Brian Miller and Abigail Garner came from far and wide to win the Heatwave

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

1. 27:43.41, Brian Miller (M, 26) Americus, GA
2. 28:40.31, Blake Simms (M, 45) Midland, GA
3. 29:36.94, Jake Griffith (M, 33) Americus, GA
4. 29:47.08, Evan Rehrauer (M, 20) Hamilton, GA
5. 29:49.44, Kaleb Ellis (M, 20) Fortson, GA
6. 30:14.21, David Ford (M, 25) Columbus, GA
7. 30:37.69, Bailey Miller (M, 19) Ellerslie, GA
8. 30:39.88, Zack Adams (M, 16) Columbus, GA
9. 31:22.48, Andrew Mullins (M, 39) Midland, GA
10. 31:22.66, Kobie Buglioli (M, 26) Upatoi, GA

Top Ten Women, 2024 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

1. 31:29.04, Abigail Garner (F, 18) Salem, AL
2. 34:13.48, Effie Rose Ward (F, 16) Cataula, GA
3. 35:27.51, Erin Pugh (F, 26) Columbus, GA
4. 36:01.68, Talya Abenoza (F, 28) Columbus, GA
5. 38:09.62, Liz Brooks (F, 48) Midland, GA
6. 38:33.30, Stacy Richardson (F, 54) Pine Mountain, GA
7. 38:38.06, Emma Mathis (F, 16) Waverly Hall, GA
8. 39:25.32, Danelle McNew (F, 40) Fortson, GA
9. 39:37.06, Joori Eggleston (F, 37) Midland, GA
10. 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
  
  

#3084

Andrew McGinnis scores a 15:55 win in the Lakebottom 5K

NCAA cross-country season doesn't get started till September, but at least two collegiate harriers couldn't wait. On Saturday morning, 12 August 2023, three weeks before the season opened, Samford University Bulldog Andrew McGinnis raced Georgia College Wildcat Evan Rehrauer on the streets of Columbus, Georgia in the Lakebottom Park 5K. McGinnis won the tenth annual race by over 200 meters, running 15:55. Atlanta master runner Jill Braley-Boyd was the first woman in the Lakebottom 5K for the third year in a row, this time placing fourth overall in 18:26.


Rehrauer was runner-up in 16:39. Before running for Georgia College, Rehrbauer had run cross-country at Harris County High. Another Harris County alum and the 2022 Lakebottom 5K champion, Cavan Klein, took third overall in 17:53. Jonathan Williams of Phenix City, Alabama was the first male master runner and fifth in the men's standings, seventh overall in 18:52.


Elizabeth Cowley, a senior on the Brookstone High cross-country team, was the second woman in the race, placing fifth overall in 18:44. Cowley had also been the women's runner-up in the 2022 Lakebottom 5K. Effie Ward, a Harris County High sophomore, placed third in the women's division and eighth overall in 18:54.


203 athletes finished the 2023 Lakebottom 5K. Lightning Sports Racing of Columbus, Georgia timed and scored the race.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Lakebottom Park 5K

1. 15:54.59, Andrew McGinnis (M, 19) Columbus, GA
2. 16:38.87, Evan Rehrauer (M, 19) Milledgeville, GA
3. 17:52.03, Cavan Klein (M, 18) Hamilton, GA
4. 18:50.77, Zack Adams (M, 15) Columbus, GA
5. 18:51.90, Jonathan Williams (M, 45) Phenix City, AL
6. 19:03.88, Bradley Brooks (M, 15)
7. 19:48.85, Matt Lage (M, 38)
8. 20:22.84, Benjamin Dennis (M, 41) Columbus, GA
9. 20:33.04, Jose Espinosa (M, 45)
10. 20:52.44, Owen Underwood (M, 14) Salem, AL

Top Ten Women, 2023 Lakebottom Park 5K

1. 18:25.35, Jill Braley-Boyd (F, 44) Atlanta, GA
2. 18:43.66, Elizabeth Cowley (F, 17)
3. 18:53.35, Effie Rose Ward (F, 15) Cataula, GA
4. 20:57.43, Amaris Martinez (F, 28)
5. 21:30.49, Lilly Huwe (F, 14)
6. 21:56.41, Layla Williams (F, 13) Phenix City, AL
7. 22:36.83, Addison Garner (F, 31)
8. 22:37.66, Janelle Wells (F, 15)
9. 24:07.44, Lila Klein (F, 13)
10. 24:09.01, M. Parks (F, 12)

Lakebottom Park 5K winners, 2014 - 2023
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
16 August 2014	18:02, Bo Bridges	22:21, Chaille Sullivan	206
8 August 2015	16:47, Aaron Totten-Lancaster	20:42, Morgan Ryffe	239
20 August 2016	17:36, Nicholas Heller	22:03, Kaitlyn Schultz	190
19 August 2017	18:32, Alexander Wood	20:15, Celina Kortuem	270
18 August 2018	17:38, Nickolas Causey	20:48, Adley Burkes	286
17 August 2019	18:08, Vladimir Volodin	21:32, Kelly Pendleton	320
22 August 2020	16:49, Kaleb Ellis	17:33, Chantalle Schultz-Rathbun	275
21 August 2021	15:43, Kaleb Ellis	20:29, Jill Braley	214
13 August 2022	17:05, Cavan Klein	18:46, Jill Braley-Boyd	204
12 August 2023	15:55, Andrew McGinnis	18:26, Jill Braley-Boyd	203

Links

• Complete results of the 2023 Lakebottom Park 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQLnd2S8jMvhy2XXdGDvck-A0yXbCvvw0FQAiqSMVZ3qo6jLT0GYhq5rea5QJozAnLQjdTUIBHR4zFt/pubhtml
  
  
• 2015 story, “Call it Weracoba or call it Lakebottom, but call Totten-Lancaster and Ryffe winners”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/08/lakebottom-2015.html
  
  
• Columbus Road Runners of Columbus, Georgia
  http://www.columbusroadrunners.com/
  
  
• Look for an upcoming run on a lake bottom on the Trouble Afoot! race calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2959

Leonardo Canete and Sara Pacer scorched the trail in the Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

The thirteenth running of Columbus, Georgia's Heatwave Five Mile took place in weather that lived up to the name of that annual footrace. Still, more than two hundred athletes braved the heat that Saturday morning, 1 July 2023, to race along the Chattahoochee River. Tallahassee master runner Leonardo Canete was the fastest of that sweating crowd, posting a winning time of 28:22. Auburn University cross-country runner Sara Pacer was the first woman in the race, going 31:02 to place sixth overall.


