Young runners Ivan De La Cruz and Rory Claussen prevail at the School House Run

In Panama City Beach, Florida the 2018 School House Run had to be rescheduled in anticipation of Tropical Storm Alberto. In October of that same year, Hurricane Michael shredded the trees in Conservation Park, removing most of the shade from the course. So on the morning of the third annual School House Run--Saturday morning, 25 May 2019--the athletes had a hot, sunny eight-kilometer race to look forward to. But the best runners take the conditions as they are, and Ivan De La Cruz was the best runner that morning, winning the race in 32:51. Rory Claussen was first in the women's field, placing third overall in 35:59.


Nicolas Waddell had won the race in 2018, but this time he came in behind his older brother, Ivan, finishing runner-up in 34:35. Brandon Early was the third man across the finish line and fifth overall in 42:24.


For Claussen, it was her third time racing the School House Run and her second win. She had set a women's course record of 36:25 in the 2018 race; in 2019 she lowered that to 35:59. Adriana Adalpe was the second woman and fourth overall in 40:23, while Denise Spencer placed third on the women's side and sixth overall in 43:17.


Just a step behind Spencer, Scott Perry was the top master runner in the race and the fourth male finisher, seventh overall in 43:18. Eve Philips was the first woman master, the fourth female and ninth overall in 47:01.


Top Five Men, 2019 School House Run 8K

1. 32:51, Ivan De La Cruz (M, Overall)
2. 34:35, Nicolas Waddell (M, 11-14)
3. 42:24, Brandon Early (M, 35-39)
4. 43:18, Scott Perry (M, 55-59)
5. 46:09, Orrin Scarborough (M, 11-14)

Top Five Women, 2019 School House Run 8K

1. 35:59, Rory Claussen (F, Overall)
2. 40:23, Adriana Aldape (F, 35-39)
3. 43:17, Denise Spencer (F, 30-34)
4. 47:01, Eve Philips (F, 55-59)
5. 48:00, Cindy Barber (F, 40-44)

For the second year in a row, the School House Run included a 5K race in addition to the 8K main event. Luke Harris won the 5K in 20:05, while Layla Niemann was the first woman in the shorter race, placing third overall in 30:42.


Seventeen athletes finished the 8K at the 2019 School House Run, and another fifteen completed the 5K.


Top Four Men, 2019 School House Run 5K

1. 20:05, Luke Harris (M, Overall)
2. 26:29, Spencer Claussen (M, 11-14)
3. 36:35, Tim Krisko (M, 40-44)
4. 54:50, Chris Singley (M, 40-44)

Top Five Women, 2019 School House Run 5K

1. 30:42, Layla Niemann (F, Overall)
2. 36:40, Donna Krisko (F, 40-44)
3. 39:57, Jennifer Hawkins (F, 25-29)
4. 39:58, Allysa Yarbrough (F, 30-34)
5. 40:43, Lisa Nonnenmann (F, 55-59)

School House Run winners, 2017 - 2019
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
29 May 2017	8K	32:13, Kory Voelkel	36:53, Andrea George	75
22 September 2018	8K	34:22, Nicolas Waddell	36:25, Rory Claussen	23
	5K	20:02, Christopher Rodriguez	32:48, Mary Heath	18
25 May 2019	8K	32:51, Ivan De La Cruz	35:59, Rory Claussen	17
	5K	20:05, Luke Harris	30:42, Layla Niemann	15

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 School House Run
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRsOaNaI8hSfJhFbq3PV0Xcm7nGTw1qpF7Is5DdG-xBJhuUIYTCWAzbTFa69KqWqLHNhUctcl9pOGnA/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “Scholars Nicolas Waddell and Rory Claussen win the School House Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/09/pcb-schoolhouse-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Voelkel and George earn top grades at the School House Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/05/pcb-schoolhouse-2017.html
  
  
• Find more races frequented by fast tourists on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2527

A first for Chris Myers and a three-peat for Rory Claussen at Race Judicata

Through fire and flood, the Bay County Courthouse has been in the same building at 300 East Fourth Street in Panama City, Florida for over a hundred years. And for over thirty of those years, runners have been coming to the Courthouse for the Bay County Bar Association's annual Race Judicata 5K. Chris Myers won the 34th annual Race Judicata on Saturday morning, 4 May 2019, posting a winning time of 22:32. Rory Claussen won the women's title for the third year in a row, coming in second overall in 23:15.


Spencer Claussen edged Ben Bollinger for the runner-up spot in the men's standings, both runners clocked in 23:38. Spencer, whose sister is Rory Claussen, was third overall. Bollinger was the first master runner in the race and fourth overall.


Debbie Chitwood was the first woman master in the race, coming in second in the women's standings and eighth overall in 25:34. It was Chitwood's second straight year as the the top woman master in the Race Judicata. 2017's first woman master, Lynne Carlson, was the third female finisher and thirteenth overall, running 27:18.


41 athletes finished the Bay County Bar Association's 2019 Race Judicata 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Bay County Race Judicata 5K

1. 22:32, Chris Myers (M, Overall)
2. 23:38, Spencer Claussen (M, 11-14)
3. 23:38, Ben Bollinger (M, Master)
4. 24:00, Doug Smith (M, Grandmaster)
5. 25:01, Phillip Salmons (M, 30-34)
6. 25:21, Bill Bufkin (M, 55-59)
7. 25:36, Mison Lukone (M, 40-44)
8. 25:40, Jared Purdue (M, 35-39)
9. 25:56, Joe Grammer (M, Senior Grandmaster)
10. 26:04, Scott Hoxie (M, 50-54)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Bay County Race Judicata 5K

1. 23:15, Rory Claussen (F, Overall)
2. 25:34, Debbie Chitwood (F, Master)
3. 27:18, Lynne Carlson (F, Grandmaster)
4. 28:30, Carrie Brooks (F, 45-49)
5. 31:38, Jill Wofsey (F, 55-59)
6. 33:13, Lauren Applegate (F, 35-39)
7. 33:16, Tracie Newman (F, Senior Grandmaster)
8. 34:34, Elizabeth Arnold (F, 55-59)
9. 35:00, Jill Moore (F, 35-39)
10. 35:34, Rebecca DeBell (F, 50-54)

