Hunter Potts and Megan Noonan unseat the defending champs at the Bluebird 5K

At Alford Greenway, Labor Day morning, 4 September 2023, was not the best day to be a defending champion.


Over 200 athletes had gathered in that Tallahassee, Florida park that Monday morning to race the seventh annual Bluebird 5K cross-country race. Among the field was master runner Leonardo Canete, who had won the race in 2022, and Brittney Barnes, who was the first woman in the previous year's event. But the first runner across the finish line in the 2023 Bluebird was Hunter Potts, the winner in 18:03. The first woman was Megan Noonan, nineteenth overall in 21:54.

The start of the 2021 Bluebird 5K at Alford Greenway

Canete kept it close, finishing less than 50 meters behind Potts in 18:13--ten seconds faster than his winning time the previous year. Another former Bluebird champion, 2021 winner Ryan Bausback, took third in 18:42.


Brittney Barnes placed second in the women's standings, coming in overall in 22:39.


In the contest for the third spot in the women's division, Alexis Mayfield and Acadia Hassell had another of their close finishes. This time eighth-grader Mayfield came out on top, edging fifth-grader Hassell 23:22 to 23:23. Mayfield and Hassell placed 24th and 25th overall.


The Alford Greenway is a place where runners can get close to nature, but at the Bluebird 5K nature got too close to one of the athletes. A deer, spooked by the race, collided with master runner Philip Sura. Sura went on to finish 179th in 45:10, then made a trip to a hospital emergency room where he was given a clean bill of health. There is no report on how the deer is doing.


207 athletes finished the 2023 Bluebird 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Bluebird 5K

1. 18:02.80, Hunter Potts (M, 28) Malone. FL
2. 18:12.78, Leonardo Canete (M, 44) Tallahassee. FL
3. 18:41.44, Ryan Bausback (M, 25) Sarasota. FL
4. 18:55.44, Carson Freeland (M, 18) Pittsboro. NC
5. 19:05.16, Jeremy Collier (M, 15) Pittsboro. NC
6. 19:15.95, Ryan Truchelut (M, 37) Tallahassee. FL
7. 19:30.14, Kyle Kraeft (M, 34) Tallahassee. FL
8. 19:51.86, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 55) Tallahassee. FL
9. 19:59.79, Landon Reeves (M, 13) Pittsboro. NC
10. 20:03.44, Duane Griffiths (M, 39) Tallahassee. FL

Top Ten Women, 2023 Bluebird 5K

1. 21:53.69, Megan Noonan (F, 39) Tallahassee. FL
2. 22:38.16, Brittney Barnes (F, 35) Tallahassee. FL
3. 23:21.28, Alexis Mayfield (F, 12) Tallahassee. FL
4. 23:22.49, Acadia Hassell (F, 10) Tallahassee. FL
5. 24:38.30, Sarah Costello (F, 18) Pittsboro. NC
6. 25:35.54, Laura McDermott (F, 43) Tallahassee. FL
7. 25:45.90, Riza Johnson (F, 17) Pittsboro. NC
8. 25:54.55, Angela Dempsey (F, 55) Tallahassee. FL
9. 26:33.06, Katie Price (F, 43) Tallahassee.
10. 26:46.66, Nancy Proctor (F, 62) Tallahassee. FL

Bluebird 5K Run For Brookie B winners, 2015 - 2023
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
7 September 2015	18:00, Tyler Heath	20:07, Alyson Churchill	226
4 September 2017	19:12, Jim Halley	19:53, Katie Sherron	187
3 September 2018	20:26, Bill McNulty	23:06, Sarah Tychsen	210
2 September 2019	19:13, Gary Droze	22:19, Morgan Wilson	276
6 September 2021	18:34, Ryan Bausback	22:18, Megan Noonan	143
5 September 2022	18:23, Leonardo Canete	22:15, Brittney Barnes	164
4 September 2023	18:03, Hunter Potts	21:54, Megan Noonan	207

Links

• Complete results of the 2023 Bluebird 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSr3BaXnGB-NgN79PN7zDiDi3WqtFN-8526EVVIbs9mnTIOAD-_kHthWVgL3YEKJb5nPaGWx2_Lvom5/pubhtml
  
  
• 2021 story, “Ryan Bausback and Megan Noonan soar above the competition at the Bluebird 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/bluebird-2021.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Halley and Sherron take the Bluebird 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/09/bluebird-2019.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Halley and Sherron take the Bluebird 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/09/bluebird-2017.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Heath and Churchill fly through the Alford Greenway at the Bluebird 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/09/bluebird-2015.html
  
  
• Bluebird Run
  http://www.bluebirdrun.com/
  
  
• Find your next run in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2972

Blazing! Potts and Taylor winners at Hot Trot

Once again the Hot Trot 5K in Chipley, Florida, lived up to its name. On the morning of the 36th annual race, 28 June 2014, it was about 80 °F with 80% relative humidity and hardly a cloud in sight. But Chipola College student Hunter Potts shrugged off the steamy conditions and won the race in 16:20. Victoria Taylor of Dothan, Alabama, a runner on the Chipola College cross-country team, won the women's title in 23:31.


