Evan Beauchamp lives in Smyrna, but he is a son of Bainbridge, Georgia. He's also a marathon runner. As a marathoner, he spent much of November running long distances. On Nov. 7 he ran 2:45:46 in the Savannah Rock and Roll Marathon, finishing seventh and qualifying for the Boston Marathon. On Nov. 27 was in Tallahassee for the Turkey Trot, but he ran a little farther than the prescribed 15K."Me and a guy I was running with went about half a mile off course," explained Beauchamp.
The regulation 9.3 miles just wasn't far enough for a marathoner. Even with the detour, Beauchamp finished tenth in 57:17. Two days later Beauchamp was back on the roads, this time in Climax, Georgia, just east of his old home town of Bainbridge. He was there for the annual Climax Swine Time 5K. It may have only been 3.1 miles, but Beauchamp won the race for the second year in a row, running 17:40.
The race started at 8:30 AM near the Swine Time Fairgrounds in Climax. Justin Nunamaker was the early leader, but Atlanta West Stride's Evan Beauchamp was right with him. After half a mile the runners were out of town, headed north on the Salem Church Road. On that quiet stretch of highway, Beauchamp ran away from Nunamaker. When the athletes turned around at the halfway point, starting the return to the fairgrounds, Beauchamp was already 100 meters ahead of Nunamaker. Beauchamp continued to widen the gap on the way back to the finish line. Meanwhile, University of West Georgia cross-country runner Dre Banks was starting to close on Nunamaker.When Beauchamp crossed the finish line first in 17:40, Banks was just a few steps behind Nunamaker with a little more than 200 meters left to race. Banks stepped on the gas after the final turn with less than 100 meters to go. His kick was enough to give him second place over Nunamaker, 18:34 to 18:37. Former Swine Time champion Greg Waddell was the fastest master runner in the field, placing sixth in 21:30.
The women's competition also had a repeat winner as 2013 champion Julie Genovar of Bainbridge returned to run 23:48, placing 14th overall and taking the women's title. Genovar led the women's field from the start, finishing nearly 200 meters ahead of runner up Chelsey Beauchamp's 24:39. Paige Hildebrand was third in the women's standings with a 25:37. Sandra Canada of Woodville, Florida, was the first woman master in the race and fourth woman overall, running 26:10.The Swine Time 5K isn’t an enormous race, but it draws more than its share of out-of-town runners. With so much of the world being outside of Climax, Georgia, this shouldn’t be surprising. You can make a similar argument for the hills on the course.
“I didn’t think Climax would be so hilly,” remarked a couple of visiting runners.However, Climax purportedly got it name from being the highest point on the railroad between Savannah and the Chattahoochee River. If you start at a height, the only place to go is down, as Swine Time 5K runners notice on their outbound trek on Salem Church Road. When you turn around to return, it’s time to climb back up to the highest point on the railroad.
In spite of the hills, runners have been coming to Climax for decades, attempting to win bottles of cane syrup. The syrup shows no sign of giving out, and neither does the race.
Top Ten Men, 2014 Swine Time 5K
- 17:40 ~ Evan Beauchamp (M, 26) Smyrna, GA
- 18:34 ~ Dre Banks (M, 18) Bainbridge, GA
- 18:37 ~ Justin Nunamaker (M, 15) Redington Beach, FL
- 21:09 ~ Perry Waddell (M, 17) Bainbridge, GA
- 21:12 ~ Joe White (M, 34) Canton, GA
- 21:30 ~ Greg Waddell (M, 48) Bainbridge, GA
- 21:30 ~ Noah St. John (M, 34) Durham, NC
- 21:54 ~ Michael Cipeiano
- 21:59 ~ Michael Kennett (M, 41) Tallahassee, FL
- 22:55 ~ Jay Herring (M, 56) Jacksonville, FL
Top Ten Women, 2014 Swine Time 5K
- 23:48 ~ Julie Genovar (F, 29) Bainbridge, GA
- 24:39 ~ Chelsey Beauchamp (F, 24) Smyrna, GA
- 25:37 ~ Paige Hildebrand
- 26:10 ~ Sandra Canada (F, 52) Woodville, FL
- 27:12 ~ Anda Lucia Ariail (F, 40) Orlando, FL
- 27:16 ~ Rachel White
- 27:50 ~ Caitlin Shephard
- 28:02 ~ Linda Wann
- 28:22 ~ Cheyenne Brooks
- 28:23 ~ Dorinda Cox
- 28:30 ~ Sandy Baker
| Recent winners of the Climax, Georgia, Swine Time 5K | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Men | Women |
| 28 November 1981 | (10K) | |
| 29 November 1986 | (10K, rainy) | |
| 28 November 1987 | (10K, cloudy) | |
| 28 November 1992 | (5K) | |
| 25 November 2000 | 17:43, Greg Waddell | 22:55, Judy Alexander |
| 26 November 2005 | ||
| 25 November 2006 | ||
| 24 November 2007 | ||
| 29 November 2008 | 17:27, Caleb Alte | 22:46, Mandi O'Mara |
| 28 November 2009 | 18:11, Isaiah Douglas | McRae Mayfield |
| 27 November 2010 | 19:15, Caleb Alte | 28:26, Annie Beauchamp Gargasz |
| 26 November 2011 | 17:55, Michael Martinez | 24:30, Dana Martin |
| 24 November 2012 | 17:04, Chase Harris | 20:21, Dionis Gauvin |
| 30 November 2013 | 19:54, Evan Beauchamp | 23:36, Julie Genovar |
| 29 November 2014 | 17:40, Evan Beauchamp | 23:48, Julie Genovar |
Links:
- Complete results of the 2014 Swine Time 5K
Coming Soon?
- More photos of the 2014 Swine Time 5K
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105407993629263.1073742047.5215641&l=55331f03bc
- 2013 story, "No hogwash--Beauchamp and Genovar win at Swine Time"
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/11/swine-time-2013.html
- 2011 story, "Martinez and Martin go whole hog at Swine Time"
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/11/swine-time-2011.html
- Upcoming races in Florida's Big Bend, southwest Georgia, and southeast Alabama
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