It was Canete's second year of racing the Big Dog Heatwave Five Miler. In the 2022 race he had run 28:46, placing second to Andrew McGinnis while outrunning Blake Simms for the top master's spot. Canete ran more than 20 seconds faster in 2023 to get the win. Behind him, Kaleb Ellis, an alum of the Harris County High cross-country team, finished runner-up in 28:46. Another former Harris Country harrier, Cavan Klein, grabbed third place with a 28:58. Like Canete, both Ellis and Klein had competed in the 2022 Heatwave Five Mile--Ellis ran 1:42 faster in 2023 than he had the year before, while Klein improved a full minute on his 2022 effort.


Effie Ward, a rising sophomore on the Harris County High cross-country team, took second in the women's standings, coming in thirteenth overall in 33:40. Another high school harrier, Katie Casto of Saint Anne Pacelli Catholic School, was the third woman and sixteenth overall in 34:46. Columbus athlete Casey Geringer was the first woman master and sixth female finisher, twentieth overall in 35:29.


242 athletes finished the 2023 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile. Lightning Sports Racing of Columbus, Georgia timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

1. 28:21.69, Leonardo Canete (M, 44) Tallahassee, FL
2. 28:45.39, Kaleb Ellis (M, 19) Catalua, GA
3. 28:57.29, Cavan Klein (M, 18) Hamilton, GA
4. 29:40.39, Kobie Buglioli (M, 25) Upatoi, GA
5. 31:01.69, Benson Atkins (M, 20)
6. 31:40.06, Jonathan Williams (M, 45) Phenix City, AL
7. 32:03.91, Jay Vasquez (M, 43)
8. 32:30.10, Owen Keys (M, 27)
9. 32:46.80, Bradley Brooks (M, 15)
10. 33:13.53, Kaden Ellis (M, 22) Cataula, GA

Top Ten Women, 2023 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

1. 31:01.74, Sara Pacer (F, 21) Auburn, AL
2. 33:39.01, Effie Rose Ward (F, 15) Cataula, GA
3. 34:45.25, Katie Casto (F, 16) Columbus, GA
4. 35:02.33, Kelly Pendleton (F, 38) Fortson, GA
5. 35:14.28, Elizabeth Cowley (F, 17)
6. 35:28.11, Casey Geringer (F, 51) Columbus, GA
7. 35:56.55, Megan Guthrie (F, 36) Columbus, GA
8. 37:48.48, Joori Eggleston (F, 36) Columbus, GA
9. 38:32.16, Danelle McNew (F, 38) Fortson, GA
10. 38:48.81, Charlotte Young (F, 18) Columbus, GA

Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile winners, 2011 - 2023
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

Links

• Complete results of the 2023 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTBO0C641eFQHWv-vyowbbN67ZOEnYhhdf-flexFsJ1ry2rP_r4C86UoQyOJJUeXj-JeJ8JWSvHn7n9/pubhtml
  
  
• 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
  
  

#2940

Andrew McGinnis and Alison Wells were the fast dogs at the Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

Columbus, Georgia isn't playing around when it comes to the Heatwave Five Mile. "Heatwave" isn't just a name; the race is in July. In spite of the midsummer date, the race is a full five miles--not the shorter 5K favored by weekend warriors.


But there are reasons the race has been around since 2011. The point-to-point course follows the Chattahoochee Riverwalk, with scenic views of the river. The direction of the run is downstream, so that the finish line is more than 150 feet below the starting line.


There were certainly reasons enough for Andrew McGinnis to show up for the twelfth running of the Heatwave on Saturday morning, 2 July 2022. A 2022 alum of Columbus' Calvary Christian High and a future Samford University cross-country runner, McGinnis won the Heatwave Five Mile in 26:51. Alison Wells, a former University of Alabama distance runner, was the first woman in the race, coming in fourth overall in 29:07.


Two athletes ran a close race for the first master runner spot in the Heatwave, Tallahassee, Florida's Leonardo Canete and Blake Simms of Fortson, Georgia. Canete prevailed, taking second overall in 28:46. Simms placed third overall in a close 28:53.


Kat Valenta was second in the women's standings, placing eighteenth overall in 34:28. Valenta is heading into her second year on the Columbus State University cross-country team. Colleen Klein was the third woman in the Heatwave and 26th overall in 37:45. Gena Ochal was the first woman master and twelfth female finisher, 53rd overall in 41:55.


157 athletes finished the 2022 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile. Lightning Sports Racing of Columbus, Georgia timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

1. 26:50.58, Andrew McGinnis (M, 18) Columbus, GA
2. 28:45.19, Leonardo Canete (M, 43) Tallahassee, FL
3. 28:52.04, Blake Simms (M, 43) Fortson, GA
4. 29:45.33, Logan Storie (M, 33)
5. 29:57.83, Cavan Klein (M, 17)
6. 30:03.87, Kaden Ellis (M, 21) Fort Mitchell, AL
7. 30:13.10, Kobie Buglioli (M, 24) Upatoi, GA
8. 30:13.16, Bailey Miller (M, 17) Ellerslie, GA
9. 30:27.59, Kaleb Ellis (M, 18) Fort Mitchell, AL
10. 30:27.68, Evan Rehrauer (M, 18) Carrollton, VA

Top Ten Women, 2022 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

1. 29:06.82, Alison Wells (F, 26) Bainbridge, GA
2. 34:27.99, Kat Valenta (F, 19)
3. 37:44.12, Colleen Klein (F, 26)
4. 38:43.22, Effie Rose Ward (F, 14) Cataula, GA
5. 39:32.80, Joori Eggleston (F, 35) Columbus, GA
6. 39:33.26, Danelle McNew (F, 37) Fortson, GA
7. 39:48.83, Allison Miller (F, 27)
8. 40:18.26, Sarah Weber (F, 36) Phenix City, AL
9. 40:43.90, Elizabeth Cowley (F, 16)
10. 41:17.03, Kristin Ciancio (F, 38) Phenix City, AL

Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile winners, 2011 - 2022
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

Links

• Complete results of the 2022 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQxn0B0MefVb3GExIWmJj6VAgUw3-urYaDnIN-Ez9CPAInOS_8J-annm0jvWNKOpGNhleyHs1jCa9RD/pubhtml
  
  
• 2016 story, “Marley and Whitis stay ahead of the wave at Heatwave”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/07/big-dog-heatwave-2016.html
  
  
• 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
  
  

#2851

Aaron Catlin and Sarah Schreck trek to victory on the trails of the Chesty Puller Challenge

Imagine that you're running a half-marathon on the trails of Fort Benning, Georgia--13.1 miles through the pine barrens, in and out of deep ravines carved by creeks eager to join the Chattahoochee River, stumbling over rocks and tree roots. You no longer know which mile you're on, or which hill you're climbing. When you crest the slope, you're abruptly confronted with the shade of Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, United States Marine Corps. Would he speak? What would he say to you as you passed by?


