA
- 39:37.06, Joori Eggleston (F, 37) Midland, GA
- 40:02.55, Janelle Wells (F, 16) Fortson, GA
| Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile winners, 2011 - 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Men | Women | Finishers |
| 16 July 2011 | 26:22, Roger Hagues | 36:04, Katie Walden | 112 |
| 14 July 2012 | 27:34, Jason Veclotch | 31:55, Jessica Ridley | 105 |
| 13 July 2013 | 27:11, Aaron Totten-Lancaster | 34:42, Hannah Coyle | 223 |
| 12 July 2014 | 27:06, Aaron Totten-Lancaster | 34:33, Morgan Ryffe | 292 |
| 11 July 2015 | 27:02, David Marley | 31:18, Taylor Ward | 379 |
| 9 July 2016 | 26:46, David Marley | 37:39, Stephanie Whitis | 274 |
| 8 July 2017 | 26:15, David Marley | 34:08, Erin Divinski | 306 |
| 7 July 2018 | 28:17, Blake Simms | 32:22, Jessica Ridley | 249 |
| 5 July 2019 | 26:22, Colin Johnson | 34:48, Rachel Hagues | 329 |
| 11 July 2020 | 25:59, David Marley | 29:40, Chantalle Schultz-Rathbun | 249 |
| 3 July 2021 | 26:09, Andrew McGinnis | 33:19, Jana Stiffler | 230 |
| 2 July 2022 | 26:51, Andrew McGinnis | 29:07, Alison Wells | 157 |
| 1 July 2023 | 28:22, Leonardo Canete | 31:02, Sara Pacer | 242 |
| 6 July 2024 | 27:44, Brian Miller | 31:30, Abigail Garner | 210 |
Links
- Complete results of the 2024 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTJ0sBEU85ibtATRxyUj226CTiBKWMBUozlaypPX9Du-ZW4O8YrZIIidF2_tE028ZEteiZ216lwRfNX/pubhtml
- 2023 story, “Leonardo Canete and Sara Pacer scorched the trail in the Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2023/07/big-dog-heatwave-2023.html
- 2022 story, “Andrew McGinnis and Alison Wells were the fast dogs at the Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/07/big-dog-heatwave-2022.html
- 2016 story, “Marley and Whitis stay ahead of the wave at Heatwave”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/07/big-dog-heatwave-2016.html
- Course map, 2024 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile
https://app.box.com/s/oonds3n87eibg925d9dk33l2th0ncqk6
- Columbus (Georgia) Roadrunners
http://www.columbusroadrunners.com/
- Any size dog can find a race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