Recent Winners of the Bay County Race Judicata 5K
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
1 May 2004	18:31, Kyle Morris	20:45, Amber Miller	38
30 April 2005
2 May 2009
1 May 2010	16:27, Chris Hough	20:30, Michaela Ashley
30 April 2011	17:30, Nathan Spradley	21:12, Michaela Ashley
5 May 2012	18:27, Jordan Lance	21:04, Amy Mann
4 May 2013	19:47, Tyler Barr	21:54, Amy Mann
3 May 2014
2 May 2015	18:36, Justin Williams	22:11, Kristin Ader	49
30 April 2016	19:30, Jacob Slaughter	23:02, Edna Hunter	32
6 May 2017	18:36, Adrian Alford	21:51, Rory Claussen	64
5 May 2018	16:34, Ethan Mines	20:22, Rory Claussen	70
4 May 2019	22:32, Chris Myers	23:15, Rory Claussen	41

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Bay County Race Judicata 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRQH6B7ny4lTVKAxgeIXiRdq6DuB1_dmpFB3ilqBz-DkwMa_1k_sokiATnieRcyPAHkCW4zjnmQS425/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “Ethan Mines goes 16:34, Rory Claussen 20:22 in the Race Judicata 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/05/pc-judicata-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Alford and Claussen present a winning case at Bay County's Race Judicata 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/05/pc-judicata-2017.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Spradley, Ashley add to their laurels at Race Judicata 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/05/pc-judicata-2011.html
  
  
• Find your next race in Panama City or anywhere else within 100 miles of Tallahassee
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2511

No wrigglin', no squirmin', just runnin' for Michael Bennett and Rory Claussen at the Worm Gruntin' 5K

In 1882 Charles Darwin published his final book, a page-turner titled The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the action of Worms, with observations on their Habit. One of his observations he included was "It is often said that if the ground is beaten or otherwise made to tremble worms will believe that they are pursued by a mole and leave their burrows." In 2008, Dr. Ken Catania of Vanderbilt University claimed to have proven Darwin's Theory, running experiments in the forest near Sopchoppy, Florida. For years before Dr. Catania's study, though, Sopchoppy locals had been using vibrations to drive earthworms to the surface, where the worms were gathered for use as fish bait. It's a widespread practice, known as worm charming, worm fiddling, or worm grunting. Sopchoppy has an annual festival celebrating this method of earthworm collection. Of course, they used the least appetizing name available, calling it the Worm Gruntin' Festival. Sopchoppy holds the Worm Gruntin' Festival annually on the second Saturday of April, and the day always opens with the Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K.


Tallahassee, Florida athlete Michael Bennett won the 13 April 2019 edition of the Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K, running 19:20. Panama City, Florida's Rory Claussen, the 2018 women's champ, successfully defended her title, placing fourth overall in 20:44.


Andrew Wilber of Tallahassee took second overall at 20:28. Fifteen-year-old Brayden Lawhon, a Wakulla County native, placed third in 20:43, just a step ahead of Rory Claussen. Neil Claussen was the fastest master runner in the 5K, the eighth male finisher and ninth overall in 22:56.


Liliana Lewis, a seventh-grader on the Wakulla Middle School cross-country team, grabbed second in the women's standings, placing tenth overall in 23:30. Just behind Lewis, Lauren Bosche was the third woman and eleventh overall in 23:33. Melissa Hooke was the first woman master and fourth female finisher, fourteenth overall in 23:41.


154 athletes finished the 2019 Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K

1. 19:20, Michael Bennett (M, 27) Tallahassee, FL
2. 20:28, Andrew Wilber (M, 29)
3. 20:43, Brayden Lawhon (M, 15)
4. 20:55, Michael Schmitt (M, 32)
5. 22:17, Raymond Powers (M, 27)
6. 22:29, Josiah Chadwell (M, 13)
7. 22:53, Spencer Claussen (M, 13)
8. 22:56, Neil Claussen (M, 45)
9. 23:34, Ion Raffensperger (M, 7)
10. 23:36, Stephen Attaway (M, 21)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K

1. 20:44, Rory Claussen (F, 13) Panama City, FL
2. 23:30, Liliana Lewis (F, 12)
3. 23:33, Lauren Bosche (F, 26)
4. 23:41, Melissa Hooke (F, 40)
5. 24:01, Kathryn Cameron (F, 24)
6. 24:39, Sarah Monbarren (F, 33)
7. 24:42, Isabella Laughton (F, 11)
8. 24:52, Kate King (F, 26)
9. 25:20, Rachel Lovestrand (F, 31)
10. 25:47, Isabella Davis (F, 12)

Known winners of the Sopchoppy, Florida, Worm Grunting Festival 5K, 2003 - 2019
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
12 April 2003
10 April 2004
9 April 2005	18:36, Mackey Tyndall	20:57, Julie Clark	59
8 April 2006	Karl Hempel	Karmen Duchon	55
14 April 2007	20:11, Brett Templeton	Sydney Nutting	56
14 April 2012	17:27, Stanley Linton	23:00, Julie Rose Travis	111
13 April 2013	15:56, Stanley Linton	21:46, Emily Smith	139
12 April 2014	20:48, Travis Parks	21:20, Kayla Webbe	140
11 April 2015	17:45, Chase Savary	22:05, Hannah Wheatcraft	153
9 April 2016	17:22, Matthew Phillips	20:22, Mariah Tinger	154
8 April 2017	17:49, Stanley Linton	21:18, Alyssa Terry	146
14 April 2018	19:04, Paul Hodge	19:43, Rory Claussen	155
13 April 2019	19:20, Michael Bennett	20:44, Rory Claussen	154

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQ9N0dIE5BTDMGKwZVpEK1UzAChy8QNBULwpyqxU96H_h9TdcCPLQTkqASamynrXAaSKzhdLmyLJO01/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “Paul Hodge and Rory Claussen were the early birds at the Worm Gruntin' 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/04/worm-grunt-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Linton and Terry wriggle out victories at the Worm Gruntin' 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/04/worm-grunt-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Phillips and Tinger win the Worm Gruntin' 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/04/worm-grunt-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Savary and Wheatcraft take their turn with the worms”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/04/worm-grunt-2015.html
  
  
• Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival
  http://www.wormgruntinfestival.com/
  
  
• If there's a festival, there's a 5K, and the 5K is on the Trouble Afoot! race calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2489

Reid Hatcher edges Rory Claussen for the Trailblazer Trot title

There's a disagreement about the Apalachee Regional Park Cross-Country Course. Some people say that ARPXC the best place to run cross-country in Florida. Others reject this claim. They say that it's the best place to run cross-country in the United States.