"Run faster. You'll hurt more, but you won't hurt as long."


Or something like that. Chesty Puller was a Marine's Marine, starting off as a private and, after surviving battles with many deadly enemies, rising to become a three-star general. Which is why Fort Benning's 13.1-mile trail race is called the Chesty Puller Challenge.


Aaron Catlin won the long race for the second year in a row, finishing close to half a kilometer ahead of the next runner. Sarah Schreck was the first woman in the half marathon, placing fourteenth overall in 1:48:51. Four months earlier Schreck had won the women's title in the Soldier Half-Marathon in nearby Columbus, Georgia. On the paved course of the Soldier Half-Marathon she went 1:28:28. On Benning's rugged trails, she ran over twenty minutes slower. That's how tough the Chesty Puller Challenge is.


Catlin's winning time was almost five minutes faster than the 1:35:41 he has posted in the 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge. Connor Roche, the 2019 runner-up, also bettered Catlin's 2018 time, running 1:32:53. Frank Phillips followed Roche across the finish line, taking third in 1:35:56.


Alicia Tenbrink was second in the women's standing, placing 61st overall in 2:10:42. Erika Kitson was the third woman and 83rd overall in 2:15:15.


168 athletes had the persistence to finish the 2019 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race. Event Technical Services, Inc., of Sylvester, Georgia timed and scored the event.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race

1. 1:30:45, Aaron Catlin (M, 18-29)
2. 1:32:53, Connor Roche (M, 18-29)
3. 1:35:56, Frank Phillips (M, 30-39)
4. 1:41:57, Nicholas O'Brien (M, 30-39)
5. 1:42:32, Justin Kline (M, 30-39)
6. 1:42:43, Colin Feild (M, 18-29)
7. 1:42:51, Collin Jones (M, 30-39)
8. 1:43:09, Daniel Prince (M, 30-39)
9. 1:43:22, Reaven Lantz (M, 18-29)
10. 1:44:53, Nick Causey (M, 18-29)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race

1. 1:48:51, Sarah Schreck (F, 18-29)
2. 2:10:42, Alicia Tenbrink (F, 30-39)
3. 2:15:15, Erika Kitson (F, 30-39)
4. 2:21:13, Victoria Currens (F, 18-29)
5. 2:21:54, Elizabeth Beck (F, 18-29)
6. 2:22:50, Shawna Thornton (F, 30-39)
7. 2:24:19, Lindsay Hapney (F, 30-39)
8. 2:27:13, Irene Zepeda (F, 30-39)
9. 2:29:01, Megan Hale (F, 18-29)
10. 2:30:07, Sandy Ewers (F, 40-49)

Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race winners, 2012 - 2019
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
5 May 2012
6 April 2013	1:41:48, Anthony Thompson	2:09:51, Kristin Thompson	84
15 March 2014	1:28:24, Tim Nelson	2:15:32, Amanda Oldaker	200
14 March 2015	1:38:24, Mark Gaudet	2:09:26, Jenn Gaddy	149
7 March 2016	1:39:47, James Miller	1:54:46, Theresa Edwards	172
4 March 2017	1:29:53, Robert Killian	2:02:50, Erin Divinski	203
17 March 2018	1:35:41, Aaron Catlin	1:55:17, Jacqueline Head	189
16 March 2019	1:30:45, Aaron Catlin	1:48:51, Sarah Schreck	168

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQw54uCatd7vGzEh-PRxuel3RSiYpA3Jq1X1LiJVsc0Gx97lL9RzGlII3t8YzEylKUye7hKBmyH3uyk/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “Aaron Catlin and Jacqueline Head rise to the Chesty Puller Challenge”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/03/chesty-puller-2018.html
  
  
• Find future trail runs in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2459

Aaron Catlin and Jacqueline Head rise to the Chesty Puller Challenge

Describing the annual half-marathon trail race, the Chesty Puller Challenge, Fort Benning, Georgia's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program writes, "The Chesty Puller 13.1 Mile Half Marathon is not for the faint hearted; the trail is routed deep into the woods near Kelley Hill."


"Not for the faint hearted," indeed. You can see some of the course from US 27 on the drive to Columbus, Georgia. The ravines and pine barrens do not look inviting. But you knew it had to be tough when they named it after Chesty Puller.


It's astonishing that Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller didn't die young. Over the years, many folks tried to help him find his way to an early grave as he fought guerrillas in Haiti and Nicaragua, the Japanese in World War II, and the North Koreans and Chinese during the Korean Conflict. None of them had the bullet or bayonet with Puller's name on it. Instead, Puller rose from Private to Lieutenant General during 37 years in the United States Marine Corps while becoming the most decorated Marine in American history.


Neverthless, 189 athletes successfully met the Chesty Puller Challenge on Saturday morning, 17 March 2018. The fastest in the field was Aaron Catlin, who finished the 13.1 miles in 1:35:41, more than three-quarters of a mile ahead of the next runner. Jacqueline Head, an alumna of the United States Military Academy cross-country team, was the women's champ, placing fifteenth overall in 1:55:17.


Catlin, the race-winner, has run the Army Ten-Miler four times since 2011, most recently placing 60th in the 2017 race with a 57:52. Ten miles on the streets of the District of Columbia is an entirely different critter than thirteen-plus miles through the jungles of Fort Benning, but Catlin excelled in both venues. Christopher Fedorchenko was runner-up to Catlin in the Chesty Puller Challenge, clocking 1:41:50 on the trails. Less than 100 meters behind Fedorchenko, Michael Rose took third in 1:42:16. Matthew Deloia was the top master runner in the Challenge, placing ninth overall in 1:50:29.


Jodie Villegas was second in the women's standings and 34th overall in 2:03:20. Katerine Seyward was the top woman master and third female finisher, 44th overall in 2:09:49.


I couldn't say whether or not, on the trail, the athletes urged one another to do one more mile for Chesty. But I'd like to think they did.


