Stephen Cox doesn't always run Gulf Winds Track Club's Ten-Mile Challenge. But when he does, he wins.Cox first ran the race in 2011, scorching the field with a 56:13. He did it again at the 27th Ten-Mile Challenge on Saturday morning, 6 December 2014, racing twice around the five-mile loop in Ox Bottom Manor in a winning 56:37. Katie Sherron, the women's winner in 2011, also added a second victory in 2014, finishing 16th overall in 72:48 as the top woman.
Since 2010, the starting line of the Ten-Mile Challenge has been at Hawk's Rise Elementary School, and the race returned there again in 2014. Vince Molosky, a two-time champion of the Ten-Mile Challenge, shot out right away, running so far ahead of everyone else that he nearly vanished in the thick morning fog. Molosky finished the first mile more than a hundred meters ahead of the next runner, Patrick Dawson of Shaw's Running. Stephen Cox was another thirty meters back.
But one mile into a ten-mile race is still nine miles to go. Just a mile later Cox had overtaken Dawson, and Molosky's lead had been cut in half. At the end of the third mile, Cox had left Dawson behind and caught Molosky."We ran most of three-to-four together," recalled Cox. "I moved ahead after that steep downhill during mile four."
After that the race belonged to Cox. He hit the halfway point in 28:15 then spent the second time around the course building up a lead of more than 800 meters. While Cox cruised the second loop on his way to a 56:37 win, Patrick Dawson passed Vince Molosky then went on to take second in 59:43. Molosky finished third in 60:20. Mike Peymann was the fastest master runner in the Challenge, placing sixth overall in 64:52.
Katie Sherron has run the Ten-Mile Challenge each year since 2010, five times in all. Her nearest rival in the 2014 race, Jillian Heddaeus, has only run the event twice. Nevertheless, after this year's Challenge Heddaeus had a definite opinion about the race."That was so hard!" she declared.
It is called a Challenge, after all.
Sherron and Heddaeus raced side-by-side for much of the first few miles, but by the end of the first five-mile loop Sherron had opened a gap of a few meters. That margin widened to more than 400 meters during the second time around the course while Sherron ran home to a 72:48 win. Heddaeus was the women's runner-up, coming in 20th overall in 74:50. 30th overall in 80:57, Kate Chunka was third in the women's standings. The fourth woman finisher and top woman master was April Bentley, 32nd overall in 82:54.
Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2014 Ten-Mile Challenge
- 56:37 ~ Stephen Cox (M, 31)
- 59:43 ~ Patrick Dawson (M, 23)
- 60:20 ~ Vince Molosky (M, 35)
- 63:53 ~ Zach Deveau (M, 27)
- 64:11 ~ Eric Godin (M, 30)
- 64:52 ~ Mike Peymann (M, 52)
- 64:57 ~ Mickey Moore (M, 44)
- 65:35 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M, 45)
- 67:50 ~ Paul Guyas (M, 37)
- 68:18 ~ Brian Molen (M, 38)
Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2014 Ten-Mile Challenge
- 72:48 ~ Katie Sherron (F, 33)
- 74:50 ~ Jillian Heddaeus (F, 31)
- 80:57 ~ Kate Chunka (F, 31)
- 82:54 ~ April Bentley (F, 41)
- 83:05 ~ Emma Spencer (F, 33)
- 86:18 ~ Laura Reina (F, 50)
- 87:51 ~ Nancy Proctor (F, 53)
- 87:54 ~ Kate Harrison (F, 22)
- 88:06 ~ Shannon McNees (F, 44)
- 88:06 ~ Lorien Abbey (F, 47)
109 athletes finished the 2014 Ten-Mile Challenge, while another 82 successfully tackled a shorter five-mile race. Gary Galvez of Capital City Runners won the junior race in 31:54, finishing almost 300 meters ahead of runner-up Aaron Taylor. Taylor had led through the first mile but Galvez had caught him on the second, then spent the rest of the race building a margin of victory. Tad David was the third five-mile finisher and first master, running 35:14.
Tallahassee master runner Paula O'Neill was the first woman finisher in the five mile, placing sixth overall in 37:24. Ten-year-old Kate Krizner was runner-up in the women's standings, finishing 11th overall in 41:55.
Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2014 Five-Mile Road Race
- 31:54 ~ Gary Galvez (M, 27)
- 33:00 ~ Aaron Taylor (M, 21)
- 35:14 ~ Tad David (M, 45)
- 36:28 ~ Bill McGuire (M, 67)
- 37:20 ~ Scott Callen (M, 41)
- 37:52 ~ David Anderson (M, 64)
- 40:02 ~ Michael Boll (M, 50)
- 40:17 ~ Buddy Levins (M, 61)
- 41:37 ~ Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina (M, 10)
- 42:16 ~ Jeff Bowman (M, 53)
Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2014 Five-Mile Road Race
- 37:24 ~ Paula O' Neill (F, 53)
- 41:55 ~ Kate Krizner (F, 10)
- 42:09 ~ Allie Caldwell (F, 24)
- 42:51 ~ Megan Long (F, 28)
- 42:57 ~ Katie Allison (F, 37)
- 43:21 ~ Jane Skalski (F, 30)
- 43:21 ~ Kasey Law (F, 27)
- 44:57 ~ Kenya Rich (F, 42)
- 46:43 ~ Ludmila De Faria (F, 46)
- 47:25 ~ Christine Martorana (F, 30)
| Champions of Gulf Winds Track Club's Ten-Mile Challenge, 1988 - 2014 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Men | Women |
| 3 December 1988 | 51:05, David Keen | 65:19, Janice Hochstein |
| 2 December 1989 | 52:05, Jessie Close | 64:09, Paula Johnson |
| 1 December 1990 | 51:39, David Keen | 62:53, Paula Johnson |
| 7 December 1991 | 54:20, Jessie Close | 63:40, Paula Johnson |
| 5 December 1992 | 54:32, Jessie Close | 63:09, Paula Johnson |
| 4 December 1993 | 55:30, Steve Wilcox | 61:53, Paula Johnson |
| 3 December 1994 | 54:16, Herb Wills | 61:43, Jane Johnson |
| 2 December 1995 | 55:30, Gary Droze | 65:55, Carrie Weyant |
| 7 December 1996 | 56:27, Brian Erb | 66:21, Carrie Weyant |
| 6 December 1997 | 55:06, Lee Willis | 62:38, Sarah Docter-Williams |
| 5 December 1998 | 58:45, Robert Pautienus | 62:27, Breeda Willis |
| 4 December 1999 | 56:24, Gary Droze | 69:44, Carrie Weyant |
| 2 December 2000 | 56:29, Zachery Heissner | 66:07, Laurel Slyck |
| 1 December 2001 | 60:11, Tim Unger | 64:40, Sarah Docter-Williams |
| 7 December 2002 | 54:30, Lee Willis | 63:54, Sarah Docter-Williams |
| 6 December 2003 | 61:33, Bill McCord | 63:20, Sarah Docter-Williams |
| 4 December 2004 | 55:29, Gary Droze | 61:41, Sarah Docter-Williams |
| 3 December 2005 | 56:46, Gary Droze | 66:43, Kara Newell |
| 2 December 2006 | 59:13, Jay Wallace | 62:27, Sheryl Rosen |
| 1 December 2007 | 58:47, Tripp Southerland | 64:04, Sheryl Rosen |
| 6 December 2008 | 55:56, Chris Lake | 65:30, Sheryl Rosen |
| 5 December 2009 | 57:59, Vince Molosky | 65:47, Sheryl Rosen |
| 4 December 2010 | 57:19, Vince Molosky | 64:25, Allison Eagen |
| 3 December 2011 | 56:13, Stephen Cox | 68:15, Katie Showman |
| 1 December 2012 | 56:18, Stanley Linton | 68:05, Micah Adriani |
| 7 December 2013 | 55:30, Stanley Linton | 73:42, Micah Adriani |
| 6 December 2014 | 56:37, Stephen Cox | 72:48 Katie Sherron |
Links
- Complete results of the 2014 GWTC Ten-Mile Challenge at gulfwinds.org
http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2014/Ten%20and%20Five%20Mile%20Challenge%202014.asp
- More photos of the 2014 GWTC Ten-Mile Challenge
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105419302925343.1073742049.5215641&l=f9ec4a8c11
- Fred Deckert's photos of the 2014 GWTC Ten-Mile Challenge
https://picasaweb.google.com/112560881455823075870/Challenge14
- 2013 story, "Linton and Adriani make it two at the Ten"
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/12/ten-mile-challenge-2013.html
- 2012 story, "Linton and Adriani take Ten"
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/12/ten-mile-challenge-2012.html
- 2011 story, "Cox and Showman take on all Ten-Mile Challengers"
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/12/ten-mile-challenge-2011.html
- 2010 story, "Molosky and Eagen take Ten-Mile Challenge"
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/12/ten-mile-challenge-2010.html
- USATF course certification map (FL10078EBM) for Gulf Winds Track Club's 2013 Ten-Mile Challenge
http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL10078EBM
- USATF Course Certification map (FL10077EBM) for Gulf Winds Track Club's 2013 Five-Mile Road Race
http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL10077EBM
- Find upcoming challenges in the region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar of road races
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