One of the strengths of cross-country as a sport is that you can run anywhere. So you don't have to race at Apalachee Regional Park; you could race at, say, Ponce de Leon Springs State Park near Bonifay, Florida. You don't have to race during autumn, cross-country season, either. You could run in the spring, instead. Perhaps on Saturday morning, 9 March 2019.


That's exactly what nearly 50 athletes did at the second annual Trailblazer Trot 5K Cross-Country Race, an event sponsored by the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office. Reid Hatcher and Rory Claussen were the fastest athletes in the field, with Hatcher eking out the win over Claussen 19:36 to 19:37. Hatcher was the first overall male and Claussen the first overall female.


Steven Bratten took the runner-up spot in the men's standings, finishing third overall in 21:41 and taking first in the men's 15 to 25 age group. Donal Marsh was the third male finisher, placing fourth overall in 22:48. Marsh was the top finisher in the men's 36 to 45 age group.


Amy Jones was the second overall woman and first in the age group for women 15 to 25, placing fourteenth overall in 26:15. Michelle Huskey Smith was the top woman master and third female finisher, fifteenth overall in 26:31.


49 athletes endured the sand, narrow bridges, and other challenges of the Ponce de Leon Springs State Park paths to finish the 2019 Trailblazer Trot 5K Cross-Country Race.


Hats off to Joe Edgecombe for tracking down the results of the race for me. Thanks, Joe! Joe ran 26:04 in the race, placing twelfth overall and finishing just one spot out of the men's top ten.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Trailblazer Trot 5K Cross-Country Race

1. 19:35.60, Reid Hatcher (M, 26-35)
2. 21:40.03, Steven Bratten (M, 15-25)
3. 22:47.30, Donal Marsh (M, 36-45)
4. 23:06.54, Spencer Claussen (M, 00-14)
5. 23:10.83, Neil Claussen (M)
6. 23:51.09, Randy Jones (M, 56-99)
7. 24:05.33, David Forrester (M)
8. 24:30.70, Andrew Tatum (M, 46-55)
9. 25:05.34, James Cantrell (M)
10. 25:08.11, Richard Crites (M)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Trailblazer Trot 5K Cross-Country Race

1. 19:36.67, Rory Claussen (F, 00-14)
2. 26:14.29, Amy Jones (F, 15-25)
3. 26:30.89, Michelle Huskey Smith (F, 46-55)
4. 27:08.89, Sheila Shortland (F)
5. 27:15.07, Traycie Jones (F, 26-35)
6. 27:31.16, Susan Jones (F, 56-99)
7. 28:16.83, Andrea Weckherlin (F)
8. 29:47.80, Tia Glenn (F)
9. 30:56.66, Angela Klopf (F, 36-45)
10. 30:56.96, Lisa Tatum (F)

Winners of the Trailblazer Trot 5K Cross-Country Race, 2018 - 2019
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
10 March 2018	17:42, Nathan Harigel	25:26, Amber Hundley	61
8 March 2019	19:36, Reid Hatcher	19:37, Rory Claussen

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Trailblazer Trot 5K Cross-Country Race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vS2T47w1d4TTkVgJUrsxaz6JTVmsB57XI0eAwkJolslZFlMRulcAsd85s8TNAQ3J-fY6K7gddE9GhDF/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “Harigel and Hundley excelled in some spring cross-country at the Trailblazer Trot”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/03/bonifay-trailblazer-2018.html
  
  
• Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
  https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Ponce-de-Leon-Springs
  
  
• Find a future race in a Florida state park on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2460

Sam Martinez and Rory Claussen weren't slowing up for Lent at the Mardi Gras 5K

Saturday, 2 March 2019, was three days before Fat Tuesday. In Panama City Beach, Florida, it was also the morning of the nineteenth annual Mardi Gras 5K. Sam Martinez, a Macon, Georgia master runner, won the 3.1-mile race through Frank Brown Park, running 19:12. Seventh-grader Rory Claussen of the Shaldera Track Club was the first woman in the 5K, placing third overall in 20:46.


Martinez finished 80 meters ahead of the 2018 Mardi Gras 5K champion, master runner David Shearon. A Panama City Beach triathlete, Shearon ran 19:34 for second place. Master runner Ben Branton edged Trey Carr for third in the men's standings, 21:41 to 21:45. Branton and Carr were fifth and sixth overall.


It wasn't Rory Claussen's first Mardi Gras 5K. She had also run the race in 2017, finishing runner-up in the women's standings. In the 2019 race, the runner-up spot went to Kristie Martinez of Macon, who placed fourth overall in 21:07. Jamie Phillips was the third woman and sixteenth overall in 24:33. Debbie Chitwood was the first woman master and fourth female finisher, eighteenth overall in 25:08.