Event Technical Services, Inc., of Sylvester, Georgia timed and scored the 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race

1. 1:35:41, Aaron Catlin (M, 28)
2. 1:41:50, Christopher Fedorchenko (M, 27)
3. 1:42:16, Michael Rose (M, 27)
4. 1:42:54, Daniel Jester (M, 27)
5. 1:45:53, Matthew Slocum (M, 26)
6. 1:46:34, Jan Wolfisberg (M, 22)
7. 1:49:44, Edward Tillinghast (M, 25)
8. 1:50:13, Jake Lunsford (M, 33)
9. 1:50:29, Matthew Deloia (M, 40)
10. 1:51:11, Austin Peterson (M, 24)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race

1. 1:55:17, Jacqueline Head (F, 18)
2. 2:03:20, Jodie Villegas (F, 25)
3. 2:09:49, Katerine Seywerd (F, 41)
4. 2:12:55, Erika Kitson (F, 37)
5. 2:14:22, April Gellatly (F, 36)
6. 2:15:37, Nicole Bladow (F, 28)
7. 2:16:56, Ariela Mansilla (F, 31)
8. 2:21:47, Fabienne Nawara (F, 30)
9. 2:24:16, Marissa Zarrelli (F, 25)
10. 2:24:21, Samantha Bartush (F, 21)

Chesty Puller Half-Marathon Trail Race winners, 2012 - 2018
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
5 May 2012
6 April 2013	1:41:48, Anthony Thompson	2:09:51, Kristin Thompson	84
15 March 2014	1:28:24, Tim Nelson	2:15:32, Amanda Oldaker	200
14 March 2015	1:38:24, Mark Gaudet	2:09:26, Jenn Gaddy	149
7 March 2016	1:39:47, James Miller	1:54:46, Theresa Edwards	172
4 March 2017	1:29:53, Robert Killian	2:02:50, Erin Divinski	203
17 March 2018	1:35:41, Aaron Catlin	1:55:17, Jacqueline Head	189

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 Chesty Puller Challenge Half-Marathon Trail Race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRGZ0Ofzu9O6xSvVXcJFureRJ9YTzcgFwgSR4d1DrJWB7sLFdJ2OXoU2dEM57phF5Dix5ETrUhEz8uE/pubhtml
  
  
• Find future trail runs in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2221

David Marley and Jessica Ridley race to Red Nose Run victory

On a chill Saturday morning, 6 January 2018, 719 athletes raced the twelfth annual Red Nose Run Half Marathon in Columbus, Georgia. There was another half marathon that same morning, about 400 miles away in Disney World. Both the Red Nose and the Walt Disney World half marathons offered runners chip timing and USATF-certified courses. Whatever comparisons you draw between the two events, though, there was one big difference. The Red Nose Run had free entry.


The fastest athlete enjoying the economic advantages of the Columbus race was David Marley. Marley covered the 13.1-mile course along the Chattahoochee Riverwalk Trail in 1:09:53. winning the race for the fourth time in six years, and coming within a second of the Red Nose Run record of 1:09:52. Marley himself set that record in the 2013 race. Jessica Ridley collected the women's title, placing twentieth overall in 1:30:08.


Austin Kidd, a sophomore cross-country runner at Columbus State University, ran 1:14:24 for the runner-up spot. Yuri Force was third overall in 1:18:36, just ahead of Jason Veclotch, fourth overall in 1:18:53. Fourteenth overall in 1:25:51, Jon Knoedler was the first master runner in the half marathon.


Euleen Josiah-Tanner was the top woman master and second female finisher, 21st overall in 1:30:54. Columbus State frosh cross-country runner Alli Hay edged Amy Morton for third in the women's standings, 1:32:04 to 1:32:08. Hay and Morton were 27th and 28th overall.


The Columbus Road Runners have hosted the Red Nose Run annually since 2007. The race started out as an informal and untimed marathon and half marathon with no entry fee. By 2009 the club had certified the half-marathon course and begun timing the runs; after 2010 the marathon was dropped from the program. There have been several course changes since then, but one thing has remained constant--no entry fee. Any athlete who feels truly uncomfortable about not paying for a race has the option of buying a Red Nose Run T-shirt.


Lightning Sports Racing, Inc., of Columbus timed the 2018 Red Nose Run Half Marathon.


Top Ten Women, 2018 Columbus, Georgia Red Nose Run Half Marathon

1. 1:09:52.97, David Marley (M, 31)
2. 1:14:23.75, Austin Kidd (M, 19)
3. 1:18:35.06, Yuri Force (M, 34)
4. 1:18:52.90, Jason Veclotch (M, 29)
5. 1:20:09.26, Tyler Blackburn (M, 23)
6. 1:20:49.90, Matt Triick (M, 34)
7. 1:22:01.51, Noah Churchwell (M, 19)
8. 1:22:32.00, Roger Hagues (M, 33)
9. 1:23:49.08, Wright Calhoun (M, 19)
10. 1:24:33.60, Da'Rel Patterson (M, 34)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Columbus, Georgia Red Nose Run Half Marathon

1. 1:30:07.43, Jessica Ridley (F, 25)
2. 1:30:53.16, Euleen Josiah-Tanner (F, 43)
3. 1:32:03.65, Alli Hay (F, 18)
4. 1:32:07.24, Amy Morton (F, 38)
5. 1:32:36.78, Tracy Cermak (F, 36)
6. 1:36:25.24, Alexandra Trigg (F, 12)
7. 1:37:22.19, Samantha Levin (F, 29)
8. 1:38:10.67, Meggie Meyer (F, 30)
9. 1:38:24.40, Celia Mindel (F, 27)
10. 1:39:06.72, Lauren Keister (F, 27)

Columbus, Georgia Red Nose Run winners, 2007 - 2018
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
2007	Marathon
	Half Marathon
5 January 2008	Marathon
	Half Marathon
10 January 2009	Marathon	2:44:18, Roger Hagues	3:53:07, Monika Bubacz	11
	Half Marathon	1:19:13, Martin Anders	1:41:08, Carolee Fuller	88
9 January 2010	Marathon	3:16:28, John Nevels	4:16:21, Corinna Stitt	27
	Half Marathon	1:31:49, Roger Hagues	1:36:57, Brienna Riedy	186
8 January 2011	Half Marathon	1:12:25, Andrew Dixon	1:29:49, Janeth Alder	218
7 January 2012	Half Marathon	1:14:59, Roger Hagues	1:33:31, Beth Wiggins	333
5 January 2013	Half Marathon	1:09:52, David Marley	1:28:18, Heather May	508
4 January 2014	Half Marathon	1:13:08, Tim Nelson	1:30:27, Erika Utter	665
3 January 2015	Half Marathon	1:10:23, David Marley	1:27:47, Euleen Josiah-Tanner	800
9 January 2016	Half Marathon	1:12:56, David Marley	1:19:53, Lauren Philbrook	1125
7 January 2017	Half Marathon	1:17:06, Cody Mallachok	1:30:56, Euleen Josiah-Tanner	464
6 January 2018	Half Marathon	1:09:53, David Marley	1:30:08, Jessica Ridley	719