Hunter Potts bolted away from the field as soon as the race started in front of Washington-Holmes Technical Center. A kilometer into the race Potts already had a 75-meter lead and was still moving away. Three runners led the pursuit of Potts at that point, including Myles Gibson of Donalsonville, Georgia. During the second kilometer Gibson dropped the other two athletes. He went on to place second overall, finishing as the first master runner in the race.


The Hot Trot 5K was the opening event of the 58th annual Panhandle Watermelon Festival.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Hot Trot 5K

1. 16:49 ~ Hunter Potts (M, 19) Graceville, FL
2. 18:11 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 48) Donalsonville, GA
3. 18:51 ~ Thor Audiss (M, 16) Enterprise, AL
4. 19:29 ~ Trent McDaniel (M, 20) Sneads, FL
5. 20:04 ~ Dale Thomas (M, 50) Taylor, AL
6. 20:05 ~ Cameron Golden (M, 27) Graceville, FL
7. 20:30 ~ Richie Fernandez (M, 36) Dothan, AL
8. 21:03 ~ Mark McCarra (M, 49) Grand Ridge, FL
9. 21:25 ~ Corbin Gabriel (M, 14) Grain Valley, MO
10. 22:02 ~ Eric Hudson (M, 41) Bonifay, FL

Top Ten Women, 2014 Hot Trot 5K

1. 23:30 ~ Victoria Taylor (F, 19) Dothan, AL
2. 24:10 ~ Jill Wofsey (F, 51) Alford, FL
3. 24:16 ~ Val Lichner (F, 55) Bonifay, FL
4. 24:40 ~ Heather Lee (F, 29) Melrose, FL
5. 24:47 ~ Toby Murray (F, 38) Chipley, FL
6. 25:25 ~ Veronica Taylor (F, 19) Dothan, AL
7. 25:35 ~ Holly Burnett (F, 26) Cottondale, FL
8. 25:39 ~ Andrea Weckherlin (F, 42) Panama City, FL
9. 27:27 ~ Tara Whaley (F, 39) Dothan, AL
10. 27:58 ~ Marty Kirkland (F, 61) Southport, FL

Winners of the Chipley, Florida, Hot Trot, 1979 - 2014
Date	Men	Women
23 June 1979	Freddy Carly
21 June 1980	32:34 ~ Lee Fidler	39:10 ~ Dolly Jill Harrison
20 June 1981	31:24 ~ Carlton Law	38:55 ~ Laura Ledbetter
19 June 1982	15:46 ~ Keith Lee	17:51 ~ Judy Stokely
18 June 1983	15:23 ~ David Parker	19:49 ~ Donna Duty
30 June 1984	15:31 ~ David Parker	19:32 ~ Donna Duty
29 June 1985	15:10 ~ Paul Buchanan	21:11 ~ Lisa Weldon
28 June 1986	15:50 ~ David Parker	20:00 ~ Donna Duty
27 June 1987	15:20 ~ James Frazier	20:02 ~ Lisa Kutschera
25 June 1988	15:36 ~ Paul Buchanan	21:19 ~ Marty Kirkland
24 June 1989	14:52 ~ Matt Parker	20:25 ~ Marty Kirkland
23 June 1990	15:53 ~ Matt Dobson	19:52 ~ Donna Duty
29 June 1991	15:36 ~ Matt Dobson	18:45 ~ Angela Crook
27 June 1992	15:23 ~ Matt Dobson	20:33 ~ Lou Ellen Eaddy
26 June 1993	16:34 ~ Sam Graves	19:51 ~ Lou Ellen Eaddy
25 June 1994	16:25 ~ Sam Graves	21:03 ~ Donna Duty
24 June 1995	16:11 ~ Matt Parker	21:46 ~ Lou Ellen Eaddy Jayroe
29 June 1996	16:03 ~ Paul Hough	21:00 ~ Lou Ellen Jayroe
28 June 1997	15:54 ~ Myles Gibson	17:52 ~ Sarah Kramer
27 June 1998	16:25 ~ Tracy Burch	22:23 ~ Marty Kirkland
26 June 1999	15:48 ~ Matt Dobson	20:52 ~ Virginia Hayden
24 June 2000	16:22 ~ Matt Dobson	21:48 ~ Terri Gray
23 June 2001	15:28 ~ Matt Dobson	22:20 ~ Lou Ellen Jayroe
29 June 2002	15:38 ~ Matt Dobson	20:22 ~ Tricia Snyder
28 June 2003	15:25 ~ Matt Dobson	21:52 ~ Teresa Lafleur
26 June 2004	15:49 ~ Matt Dobson	22:22 ~ Piper Stockman
25 June 2005	17:57 ~ Sam Fernandez	21:37 ~ Debbie Wittmer
24 June 2006	15:56 ~ Matt Dobson	22:03 ~ Lauren Eschbach
23 June 2007	16:25 ~ Matt Dobson	22:32 ~ Sara Jackson
28 June 2008	16:22 ~ Matt Dobson	21:48 ~ Terri Gray
27 June 2009	16:38 ~ Matt Dobson	22:08 ~ Katrina Bokenfohr
26 June 2010	18:41 ~ Chris Neal	19:42 ~ Masie Stromenger
25 June 2011	16:37 ~ Matt Dobson	22:52 ~ Kristina Bennett
24 June 2012	17:21 ~ Jordan Green	21:02 ~ Brittny Johnson
29 June 2013	16:36 ~ David Seymour	21:01 ~ Alex Dixon
28 June 2014	16:20 ~ Hunter Potts	23:31 ~ Victoria Taylor
From 1979 to 1981 the Hot Trot was a 10K race. From 1982 onward it was a 5K. A huge thank you to Larry Dykes for delving into the archives of the Dothan Runners to find the names and times of the Hot Trot champions from 1980 to 2010.