165 athletes finished the 2019 Mardi Gras 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Panama City Beach Mardi Gras 5K

1. 19:12, Sam Martinez (M, Overall)
2. 19:34, David Shearon (M, Master)
3. 21:41, Ben Branton (M, Grandmaster)
4. 21:45, Trey Carr (M, 30-34)
5. 21:48, Jeffrey Krajewski (M, 35-39)
6. 22:21, David Hull (M, 30-34)
7. 23:09, Robert Glenn (M, Senior Grandmaster)
8. 23:24, Spencer Claussen (M, 11-14)
9. 23:26, Neil Claussen (M, 45-49)
10. 23:59, Adam Ryerson (M, 15-19)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Panama City Beach Mardi Gras 5K

1. 20:46, Rory Claussen (F, Overall)
2. 21:07, Kristie Martinez (F, 35-39)
3. 24:33, Jamie Phillips (F, 35-39)
4. 25:08, Debbie Chitwood (F, Master)
5. 26:03, Nikki Reiter (F, 35-39)
6. 26:15, Betsy Pierpaoli (F, Grandmaster)
7. 26:22, Jordan Powell (F, 25-29)
8. 26:22, Heidi Knight (F, 55-59)
9. 26:29, Amy Habrack (F, 30-34)
10. 26:30, Michelle Smith (F, 50-54)

Mardi Gras 5K winners, 2001 - 2019
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
14 February 2004	17:39, Brian Goddin	23:51, Karen Hutchinson	96
20 January 2005	26:59, Robert Fudge	26:16, Lori Hunt
11 February 2006
17 February 2007
21 February 2009	18:02, Fritz Stoppelbein	22:17, Michaela Ashley	177
13 February 2010
26 February 2011	19:12, Jeff Cassel	19:18, Michaela Ashley	187
11 February 2012	17:48, Jordan Lance	20:38, Michaela Ashley	265
1 March 2014	18:12, David Shearon	21:32, Amy Mann	124
14 February 2015	18:32, David Shearon	21:22, Jessica Berschwinger	172
6 February 2016	18:30, Charles Abbinanti	23:34, Danielle Mulick	140
25 February 2017	17:18, John Nay	23:32, Kiersten Hughes	178
10 February 2018	19:02, David Shearon	23:48, Mariia Solomonova	145
2 March 2019	19:12, Sam Martinez	20:46, Rory Claussen	165

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Panama City Beach Mardi Gras 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQRTAmHzTDc6Wgd9qDe5Jdp5NlwDqxKlUeJO7FXmZ0qqdc5xUMuX9wlqnVyWRye0sxMJauNJR9LYrr0/pubhtml
  
  
• Draggin' Tail Runners' photos of the 2019 Mardi Gras 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/pg/DragginTailRunners/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1831623763608174
  
  
• 2018 story, “The good times keep on rolling, and so does David Shearon at the Mardi Gras 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/02/pcb-mardi-gras-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Bon temps rouler as Nay and Hughes roll at the Mardi Gras 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/02/pcb-mardi-gras-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Abbinanti and Mulick precede Fat Tuesday with a Fast Saturday”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/02/pcb-mardi-gras-2016.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Bon temps for Shearon and Mann at Mardi Gras 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/03/pcb-mardi-gras-2014.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “St. Andrews Mardi Gras 5K is all Cassel and Ashley”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/03/pc-mardi-gras-2011.html
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! coverage of races in Panama City Beach, Florida
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/Panama%20City%20Beach
  
  
• Upcoming race before, during, and after Lent on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2445

John Eiland and Rory Claussen lead the Chase in Dothan

The Dothan Runners don't have an annual February race in Dothan, Alabama's Westgate Park, but more often than not they do host a 5K there in February. In 2011 it was the Mardi Gras 5K Trail Race. On 22 February 2014 the Dothan Runners welcomed athletes to Westgate for the Winter Olympics 5K Trail Race. On 14 February 2015 they brought the 'Stache Dash 5K Trail Race to the park. And on Saturday morning, 16 February 2019, the Dothan Runners staged the Cupid Chase 5K Trail Race at Westgate Park. Master runner John Eiland won the 3.1-mile cross-country run, covering the course in 20:38. Rory Claussen, a seventh-grader who races for Panama City, Florida's Shaldera Track Club, took the women's title, placing second overall in 21:16.


"Rory killed it at the Westgate Trail Saturday," said master runner Mark McCarra. "I thought she was going to win for a while, she was still in range of the leader when we went into the woods."


Behind Eiland and Claussen's duel for the top spot, eleven-year-old Eli Butler and master runner Jimmy Russell fought for third. The youngster edged Russel for that spot, 23:09 to 23:15. Master runner Mark McCarra was the fourth male finisher, fifth overall in 23:42.


Jessica Jetton was runner-up on the women's side, placing thirteenth overall in 27:34. Chris Fox was the first woman master and third female finisher, sixteenth overall in 29:04.


41 athletes finished the Dothan Runners' 2019 Cupid Chase 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Cupid Chase 5K Trail Race

1. 20:38, John Eiland (M, 42)
2. 23:09, Eli Butler (M, 11)
3. 23:15, Jimmy Russell (M, 55)
4. 23:42, Mark McCarra (M, 53)
5. 24:24, Scott Nissen (M, 47)
6. 24:30, Keith Brown (M, 46)
7. 25:28, Ricardo Farias (M, 30)
8. 25:33, Michael Beals (M, 30)
9. 25:37, Mark Sheehan (M, 61)
10. 25:55, Marco Teeter (M, 26)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Cupid Chase 5K Trail Race

1. 21:16, Rory Claussen (F, 13)
2. 27:34, Jessica Jetton (F, 32)
3. 29:04, Chris Fox (F, 61)
4. 30:12, Tara Nissen (F, 47)
5. 30:59, Stephanie Jetton (F, 30)
6. 31:06, Tamara Hudson (F, 47)
7. 33:58, Bonnie Seay (F, 49)
8. 34:56, Mary Willis (F, 62)
9. 36:00, Rene Jordan (F, 53)
10. 37:47, Geraldine Jagel (F, 49)

Links

• Complete results of Dothan Runners' 2019 Cupid Chase 5K Trail Race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSiOhhtqgx_fLpEhophl1QLf0KVXpwFYFx4RHB9JndDwjAUWC_Gh2IhrB3f801EBbcvY0ZfgsIeaF4Y/pubhtml
  
  
• Dothan Runners
  http://dothanrunners.com
  
  
• Upcoming races on trail, turf, and track via the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2430

Robert Friedman and Rory Claussen drop the competition at the Ball Drop 5K

On New Year's Eve 1907, Adolph Ochs, the publisher of the New York Times welcomed the coming of 2018 by dropping a "time ball" from the top of the newspaper's headquarters at One Times Square in New York City. The ball drop was a success, and it became an annual event, continuing each year in Times Square even after the New York Times moved its headquarters. Over a million people gather to witness the Times Square ball drop each year.