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 Columbus, Georgia Red Nose Half Marathon
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR-p_uvsjHEGmwes5EH-b7a_DnMYNOrfybNQIT2DaNTBuOaHf3bE61gELaYEvHfDpO_ihzQ0pv2QlgT/pubhtml
  
  
• USATF course certification map for the 2018 Red Nose Run Half Marathon
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA16082WC
  
  
• Find more great values in upcoming events on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2156

Marley and Helms go "dashing all the way" to victory in the Big Dog Jingle 5K

For the fourth time in six years, David Marley lined up to run the Big Dog Jingle 5K. For the fourth time in six years, David Marley won the Big Dog Jingle 5K. His fourth win came on Saturday morning, 16 December 2017, in the eighth annual running of that Columbus, Georgia 5K. Marley went 15:50 that day, finishing more than 200 meters ahead of the next runner. Devin Helms, a junior on the Harris County High cross-country team, took the women's title, placing sixteenth overall in 20:53.


Columbus State sophomore cross-country runner Noah Churchwell finished runner-up to Marley, running 16:36. Franklyn Martinez was third in 17:34. Vladimir Volodin of Columbus was the top master runner in the race, placing fifth overall in 18:44.


Katie May of Columbus was second in the women's standings and nineteenth overall in 21:22. Ariela Mansilla of Fort Benning, Georgia was the third woman and 23rd overall in 22:12. Smiths, Alabama runner Lisa Shores was the top woman master and sixteenth female finisher, 58th overall in 24:06.


314 athletes finished the eighth annual Big Dog Jingle 5K. Lightning Sports Racing, Inc., timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Big Dog Jingle 5K

1. 15:50.00, David Marley (M, 31) Columbus, GA
2. 16:36.00, Noah Churchwell (M, 19) Columbus, GA
3. 17:34.00, Franklyn Martinez (M, 30)
4. 18:10.00, Roger Hagues (M, 33) Midland, GA
5. 18:43.36, Vladimir Volodin (M, 40) Columbus, GA
6. 18:51.70, Michael Williams (M, 38) Phenix City, AL
7. 19:09.58, Eduardo Valdivia (M, 44) Fort Benning, GA
8. 19:12.43, Jake Eishen (M, 17) Cataula, GA
9. 19:17.74, Giovanni Avila (M, 19)
10. 19:21.13, Scott Lowry (M, 32) Columbus, GA

Top Ten Women, 2017 Big Dog Jingle 5K

1. 20:52.89, Devin Helms (F, 16) Fortson, GA
2. 21:21.95, Katie May (F, 28) Columbus, GA
3. 22:11.68, Ariela Mansilla (F, 30) Fort Benning, GA
4. 22:22.26, Megan Spraul (F, 28) Kansas City, MO
5. 22:31.22, April Gellatly (F, 35)
6. 22:36.52, Ryleigh Bell (F, 15)
7. 22:41.57, Olivia Hadaway (F, 17)
8. 22:47.93, Zoie Zimmerman (F, 23) Columbus, GA
9. 22:54.69, Alexis Lyon (F, 16) Hamilton, GA
10. 23:37.75, Leigh Hadaway (F, 21)

Big Dog Jingle 5K winners, 2010 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
11 December 2010	16:45, Adam Jones	20:13, Katherine Jones	183
17 December 2011	18:08, Phillip Bartell	20:02, Patricia Smith	245
15 December 2012	15:23, David Marley	18:25, Jessica Ridley	432
21 December 2013	15:54, Adam Jones	19:37, Ellie Angove	440
20 December 2014	15:03, David Marley	21:39, Sarah Ohm	300
19 December 2015	15:38, David Marley	22:18, Alina Salgado	394
17 December 2016	18:11, Alex Salgado	18:45, Chantalle Schultz-Rathbun	316
16 December 2017	15:50, David Marley	20:53, Devin Helms	314

Links

1. Complete results, 2017 Big Dog Jingle 5K
   https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSVO3msLfvL6JvTpCOFlyRWXgfns9GsPFro7SVLwqQK5hFT1C_EfQRhmR2pLItnE2EI_BWM_U6BdMlI/pubhtml
   
   
2. Find upcoming jingle jangle runs on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
   https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
   
   

#2137

Salgado siblings sweep the Flat Rock 5K

It was an All-Salgado show at Flat Rock Park in Columbus, Georgia on Monday evening, 24 July 2017. First, Columbus High senior Alex Salgado won the sixth annual Flat Rock 5K by half a kilometer, running 17:33. Then, in the same race, Columbus High alumna Alina Salgado took the women's title, placing eighth overall in 21:22.


For Alex Salgado, it was a stunning improvement on his previous outings in the Flat Rock Park race. In 2015 he had placed ninth in 20:53, while in 2016 he was fourth in 20:10. His winning time of 17:33 left those old marks behind; it was more in line with the times Salgado ran during the autumn of 2016 when he won seven races for the Columbus High cross-country team, including the GHSA Region 1-4A championship. Steve Darwin was second in the Flat Rock, running 19:31. Jake Eishen, a senior on the Harris County High cross-country team, edged Eduardo Valdivia for third, 19:37 to 19:39. Valdivia was the fastest master runner in the race.


Not far behind Alina Salgado at 21:31, Devin Helms was second in the women's standings and ninth overall. Helms is a junior at Harris County High where she runs for the school's cross-country team. Katie May was the third woman and eleventh overall in 21:47. Melissa House was the first woman master and fifteenth female finisher, 53rd overall in 27:47.


