Gibson and Harris show some spring in their step in Bainbridge

If you look on a calendar, you'll see that summer in the northern hemisphere begins with the solstice, 21 June 2014. For meteorologists, though, summer already started on 1 June 2014. If you've been out in the weather here in the south, you'll tend to agree with the meteorologists. But for Bainbridge Leisure Services, it's still spring on 7 June 2014, the Saturday that they scheduled their second annual Bainbridge Spring 5K.


The 3.1-mile race started just after 8:00 AM ET next to Earle May Boat Basin. Donalsonville, Georgia, master runner Myles Gibson was soon out front, leading by nearly 100 meters at the end of the first kilometer. Bainbridge High cross-country runners Perry Waddell and Caleb Harris led the pursuit, trailed by Matthew Walker. As the race progressed around the winding nature trail, Bainbridge High rising junior David Brock and rising senior Chase Harris overtook Walker, but made no ground on Waddell and Harris. Meanwhile, no one was catching Gibson.


In fact, Myles Gibson was continuing to move away, building up a lead of 300 meters on the long, straight stretch back toward the Boat Basin on Cox Avenue. Gibson won the race in 18:46, 16 seconds shy of Dre Banks' 2013 course record of 18:30. Perry Waddell ran away from Caleb Harris to take second, 19:54 to 20:14. David Brock outkicked Chase Harris for fourth, 21:25 to 21:26.


Just as Myles Gibson led the men's field the entire way, Bainbridge master runner Julie Harris led the women's field the entire way. Harris won the women's title in 26:26, placing twelfth overall. It was her second year as the top woman master in the Spring 5K. Dana Martin was second in the women's standings, finishing thirteenth overall in 28:08.


48 athletes finished the event.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Bainbridge Spring 5K

1. 18:46 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 47)
2. 19:54 ~ Perry Waddell (M, 16)
3. 20:14 ~ Caleb Harris (M, 13)
4. 21:25 ~ David Brock (M, 15)
5. 21:26 ~ Chase Harris (M, 17)
6. 22:39 ~ John Hemanes (M, 20)
7. 23:25 ~ Matthew Walker (M, 14)
8. 24:34 ~ Greyson Graham (M, 16)
9. 25:23 ~ Morris Davis (M, 57)
10. 25:04 ~ Tony Gilbert (M, 59)

Top Ten Women, 2014 Bainbridge Spring 5K

1. 26:26 ~ Julie Harris (F, 48)
2. 28:08 ~ Dana Martin (F, 41)
3. 30:51 ~ Audrey Vrzal (F, 49)
4. 30:54 ~ Laci Moore (F, 32)
5. 31:01 ~ Ali Dowdy (F, 25)
6. 31:25 ~ Kathy Fowler (F, 56)
7. 32:26 ~ Bobbi Pollock (F, 30)
8. 33:06 ~ Katie Harrell (F, 32)
9. 33:07 ~ Pauline Maxwell (F, 42)
10. 33:32 ~ Catlin Shephard (F, 14)

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Bainbridge Spring 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2014/Bainbridge%20Spring%205K%202014.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2014 Bainbridge Spring 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10104627254347043.1073741987.5215641&l=3a3f918967
  
  
• 2013 story, "New race for Bainbridge, new wins for Banks and Braswell"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/06/spring-5k-2013.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map GA13047WC for the 2014 Bainbridge Spring 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA13047WC
  
  
• Find more races for spring, summer, fall, and winter on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1153

Harris and Harris victorious at first Purple Heart 5K

On Saturday morning, 26 January 2013, race director Eric Dueno was delivering some final instructions to the field before the start of the inaugual Purple Heart 5K. "And now, Dr. Gomez will describe the course."


"The course is marked," said Juan Gomez. "I'm not sure how much good that will do, though."


It wasn't a statement that inspired confidence!


But once the runners were led to the starting line, there was little problem in following the Purple Heart 5K course. The route on grass and trails around the perimeter of the Bainbridge College campus was well marked. Wrong turns were blocked off with ribbon or traffic cones. And if all else failed, you could just follow Caleb Harris. The Hutto Middle School sixth-grader spent nearly the entire race out front, winning the first-year event in 19:15.


The race started on the grass strip along College Road, from which the athletes headed north, starting a clockwise circuit of the campus. A group of three runners moved into the lead, with Caleb Harris setting the pace for Perry Waddell and Chip Nix. Back on the trails, though, Harris opened a gap, breaking contact by the end of the third kilometer. Over the final kilometer on the college's perimeter road, Harris only widened the margin, going on to win by over 200 meters. Behind Harris' 19:15, Perry Waddell was second in 20:09. John Bickley moved up to finish third in 21:06, and Joel Bass passed Chip Nix in the closing stages of the race to take fourth, 21:54 to 22:08.


Like her son Caleb in the overall race, Bainbridge master runner Julie Harris led the women's field from the outset. Never challenged, Harris was the first female finisher, running 14th overall in 25:13. At 26:42, Melanie Knight was the women's runner-up, placing 16th overall in 26:42.


The inaugural Purple Heart 5K was sponsored by the Bainbridge College chapter of the Student Veterans of America as a benefit for the Wounded Warrior Project.


Top Ten Males

1. 19:15 ~ Caleb Harris (M, 12) Bainbridge, GA
2. 20:09 ~ Perry Waddell (M, 15) Bainbridge, GA
3. 21:06 ~ John Bickley (M, 36) Tallahassee, FL
4. 21:54 ~ Joel Bass (M, 19) Cairo, GA
5. 22:08 ~ Chip Nix (M, 36) Bainbridge, GA
6. 22:51 ~ Robert Meredith (M, 37) Bainbridge, GA
7. 23:04 ~ Stephen Rehberg (M, 23) Cairo, GA
8. 23:39 ~ Mark Tombrink (M, 25) Tallahassee, FL
9. 23:50 ~ Gary Cato (M, 56) Bainbridge, GA
10. 24:23 ~ Blake Brown (M, )

Top Ten Females

1. 25:13 ~ Julie Harris (F, 47) Bainbridge, GA
2. 26:42 ~ Melanie Knight (F, 31) Whigham, GA
3. 27:11 ~ Rachel McCullough (F, 24) Tallahassee, FL
4. 27:51 ~ Emily Webster (F, 32) Tallahassee, FL
5. 28:08 ~ Joy Knop (F, 40) Thomasville, GA
6. 28:10 ~ Nathalie Smith (F, 29) Tallahassee, FL
7. ??:?? ~ Sandra Heard (F, 29) Bainbridge, GA
8. ??:?? ~ Suzanne Angell (F, 47) Bainbridge, GA
9. ??:?? ~ Ivey Manwaring (F, 30) Thomasville, GA
10. ??:?? ~ Lisa Giencke (F, 30) Tallahassee, FL

Links

• More photos of the 2013 Purple Heart 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102657568158953.3445751.5215641&l=d41fb776d8
  
  
• Upcoming races in Bainbridge and other cities within 100 miles of Tallahassee
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1