Not nearly as many folks were at the New Year's Eve Ball Drop 5K in Panama City Beach, Florida on Monday morning, 31 January 2018. 133 athletes finished the 3.1-mile race that started from Pier Park. Robert Friedman was the fastest of those. Finishing nearly 400 meters ahead of the next runner, Friedman posted a winning time of 17:57. Rory Claussen, a Shaldera Panthers Track Club standout and seventh-grader, took the women's title at the Ball Drop 5K, placing seventh overall in 20:35.


Master runner David Shearon was runner-up in the 5K, running 19:20. Shaun Smith edged North Bay Haven High senior cross-country runner Matthew Murzyn for third, 19:40 to 19:41.


Maya Tang, a cross-country runner and seventh-grader at Deer Lake Middle School, placed second in the women's standings and tenth overall in 21:37. Master runner Shannon Smith was the third female finisher and 26th overall in 25:52.


Top Ten Men, 2018 New Year's Eve Ball Drop 5K

1. 17:57, Robert Friedman (M, Overall)
2. 19:20, David Shearon (M, Master)
3. 19:40, Shawn Smith (M, 35-39)
4. 19:41, Matthew Murzyn (M, 15-19)
5. 20:04, Chapin Stewart (M, 15-19)
6. 20:33, Nicolas Waddell (M, 11-14)
7. 20:48, Chris Myers (M, 35-39)
8. 21:08, Anfernee Figueroa (M, 20-24)
9. 22:15, Thomas Parker (M, 45-49)
10. 22:36, Noah Smith (M, 11-14)

Top Ten Women, 2018 New Year's Eve Ball Drop 5K

1. 20:35, Rory Claussen (F, Overall)
2. 21:37, Maya Tang (F, 11-14)
3. 25:52, Shannon Smith (F, Master)
4. 26:24, Jessica Weed (F, 30-34)
5. 26:31, Krystal Sheeran (F, 35-39)
6. 27:06, Ursula Parker (F, 45-49)
7. 27:40, Jessica Dennison (F, 30-34)
8. 27:48, Traycie Owens (F, 25-29)
9. 27:53, Shelle McDonald (F, 35-39)
10. 28:22, Carrie Brooks (F, 45-49)

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 New Year's Eve Ball Drop 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRxVhdka1o9TMtZ7p4PPoy0vBkrP4m_qM2FWdI1bf7znCJgMdR-lKdPBcUZNHmEbjB6KEdFmYMWsgW9/pubhtml
  
  
• Draggin' Tail Runners' photos of the 2018 New Year's Eve Ball Drop 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/pg/DragginTailRunners/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1747187162051835
  
  
• Find upcoming holiday runs on the latest Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2404

Scholars Nicolas Waddell and Rory Claussen win the School House Run

When it comes to the Panama City Beach, Florida School House Run, bet on the students.


Mowat Middle School schoolboy Nicolas Waddell won the second annual School House 8K in Conservation Park on Saturday morning, 22 September 2018, traversing the trails in 34:22. Another seventh-grader, local schoolgirl Rory Claussen, was the top female in the race, placing third overall in 36:25.


Seth Pietrowski, a junior on the North Bay Haven High cross-country team, finished runner-up to Waddell in 35:15. David Griffin was the fastest master runner in the race and the third male finisher, placing fourth overall in 38:36.


On the women's side, Claussen had run the inaugural School House 8K in 2017, but finished second in the women's standings to Andrea George. Claussen was back in 2018, even though she had raced just two days earlier at the Crusader Classic Cross-Country Meet in Tallahassee, Florida. That had been a three-kilometer race; the School House Run was nearly three times as far. Nevertheless, Claussen set a new Schoolhouse Run women's record with her winning 36:25. Shelle McDonald was the second woman in the race, placing twelfth overall in 48:42. Rebecca DeBell was the first woman master and third female finisher, fifteenth overall in 51:57.


Top Five Men, 2018 School House Run 8K

1. 34:22, Nicolas Waddell (M, 11-14)
2. 35:15, Seth Pietrowski (M, 15-19)
3. 38:36, David Griffin (M, 55-59)
4. 42:10, Donald Rogers (M, 45-49)
5. 42:19, Sean Blomquist (M, 40-44)

Top Five Women, 2018 School House Run 8K

1. 36:25, Rory Claussen (F, 11-14)
2. 48:42, Shelle McDonald (F, 35-39)
3. 51:57, Rebecca DeBell (F, 50-54)
4. 56:20, Tracie Newman (F, 60-64)
5. 57:50, Carol Benson (F, 50:54)

New at the 2018 School House Run was a 5K race. Chris Rodriguez won the shorter event in 20:02, while Mary Heath was the first woman in the 5K. Heath placed sixth overall in 32:48.


Top Five Men, 2018 School House Run 5K

1. 20:02, Christopher Rodriguez (M, )
2. 23:57, Mark McCarra (M, 50-54)
3. 28:04, Bob Schafer (M, 60-64)
4. 28:38, Josh Reams (M, 40-44)
5. 28:41, Spencer Claussen (M, 11-14)

Top Five Women, 2018 School House Run 5K

1. 32:48, Mary Heath (F, )
2. 34:11, Maryanne McQueeney (F, 60-64)
3. 40:32, Melanie Conner (F, 45-49)
4. 46:44, Shannon White (F, 35-39)
5. 55:04, Maria Iracheta (F, 60-64)

The 2018 School House Run very nearly didn't happen. The event was originally scheduled for Memorial Day, 28 May 2018, but had to be scrubbed due to the threat of severe weather. Happily, the races were rescheduled for Saturday, 22 September 2018, when 23 athletes finished the 8K and another 18 completed the 5K.