Lightning Sports Racing, Inc., timed the Columbus Road Runners' 2017 Flat Rock Park 5K. 145 athletes finished the race.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Flat Rock 5K

1. 17:32.36, Alex Salgado (M, 16)
2. 19:30.99, Steve Darwin (M, 23)
3. 19:36.33, Jake Eishen (M, 17)
4. 19:38.10, Eduardo Valdivia (M, 43)
5. 20:01.70, Lee L'Oste-Brown (M, 37)
6. 21:01.29, Doug Saylor Jr. (M, 33)
7. 21:13.89, Gregory Schollmeier (M, 25)
8. 21:43.27, Scott Gilpatrick (M, 47)
9. 21:57.93, Brian Szanny (M, 27)
10. 22:03.56, Dan Lyon (M, 39)

Top Ten Women, 2017 Flat Rock 5K

1. 21:21.88, Alina Salgado (F, 19)
2. 21:30.35, Devin Helms (F, 16)
3. 21:46.19, Katie May (F, 28)
4. 22:53.03, Ariela Mansilla (F, 29)
5. 23:27.06, Tori Thompson (F, 32)
6. 24:03.70, Kristin Sellers (F, 28)
7. 25:03.28, Brittany Dino (F, 26)
8. 25:22.28, Samantha Warner (F, 9)
9. 25:27.52, Chaille Sullivan (F, 34)
10. 26:17.63, Nikki Thomas (F, 39)

Winners of the Flat Rock 5K, 2012 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
25 July 2012	17:09, Preston Groves	21:04, Brittney Skiles	216
24 July 2013	17:44, Russell Jones	21:41, Emily Miller	267
21 July 2014	17:02, Mike Kurvach	21:17, Hope Skypek	240
27 July 2015	18:28, Planet Popper	22:30, Morgan Ryffe	211
25 July 2016	17:30, Aaron Totten-Lancaster	22:49, Katie Kilgallen	205
24 July 2017	17:33, Alex Salgado	21:22, Alina Salgado	145

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 Flat Rock 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Pg-T8MkeWxvcjvAD_fau51h8_GzchwjU2R6APPM1Ag8/pubhtml
  
  
• 2016 story, “Totten-Lancaster and Kilgallen run flat out at Flat Rock”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/07/flat-rock-2016.html
  
  
• Columbus Roadrunners
  http://www.columbusroadrunners.com/
  
  
• Looking for a race below the fall line? Try the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2042

Totten-Lancaster and Kilgallen run flat out at Flat Rock

Columbus, Georgia is located on the fall line. The fall line marks the upstream limit of navigation from the sea, and this is readily apparent if you take a stroll along the Chattahoochee River as it flows past the city. The shoals and rapids that you see are an effective barrier to shipping.


The fall line also marks a change in geology from the rocky piedmont north of the line to the sediments of the coastal plain south of the line. You don't have to be along the river to see this. You could, for instance, take a walk though Flat Rock Park on the east side of Columbus. In the park you can see large expanses of exposed stone scoured clean of soil by Flatrock Creek. Head south and all the way to the Gulf of Mexico you'll be lucky to see a limestone rock big enough to stub a toe on. Flat Rock Park is still far south of the mountains, but this is the stuff that mountains are made of.

Flat Rock Park

Flat Rock Park was also the venue for the fifth annual Flat Rock 5K, the fourth race in the Columbus Roadrunners' 2016 Summer Series. Contested on Monday evening, 25 July 2016, the race followed an out-and-back course that took the runners out of the park and onto the Fall Line Trace Rail Trail.


Master runner Aaron Totten-Lancaster won the race in 17:30, his first victory in the 2016 series. Felix Kiboiywo was second in 17:50 and Rob Janssen took third in 19:34. Master runner Cecil Turtle claimed fourth in 19:41, while Columbus High sophomore Alex Salgado grabbed fifth in 20:10.


Placing seventeenth overall in 22:49, Katie Kilgallen took the women's title, her first of the 2016 Summer Series. Stephanie Mundel (36th, 24:37) edged Gevenny Fernandez (38th, 24:39) for the women's runner-up spot. Northside Columbus cross country runner Marisa Gonzalez was fourth in the women's standings and 41st overall in 24:56. Susan Lancaster was the top woman master and ninth female finisher, placing 61st overall in 26:46.

Flatrock Creek

With the conclusion of the Flat Rock 5K, four of the five 2016 Summer Series races are in the books, including the Summer Solstice 5K on 17 June 2016, the Rails-to-Trails 5K on 27 June 2016, and the Big Dog Heat Wave Five Mile on 9 July 2016. The final race in the series will be the Lakebottom Park 5K on 20 August 2016.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Flat Rock 5K

1. 17:29.61 ~ Aaron Totten-Lancaster (M, 41)
2. 17:49.11 ~ Felix Kiboiywo (M, 29)
3. 19:33.38 ~ Rob Janssen (M, 35)
4. 19:40.12 ~ Cecil Turtle (M, 43)
5. 20:09.43 ~ Alex Salgado (M, 15)
6. 20:36.25 ~ Zach Kelly (M, 31)
7. 20:47.06 ~ Ryan Pidcock (M, 24)
8. 21:00.10 ~ Connor Gaumond (M, 27)
9. 21:37.63 ~ Roger Hagues (M, 32)
10. 21:42.59 ~ John Lee (M, 17)

Top Ten Women, 2016 Flat Rock 5K

1. 22:48.13 ~ Katie Kilgallen (F, 27)
2. 24:36.86 ~ Stephanie Mundel (F, 22)
3. 24:38.87 ~ Gevenny Fernandez (F, 27)
4. 24:55.96 ~ Marisa Gonzalez (F, 17)
5. 25:08.34 ~ April Lewis (F, 30)
6. 25:13.07 ~ Heather Harlow (F, 31)
7. 25:28.04 ~ Jessie Hagen (F, 26)
8. 25:56.24 ~ Nikki Thomas (F, 38)
9. 26:45.89 ~ Susan Lancaster (F, 41)
10. 26:57.83 ~ Julie Melton (F, 33)

Winners of the Flat Rock 5K, 2012 - 2016
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
25 July 2012	17:09, Preston Groves	21:04, Brittney Skiles	216
24 July 2013	17:44, Russell Jones	21:41, Emily Miller	267
21 July 2014	17:02, Mike Kurvach	21:17, Hope Skypek	240
27 July 2015	18:28, Planet Popper	22:30, Morgan Ryffe	211
25 July 2016	17:30, Aaron Totten-Lancaster	22:49, Katie Kilgallen	205

Links

• Complete results of the 2016 Flat Rock 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vqpnNSrSVG8aBto1YZ24Wk5n6YkyqovNFOyS-yXIeBY/pubhtml
  
  
• Columbus Roadrunners' 2016 Summer Series
  
  • Summer Solstice 5K:
    
  • Rails-to-Trails 5K: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/06/columbus-rail-2016.html
    
  • Big Dog Heatwave 5 Mi: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/07/big-dog-heatwave-2016.html
    
  • Flat Rock 5K: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/07/flat-rock-2016.html
    
  • Lakebottom Park 5K: Coming up on 20 August 2016
    
  
  
• Columbus Roadrunners
  http://www.columbusroadrunners.com/
  
  
• Looking for a race below the fall line? Try the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1743

Marley and Whitis stay ahead of the wave at Heatwave

Runners deal with the summer in a variety of ways. Workouts get slower and shorter. Drinking water becomes an obsession. Runs are scheduled near sunup and sundown. Rain showers become the occasion for impromptu long runs. My mileage spiked one summer when several tropical storms blew through the area.