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Hot Trot 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1THRoh6G1NxDgNXERQ6AGnzSj4soRwEQ65yjgHTFZGn0/pubhtml
  
  
• Chipley Bugle, "Festival fun starts early with Hot Trot"
  http://chipleybugle.com/2014/06/29/festival-fun-starts-early-with-hot-trot/
  
  
• 2013 story, "Seymour and Dixon heat the streets at 35th Hot Trot 5K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/hot-trot-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, "Green and Johnson cross Georgia to win Chipley's Hot Trot 5K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/06/hot-trot-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, "Dobson and Bennett turn the heat on the competition at the Hot Trot"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/06/hot-trot-2011.html
  
  
• Map of Chipley's 2014 Hot Trot 5K course
  http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/104231371
  
  
• Melons, peanuts, corn, cucumbers--if there's a run for it, you'll find it here
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1

#1166

Hunter Potts takes the Possum Trot in Wausau

For more summers than anyone seems able to remember the northwest Florida village of Wausau has hosted the Possum Trot 5K road race. The run is part of Wausau's annual Possum Festival which has been around since 1970, but it doesn't seem likely that the Possum Trot goes back that far. The area's veteran runners are as perplexed by the question as I am, and tend to confuse the race with the Hot Trot in nearby Chipley. After a few decades, one hot humid 3.1-mile run starts to seem like another.


Hot and humid was indeed the order of business on Saturday morning, 3 August 2013, when athletes started to gather at the Possum Palace for the umpteenth annual renewal of the race honoring Wausau's favorite marsupial. You could hardly expect any other sort of conditions in August, though, and the Wausau Volunteer Fire Department, the host of the race, was ready for the weather, with plenty of water sprays on the course.


The course itself was out and back, starting and finishing on Jefferson Street on the east side of Possum Palace Park. After 300 meters on that shady lane, the course spilled the runners out onto Pioneer Road, where shade was only a memory. Not that many competitors were thinking about the sun; they were too busy trying to negotiate the hills on their way to and from the turnaround on Pioneer Road. Each quarter mile was marked, with the additional course marking shaped like squashed possums to reassure the runners that they were on course.


The race got under way at 7:30 AM CT. Ben McLain led the field at the turn onto Pioneer Road, with Tallahassee master runner Michael Martinez pacing the pursuit seven seconds back. Graceville's Hunter Potts was tucked back in fourth place, but he wouldn't stay there long. Potts quickly moved up into third on Pioneer Road, then passed Martinez and set his sights on McLain. By the time Potts finished the first mile in 5:41 he was out in front, thirteen seconds ahead of McLain. Potts was still way out front at the turnaround, and was even farther ahead when he hit the two mile mark at 11:16. Maintaining his pace, Potts crossed the finish line first in 17:28. Behind Potts, Martinez caught McLain during the final mile, then pulled ahead with 600 meters to go to take the runner-up spot  in 19:10, finishing as first master. McLain was third in 19:37.


Bonifay, Florida master runner Val Lichner was the first woman off of Jefferson Street. On the long, rolling trek along Pioneer Road, though, another master runner pulled even with Lichner--Kim Allan of Panama City . Just half a kilometer from the finish Lichner and Allan were still racing side by side. Allan opened a gap on the final stretch along Jefferson, charging across the line to take the women's title with a 24:28, good for 19th overall. Lichner was the women's runner up, finishing 20th overall in 24:34.