School House Run winners, 2017 - 2018
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
29 May 2017	8K	32:13, Kory Voelkel	36:53, Andrea George	75
22 September 2018	8K	34:22, Nicolas Waddell	36:25, Rory Claussen	23
	5K	20:02, Christopher Rodriguez	32:48, Mary Heath	18

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 School House Run 8K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSZ3bMaiZfAnGksbbNoKq_kJCgypQQCxv_C0vlDKzzCsGqdkEogI2MSIU9L0EgXI2_-uOh8YUuP-418/pubhtml
  
  
• 2017 story, “Voelkel and George earn top grades at the School House Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/05/pcb-schoolhouse-2017.html
  
  
• Find more races frequented by fast tourists on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2331

Jim Halley and Katie Sherron were crazy-fast at Miller Landing Madness

After trailing for four miles, Jim Halley came on in the fifth and final mile to grab the lead from Myles Gibson, then raced home to win Gulf Winds Track Club's annual Miller Landing Madness 8K in 33:07. Katie Sherron won the women's title, placing twelfth overall in 36:04.

Jim Halley

The eight-kilometer race wasn’t the only event at the Madness that Saturday morning, Aug. 18. A five-kilometer race started at the same time, and a three-kilometer an hour later. All three were run at Tallahassee’s Phipps Park, just off of Miller Landing Road. The 8K and the 5K got started at 8:00 AM. Stephen Robbins led the 8K in the early going, but was eventually overtaken by Donalsonville, Georgia master runner Myles Gibson. Meanwhile, Halley of Tallahassee was stalking Gibson.


“Myles goes out fast” said Halley. So I just tried to gradually catch up to him, and I did with a mile to go. I didn’t know Myles was in the lead, though. I thought there might be a fast sixteen-year-old ahead of us.”

Myles Gibson

The confusion arose because the 8K had shared a course with the 5K for the first mile. But Gibson had been in front of the 8K field, and now Halley was. He still was when he crossed the finish line in a winning 33:07. At 33:19, Gibson was the top master runner and overall runner-up. Two Lincoln High cross-country runners--junior Joey Jung and sophomore Nicholas Samuel--challenged Gibson for second, but Jung took third in 33:19 and Samuel was fourth in 33:20. Another Lincoln athlete, junior Kevin Majano, took fifth in 33:47, just ahead of one-time race leader Stephen Robbins, sixth in 33:50.

Katie Sherron

Katie Sherron had taken the women’s title at the Miller Landing Madness 8K before, winning in 2013. Although Alyssa Terry was closing fast during the last mile, Sherron still led the women’s field from start to finish, collecting her second Madness title with a 36:04 effort. Terry was second in the women's standings and fourteenth overall in 36:11. Brittney Barnes was the third woman and twentieth overall in 37:43. Ali Kelly was the top woman master and seventh female finisher, 45th overall in 41:53.

Alyssa Terry

Top Ten Men, 2018 Miller Landing Madness 8K

1. 33:07, Jim Halley (M, 38)
2. 33:19, Myles Gibson (M, 52)
3. 33:19, Joey Jung (M, 16)
4. 33:20, Nicholas Samuel (M, 15)
5. 33:47, Kevin Majano (M, 16)
6. 33:50, Stephen Robbins (M, 21)
7. 34:53, Charles Hruda (M, 17)
8. 35:04, Zach Deveau (M, 30)
9. 35:04, Yili Liu (M, 16)
10. 35:30, Philip Sura (M, 48)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Miller Landing Madness 8K

1. 36:04, Katie Sherron (F, 36)
2. 36:11, Alyssa Terry (F, 25)
3. 37:43, Brittney Barnes (F, 30)
4. 39:12, Laura McDermott (F, 38)
5. 40:45, Nikky Manausa (F, 36)
6. 41:19, Arianna Neely (F, 18)
7. 41:53, Ali Kelly (F, 46)
8. 43:10, Kelly Whalon (F, 46)
9. 44:54, Jennie Merchant (F, 26)
10. 45:11, Melissa Zapata (F, 39)

Meanwhile, the frontrunners in the 5K had already wrapped up their own race. Jesse Boyd had been the first by the four-kilometer mark of the shorter race.


“Back to back,” he chanted, breathlessly, as he went by. “Back to back.”

Jesse Boyd

Boyd, a Blountstown High alumnus, was indeed the defending champion in the race and was going for a second win. He got it, running 18:00--just five seconds off his winning time from the year before. Brandon Flagler was second in the 3.1-mile race at 18:50. In a finish-line battle of two high school cross-country runners, Wakulla junior Daniel Wiedeman edged North Florida Christian junior David Keen for third, 19:18 to 19:19.

Sheryl Rosen

Sheryl Rosen had been the first woman in the Miller Landing Madness 8K in 2008, 2010, and 2011, but in 2018 she stepped down to the 5K. Rosen took the women’s title in the shorter race, placing tenth overall in 19:57. Wakulla High senior cross-country runner Alyssa Langston was runner-up in the women's standings and twentieth overall in 22:33. Kendall Ward was the third woman and 25th overall in 22:53.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Miller Landing Madness 5K

1. 18:00, Jesse Boyd (M, 18)
2. 18:50, Brandon Flagler (M, 18)
3. 19:18, Daniel Wiedeman (M, 17)
4. 19:19, David Keen (M, 16)
5. 19:21, Gannon Hundley (M, 20)
6. 19:22, Mason McCord (M, 16)
7. 19:34, Giovanni Duran (M, 18)
8. 19:37, Andrew McMillan (M, 19)
9. 19:39, Simon Hodgson (M, 19)
10. 20:47, Alfredo Paredes (M, 17)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Miller Landing Madness 5K

1. 19:57, Sheryl Rosen (F, 34)
2. 22:33, Alyssa Langston (F, 17)
3. 22:53, Kendall Ward (F, 18)
4. 23:11, Genevieve Printiss (F, 17)
5. 23:15, Emma Szwarc (F, 15)
6. 23:16, Rachel Williams (F, 21)
7. 23:18, Maren Prince (F, 14)
8. 24:16, Mia Wiederkehr (F, 20)
9. 24:50, Dorcas Jepleting (F, 20)
10. 25:04, Kenzie Mazziotta (F, 18)

After the 8K and 5K runners had cleared the trails of Phipps Park, it was time for the 3K runners to take their turn. The race turned into a duel between two middle school cross-country runners, Fairview seventh-grader Patrick Koon, the defending champions, and Swift Creek eighth-grader Connor Edwards. The two had met before on the trails during the 2017 cross-country season, but this was a new year and a new race.