Races also get shorter and start earlier in the morning. It's hard to find anything longer than a 5K on the road race schedule before autumn.


In Columbus, Georgia, Big Dog Running Company goes against that trend. Their mid-July race is a full five miles. The race doesn't start till 8:00 AM, well after the sun has come up. The Big Dogs aren't coy about the kind of conditions you can expect at their race, either. They proudly call their race the Heatwave Five Miler.


David Marley of Columbus won the sixth annual Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile on Saturday morning, 9 July 2016, running 26:46 and successfully defending his 2015 title. Marley is an assistant track coach for the Columbus State University Cougars, and the runner-up spot went to a recent alumnus of that program, Cody Mallchok. Mallchok was second in 27:22. Colin Johnson of Clarksville, Tennessee was third in 27:31. Aaron Totten-Lancaster, a two-time winner of the Heatwave 5K, was the fastest master runner on the course in 2016, placing fourth overall in 27:51.


Columbus master runner Stephanie Whitis captured the women's crown, coming in 29th overall in 37:39. Grace Mullins was runner-up on the women's side and 31st overall in 37:44. Rachel Riegel placed third in the women's standings and 43rd overall in 38:59.


The Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile course is point-to-point starting near the Lake Oliver Marina and heading south to Big Dog Running Company in Uptown Columbus. The route parallels the Chattahoochee River going in the downstream direction. That means there's a net elevation loss along the way, but don't be fooled into thinking that it's all downhill. The Heatwave Five Mile was the third race in the Columbus Roadrunners' 2016 Summer Series. The two earlier races on the circuit were the Summer Solstice 5K on 17 June 2016 and the Rails-to-Trails 5K on 27 June 2016. Next up is the Flat Rock Park 5K on 25 July 2016, and the series concludes with the Lakebottom Park 5K on 20 August 2016.


274 athletes finished the 2016 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile. Lightning Sports Racing of Columbus, Georgia timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

1. 26:45.03 ~ David Marley (M, 29) Columbus, GA
2. 27:21.45 ~ Cody Mallchok (M, 23)
3. 27:30.46 ~ Colin Johnson (M, 24) Clarksville, TN
4. 27:50.09 ~ Aaron Totten-Lancaster (M, 41) Hamilton, GA
5. 30:43.60 ~ Carl Corely (M, 16)
6. 31:13.80 ~ Vladimir Volodin (M, 38) Moscow, GA
7. 31:30.68 ~ Matthew Whitis (M, 48) Columbus, GA
8. 33:40.90 ~ Alex Salgado (M, 15) Ft Benning, GA
9. 33:54.63 ~ Timothy Thompson (M, 22) Midland, GA
10. 34:14.63 ~ Joe Paull (M, 32)

Top Ten Women, 2016 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile

1. 37:38.39 ~ Stephanie Whitis (F, 40) Columbus, GA
2. 37:43.20 ~ Grace Mullins (F, 26)
3. 38:58.90 ~ Rachel Riegel (F, 28) Columbus, GA
4. 39:18.18 ~ Rhonda Bechard (F, 46) Midland, GA
5. 39:19.10 ~ Paola Dunaway (F, 32) Columbus, GA
6. 39:36.82 ~ Olivia Salgado (F, 27) Midland, GA
7. 39:46.29 ~ Erin Divinski (F, 29) Fort Benning, GA
8. 39:52.18 ~ Amanie Bussey (F, 40) Columbus, GA
9. 39:52.28 ~ Heather Harlow (F, 31) Columbus, GA
10. 40:08.21 ~ Susan Lancaster (F, 45) Hamilton, GA

Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile winners, 2011 - 2016
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

Links

• Complete results of the 2016 Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12b62JXa3xyBn4IutMtYt3a_A0Vx2wsBFzKkPLXHFyJM/pubhtml
  
  
• 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
  
  

#1732

Marley and Salgado are tops on the trail in Columbus

Columbus, Georgia is fortunate in having a great paved, multi-use trail along the Chattahoochee River, the 22-mile-long Chattahoochee Riverwalk. But Columbus also has another great paved trail, the Fall Line Trace Rail Trail. And one Monday evening, 27 June 2016, the Fall Line Trace was the site of the second race of the Columbus Roadrunners Club's summer series, the Rails-to-Trails 5K.


David Marley won the race by 150 meters, running 16:04. Aaron Totten-Lancaster was the fastest master runner that evening, placing second overall in 16:35. Dane Talbert took third in 17:44, and Alex Salgado, a rising junior on the Columbus High cross country team, was fourth in 19:14.


Alina Salgado took the women's title, coming in 23rd overall in 23:09. Salgado recently graduated from Columbus High and is an alumna of the school's cross country program. Heather Harlow (26th, 23:35) was second in the women's standings and Olivia Salgado (27th, 23:42) was third. Susan Lancaster was the top woman master and fourth female finisher, placing 31st overall in 24:23.


The Columbus Roadrunners' 2016 Summer Series of races continues with the 9 July 2016 with the Big Dog Heatwave Five Mile, the third race of the circuit. The fourth race in the series is the Flat Rock Park 5K on 25 July 2016, and the series concludes on 20 August 2016 with the fifth face, the Lakebottom Park 5K. The first Summer Series race was the Summer Solstice 5K on 17 June 2016.


170 athletes finished the Columbus Roadrunners' 2016 Rails-to-Trails 5K. Lightning Sports Racing of Columbus, Georgia timed the race.