145 athletes completed the course of Wausau's 2013 Possum Trot 5K.


Top Ten Males, 2013 Wausau Possum Trot 5K

1. 17:28 ~ Hunter Potts (M, 21) Graceville, FL
2. 19:10 ~ Michael Martinez (M, 47) Tallahassee, FL
3. 19:37 ~ Ben McLain (M, 38) Conyers, GA
4. 20:11 ~ Mark Clements (M, 36) Alford, FL
5. 20:39 ~ Dale Thomas (M, 50) Taylor, AL
6. 20:57 ~ Nicholas Lewis (M, 28)
7. 22:08 ~ Thomas Newell (M, 27) Dothan, AL
8. 22:26 ~ Dale Nash (M, 62) Dothan, AL
9. 22:45 ~ Jay Wrenn (M, 49) Dothan, AL
10. 22:54 ~ Eric Hudson (M, 40) Bonifay, FL

Top Ten Females, 2013 Wausau Possum Trot 5K

1. 24:28 ~ Kim Allan (F, 43) Panama City, FL
2. 24:34 ~ Val Lichner (F, 54) Bonifay, FL
3. 26:44 ~ Gina Spease (F, 33) Southport, FL
4. 26:49 ~ Robin Walters (F, 51) Panama City, FL
5. 26:54 ~ Jill Wofsey (F, 50) Alford, FL
6. 27:08 ~ Lila Taylor (F,
7. 27:18 ~ Shannon White (F,
8. 27:20 ~ Marty Kirkland (F, 60) Southport, FL
9. 27:24 ~ Cindy Weir (F,
10. 27:28 ~ Kristina Bennett (F, 40) Dothan, AL

Known champions of the Wausau Possum Trot 5K, 1981-2013
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
3 Aug 2013	17:28, Hunter Potts	24:28, Kim Allen	145
4 Aug 2012	18:22, Hunter Potts	19:48, Hadley Nyquist	144
6 Aug 2011	17:41, Matt Dobson	20:17, Hadley Miller	97
7 Aug 2010	17:12, Matt Dobson	19:32, Hadley Nyquist	102
1 Aug 2009	17:59, David Shearon	20:48, Sara White	141
2 Aug 2008	16:13, Matt Dobson	21:43, Lou Ellen Jayroe	107
4 Aug 2007	18:19, Brian Goddin	22:37, In-Mi Matsunaga	92
5 Aug 2006	17:24, Brian Goddin	21:56, Lauren Eschbach	87
No race held 1998-2005; revived by Frank and Carol Kreis in 2006.
2 Aug 1997	17:10, Matt Dobson	20:37, Julie Clark	56
3 Aug 1996	???	???	???
5 Aug 1995	17:14, Dale Thomas	22:08, Marty Kirkland	70
6 Aug 1994	15:55, Gary Droze	20:00, Sammy Calder	89
7 Aug 1993	17:11, Dale Thomas	20:43, Val Casalini	70
2 Aug 1992	???	19:26, Donna Duty
3 Aug 1991	15:30, Matt Dobson	19:48, Belinda Warnack	111
4 Aug 1990	15:52, Swag Hartel	18:39, Chris Myers	120
5 Aug 1989	18:44*, David Keen	22:15*, Sylvia Sanchez	166
6 Aug 1988	15:40, Paul Buchanan	20:33, Tracey Pepoon	183
1 Aug 1987	15:54, Scott Simmons	19:06, Janice Hochstein	159
3 Aug 1985	16:52*, Paul Hough	22:21*, Donna Duty	145
4 Aug 1984	9:43*, Paul Buchanan	12:16*, Donna Duty	121
6 Aug 1983	16:00, Paul Buchanan	20:05, Donna Duty	141
7 Aug 1982	15:46, Keith Lee	19:26, Sarah Kramer	176
1 Aug 1981	15:59, Paul Hough	19:25, Terri Cramer	97
* Problems controlling the turn-around point on the Possum Trot's  out-and-back course during the 1980s led to uncertain distances. The 1984 race is believed to have been 2 miles, the 1985 race about 3.4 miles, and the 1989 race 3.8 miles. A huge thank you to Larry Dykes of the Dothan Runners Club for most of the information in this table!

Links

• Complete results of the 2013 Wausau Possum Trot 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AuBsYKIIn3TCdHF1STNuUFBkR081ZFhHelc1N2pEZUE
  
  
• More photos of the 2013 Wausau Possum Trot 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10103380393072033.1073741876.5215641&l=7eaecdaa55
  
  
• 2011 story, "Marsupials and masters have their day in Wausau"
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/08/wausau-2011.html
  
  
• Whether the mascot is a mammal, a marsupial, or a monotreme, you'll find your race on this schedule
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1