Connor Edwards and Patrick Koon

“After the water I started catching up to Patrick,” said Edwards. “I caught him at the top of the hill. Near the end he started sprinting, so I started sprinting.”


Edwards proved to have the most leg speed left at the end of the race, and inched ahead of Koon for the win, 10:37 to 10:39. The marks were the two fastest times ever posted in the Miller Landing Madness 3K, both beating the event record of 10:48 run by James McClure in 2014. Khary Wright took third in 11:21.


There was another record on the female side, as Rory Claussen led the girls’ field from wire-to-wire. The seventh-grader ran 11:26, eclipsing the 11:34 run by Alyson Churchill in the 2015 Madness. A Panama City runner, Claussen took the Tallahassee hills in stride.

Rory Claussen

“It was fun,” said Claussen. “We don’t have a lot of hills in Panama City. I wanted to do some 3K races before the big fall races.”


One of the big fall races will be the Florida Middle School Cross-Country Championship, where Claussen finished second in 2017.


Behind Claussen, Maclay eighth-grader Ella Porcher was the second female and ninth overall in 11:55. Sofia Paredes, another Maclay eighth-grader, was third in the girls' standings and thirteenth overall in 12:05.


Top Ten Males, 2018 Miller Landing Madness 3K

1. 10:37, Connor Edwards (M, 13)
2. 10:39, Patrick Koon (M, 12)
3. 11:21, Khary Wright (M, 15)
4. 11:30, Jackson Rowe (M, 12)
5. 11:51, Yi'en Liu (M, 11)
6. 11:54, Ashton York (M, 14)
7. 11:54, Jack Matthews (M, 13)
8. 11:57, Peter Boulware (M, 11)
9. 12:01, Lucas Mauch (M, 13)
10. 12:02, Owen Franklin (M, 13)

Top Ten Females, 2018 Miller Landing Madness 3K

1. 11:26, Rory Claussen (F, 13)
2. 11:55, Ella Porcher (F, 13)
3. 12:05, Sofia Paredes (F, 13)
4. 12:31, Maya Tang (F, 13)
5. 13:04, Lillee Tang (F, 13)
6. 13:14, Ava Hill (F, 12)
7. 13:36, Leah Kiros (F, 12)
8. 13:43, Liliana Lewis (F, 12)
9. 14:04, Alima Hemenway (F, 13)
10. 14:10, Nora Peters (F, 10)

Miller Landing Madness Winners, 2008 - 2018
Date	Race	Men	Women	Finishers
30 August 2008	8K	28:57, David Altmaier	32:49, Sheryl Rosen	76
	5K	17:12, Austin Stevens	18:46, Jana Stolting	110
	3K	11:21, Will Henderson	13:14, Autumn Wable	73
29 August 2009	8K	28:05, Chris Lake	33:03, Sarah Docter-Williams	151
	5K	18:17, Austin Stevens	18:17, Jana Stolting	243
	3K	11:26, Chase Harris	12:04, Cecelia Williams	136
28 August 2010	8K	26:28, Kevin Cook	33:29, Sheryl Rosen	168
	5K	17:15, Patrick Swain	19:22, Stefanie Kurgatt	160
	3K	11:14, Wil Luca	13:30, Madeline Horgan	110
27 August 2011	8K	25:54, Kevin Sullivan	32:17, Sheryl Rosen	236
	5K	16:59, Jacob Slupecki	20:14, Stefanie Kurgatt	212
	3K	11:08, Evan Francis	12:59, Cheyenne Hildinger	157
25 August 2012	8K	27:50, Vince Molosky	36:36, Jane Johnson	190
	5K	16:32, Joseph Garcia	19:12, Stefanie Kurgatt	258
	3K	10:57, Jake Mazziotta	12:16, Adrianna Dugan	148
24 August 2013	8K	26:29, Will Stanford	35:11, Katie Showman	150
	5K	16:55, Joseph Garcia	19:20, Emily Ness	237
	3K	10:48, James McClure	12:20, Chase Merrick	135
23 August 2014	8K	28:26, Chris Lake	35:26, Brittney Barnes	154
	5K	17:09, Joe Garcia	21:13, Caroline Willis	172
	3K	11:33, Jonathan McClure	12:34, Alyson Churchill	173
22 August 2015	8K	28:45, Roger Schmidt	38:07, Jane Skalski	126
	5K	18:16,James McClure	20:33, Caroline Willis	207
	3K	11:14, Jonathan McClure	11:34, Alyson Churchill	205
20 August 2016	8K	31:06, Geb Kiros	37:19, Katie Sack	160
	5K	18:03, Jake Mazziotta	19:20, Alyson Churchill	203
	3K	11:41, Trenton Blake	12:52, Lindsay James	171
19 August 2017	8K	29:11, Clayton Carlson	35:01, Kat Sack	125
	5K	17:55, Jesse Boyd	21:07, Elizabeth Skipper	237
	3K	11:01, Patrick Koon	12:43, Paige Churchill	212
18 August 2018	8K	33:07, Jim Halley	36:04, Katie Sherron	127
	5K	18:00, Jesse Boyd	19:57, Sheryl Rosen	201
	3K	10:37, Connor Edwards	11:26, Rory Claussen	177
The Miller Landing Madness was preceded in history by the Miccosukee Madness (2004-2007) and the Tom Brown Bash (1977-2003) races.