Top Ten Men, Columbus Roadrunners' 2016 Rails-to-Trails 5K

1. 16:03.75 ~ David Marley (M, 29) Columbus, GA
2. 16:34.91 ~ Aaron Totten-Lancaster (M, 41) Hamilton, GA
3. 17:43.31 ~ Dane Talbert (M, 33) Smiths, AL
4. 19:13.33 ~ Alex Salgado (M, 15) Ft Benning, GA
5. 20:24.88 ~ Roger Hagues (M, 31) Midland, GA
6. 20:38.43 ~ Logan Sibley (M, 16) ,
7. 20:42.00 ~ John Lee (M, 17) Pine Mountain, GA
8. 20:50.63 ~ Lee Loste-Browne (M, 36) ,
9. 21:25.26 ~ Jeff Wismann (M, 31) Columbus, GA
10. 21:31.47 ~ Rob Kindrick (M, 51) Pine Mountain, GA

Top Ten Women, Columbus Roadrunners' 2016 Rails-to-Trails 5K

1. 23:08.33 ~ Alina Salgado (F, 18) Ft. Benning, GA
2. 23:34.95 ~ Heather Harlow (F, 31) Columbus, GA
3. 23:41.03 ~ Olivia Salgado (F, 27) Midland, GA
4. 24:22.29 ~ Susan Lancaster (F, 45) Hamilton, GA
5. 24:51.57 ~ Taylor Elkins (F, 14) Pine Mountain, GA
6. 25:00.57 ~ Lori Greeff (F, 37) Midland, GA
7. 25:15.94 ~ Karla Kletzien (F, 25) Phenix City, AL
8. 25:41.39 ~ Alexis Lyon (F, 15) Hamilton, GA
9. 25:42.51 ~ Eugenie Gulowsen (F, 18) ,
10. 25:43.70 ~ Kristin Sellers (F, 27) Salem, AL

Columbus Roadrunners Club's Rails-to-Trails 5K winners, 2012 - 2015
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
11 July 2012	18:21, Ian Edwards	21:20, Alexa Smith	220
10 July 2013	16:26, Aaron Totten-Lancaster	20:25, Kathryn Hansen	261
30 June 2014	18:07, Dallas Hanin	18:25, Asher Henry	236
29 June 2015	16:42, Aaron Totten-Lancaster	21:39, Hope Skypek	233
27 June 2016	16:04, David Marley	23:09, Alina Salgado	170

Links

• Complete results of Columbus Roadrunners Club's 2016 Rails-to-Trails 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kq8agr_hhkcSOHyqEnpUJfLEqbAqk9cHgqCcFollrYg/pubhtml
  
  
• Columbus Roadrunners Club
  http://www.columbusroadrunners.com/
  
  
• Find more summer races on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1726

Call it Weracoba or call it Lakebottom, but call Totten-Lancaster and Ryffe winners

Columbus, Georgia, is the county seat of Muscogee County. The Muscogee, from which the county derives its name, were banished from Columbus a long time ago, but many of their place names still appear on maps of the area. Weracoba Creek is an example. Weracoba is Muscogee for "Big Water," which seems incongruous unless you're looking at Weracoba Creek during a flood event. In 1890 the Columbus Railroad Company built a dam on Weracoba Creek forming a lake, the focus of Wildwood Park. By 1924 Columbus High School needed a new home. The city bought the park, drained the lake, and built a new Columbus High building on sixteen acres of the land. The rest became Weracoba Park, which everyone called Lakebottom Park. Thus when the Columbus Road Runners held a race there on Saturday morning, 8 August 2015, it was the Lakebottom Park 5K.


Hamilton, Georgia, master runner Aaron Totten-Lancaster won the Lakebottom Park 5K by more than 600 meters, covering the 3.1 miles in Columbus' historic midtown in 16:47. Columbus High sophomore Alex Salgado edged Columbus Northside junior Chris Schintgen for the runner-up spot, both athletes clocked in 19:15. Likewise, John Orosz just got by master runner Duane Patin to take fourth, 19:41 to 19:42.


Morgan Ryffe took the women's title. The Georgia Regents University cross country runner and Northside Columbus alumna placed tenth overall in 20:42. Columbus High senior cross country runner Alina Salgado was second in the women's competition, coming in 20th overall in 21:37. Susan Lancaster of Hamilton, Georgia, was the first woman master and third female finisher, placing 32nd overall in 22:52.


239 athletes finished the race. The Lakebottom Park 5K was fifth and final race in the Columbus Road Runners' 2015 Summer Series.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Lakebottom Park 5K

1. 16:47 ~ Aaron Totten-Lancaster (M, 40) Hamilton, GA
2. 19:15 ~ Alex Salgado (M, 14) Ft. Benning, GA
3. 19:15 ~ Christopher Schintgen (M, 17) Fortson, GA
4. 19:41 ~ John Orosz (M, 28)
5. 19:42 ~ Duane Patin (M, 45)
6. 20:16 ~ Mason Hargrove (M, 12) Smith Station, AL
7. 20:17 ~ Tony Burkett (M, 48) Midland, GA
8. 20:20 ~ Rob Kindrick (M, 50) Pine Mountain, GA
9. 20:34 ~ Ben Branton (M, 51) Salem, AL
10. 20:38 ~ Larry McClain (M, 33) Fort Benning, GA

Top Ten Women, 2015 Lakebottom Park 5K

1. 20:42 ~ Morgan Ryffe (F, 20) Midland, GA
2. 21:37 ~ Alina Salgado (F, 17) Ft. Benning, GA
3. 22:52 ~ Susan Lancaster (F, 44) Hamilton, GA
4. 23:01 ~ Alison Kroviak (F, 44) Columbus, GA
5. 23:35 ~ Taylor Elkins (F, 14) Pine Mountain, GA
6. 23:54 ~ Abby Miller (F, 29) Columbus, GA
7. 23:56 ~ Jennifer Hunter (F, 39) Columbus, GA
8. 24:09 ~ Kate Driskell (F, 34) Columbus, GA
9. 24:15 ~ Kelly Andrews (F, 37) Phenix City, AL
10. 24:22 ~ Angie Walker (F, 36) Cataula, GA

Lakebottom Park 5K winners, 2014 - 2015
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
16 August 2014	18:02, Bo Bridges	22:21, Chaille Sullivan	206
8 August 2015	16:47, Aaron Totten-Lancaster	20:42, Morgan Ryffe	239

Links

• Complete results of the Columbus Road Runners' 2015 Lakebottom Park 5K
  http://www.lightningsportsracing.com/results_detail.aspx?id=1471
  
  
• Columbus Road Runners of Columbus, Georgia
  http://www.columbusroadrunners.com/
  
  
• Look for an upcoming run on a lake bottom on the Trouble Afoot! race calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1460