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 Miller Landing Madness
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRV98JpuXKQnw1QIBgi1mMQP0-RflDWzpkIx0W0JXSiEdhJzxnpGoOpCqUdZ7OgiGJEys3L4pncbYpm/pubhtml
  
  
• More photos of the 2018 Miller Landing Madness
  
  • 8K & 5K: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10112328903325753&type=1&l=a3640dfea1
  • 3K: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10112335747814343&type=1&l=b0afff1390
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2018 Miller Landing Madness
  https://photos.app.goo.gl/gwEUfvEN8i2Vu3e68
  
  
• 2017 story, “Carlson and Sack take Miller Landing Madness”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/08/madness-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Kiros and Sack lead a celebration of cross country Madness”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/08/madness-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Schmidt and Skalski top Miller Landing Madness”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/08/madness-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Lake and Barnes take Miller Landing Madness 8K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/08/madness-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Stanford and Showman go crazy on the competition”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/08/madness-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Isaac a no-show at Madness, Molosky and Johnson dominate”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/08/madness-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Sullivan and Rosen run like mad in Miller Landing 8K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/08/madness-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Cook and Rosen lead the Madness”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/08/madness-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “Chris Lake wins Miller Landing Madness 2009”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/08/chris-lake-wins-miller-landing-madness.html
  
  
• Lots of upcoming races, some more mad than others
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2315

The Devil couldn't catch Clay Milford

Earlier this year I was reading Bill Kenley’s novel about cross-country running, High School Runner: Freshman. If I remember one thing about the book, it’s that early in the story the Pennsgap High cross-country team does a workout that includes a Devil-take-the-Hindmost run.

Clay Milford

We have one of those in Tallahassee, and last Saturday, July 28, Chile High senior Clay Milford won Tallahassee’s Devil-take-the-Hindmost race, the sole survivor of a field of 21 runners.


In Kenley’s book, one of his character describes how the run works. “So you can’t be last in Devil, that’s the main rule. If you’re last at the finish line, the Devil gets you. Since there are six of you guys, that means the winner and the second place finisher will run five laps each.”

The Devil leads

The Tallahassee race wasn’t limited to just one small cross-country squad, so with 21 runners lining up on the track at 7:00 PM, the winner would have to go twenty laps. The rest would be removed one at a time, one at the end of each 400-meter lap, by the Devil.


Kat Sack was this year’s Devil, and led the runners on their first lap around the track. This was a parade lap, a free lap where no runner would be removed. After that, the Devil stepped off the track and waited for the end of the second lap to start her harvest.

The surge at the end of lap nine

Zachary Bridges and Anna Bridges ended the second lap with an Alphonse-and-Gaston routine. “I’ll be last.” “No, I’ll be last.” Tiring off their antics, the Devil took both athletes off the track.


Eight-year-old Chloe Molen left the track after the third lap, and Jennie Merchant after four laps. The remaining runners started their second mile.

Rory Claussen

Master runner Stuart Poage bowed out on lap five. The Devil nabbed Panama City master runner Neil Claussen on lap six, and Spencer Claussen after lap seven. The second mile ended with Ryan Poage going to the Devil on lap eight.


After leading most of the way, master runner Paul Guyas was taken by the Devil after nine laps. Eric Godin left the track on the tenth lap. Thirteen-year-old Rory Claussen of Panama City was the last female runner left on the track, but the Devil got her after eleven laps. Master runner Brian Molen couldn’t escape the Devil on the twelfth lap, leaving just two other master runners on the track--Duane Evans and Philip Sura. The Devil took Evans on the thirteenth lap, and Sura on the fourteenth. Only seven runners were left.

Vince Molosky

Vince Molosky was the first of the seven, leaving the track after a hard-fought fifteenth lap. That lap exhausted Matt McCurdy, the 2017 Devil-take-the-Hindmost winner, and he jogged the sixteenth lap, his run over after four miles.


“It took a year, but I got you!” chortled the Devil.

Lap 17

Ryan “Weather Tiger” Truchelut went out at the end of the seventeenth lap. On the eighteenth lap the Devil snatched Jake Mazziotta, a second-year runner on the Virginia Military Institute cross-country team. Three runners were left, none of whom wanted to yield an inch. Trying to lean ahead of Bryce Cole and Clay Milford at the line, Chris O'Kelley stumbled and fell. When he looked up, the Devil was directing him off the track. The nineteenth lap was over, and so was O’Kelley’s race.


The battle on the nineteenth lap had exhausted Cole; the Embry-Riddle cross-country runner could only trot around the track on the twentieth lap while Milford galloped away from him. After five miles, the Devil got Cole, and Milford got the win.

Chris O'Kelley, Clay Milford, Bryce Cole

“This is one that Jake and I have wanted to do for a lot of years,” said Milford.


The race has been going on for a lot of years. Tallahassee’s Devil-take-the-Hindmost was first run back in the 1970s. It has been almost annual since then; there have been more summers with a Devil-take-the-Hindmost than without one. It’s an unusual event, but the novelty is a welcome break from the endless summer miles. And of course there’s no more appropriate time to run with the Devil than midsummer in Tallahassee, when it’s as hot as...you know.

Devil Take The Hindmost Race Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Florida Saturday, 28 July 2018 @ 7:00 PM ET Place First Name Last Name M/F Age Hometown Laps 1.   Clay Milford M 18 Tallahassee, FL 21 2.   Bryce Cole M 20 Wakulla, FL 20 3.   Chris O'Kelley M 25 Tallahassee, FL 19 4.   Jake Mazziotta M 20 Tallahassee, FL 18 5.   Ryan Truchelut M 32 Tallahassee, FL 17 6.   Matt McCurdy M 25 Tallahassee, FL 16 7.   Vince Molosky M 39 Tallahassee, FL 15 8.   Philip Sura M 48 Tallahassee, FL 14 9.   Duane Evans M 51 Tallahassee, FL 13 10.   Brian Molen M 42 Tallahassee, FL 12 11.   Rory Claussen F 13 Panama City, FL 11 12.   Eric Godin M 34 Tallahassee, FL 10 13.   Paul Guyas M 40 Tallahassee, FL 9 14.   Ryan Poage M 12 Tallahassee, FL 8 15.   Spencer Claussen M 13 Panama City, FL 7 16.   Neil Claussen M 44 Panama City, FL 6 17.   Stuart Poage M 43 Tallahassee, FL 5 18.   Jennie Merchant F 26 Tallahassee, FL 4 19.   Chloe Molen F 8 Tallahassee, FL 3 20.   Anna Bridges F 21 Tallahassee, FL 2 Zachary Bridges M 25 Tallahassee, FL 2

Links

• More photos of the 2018 Devil-Take-The-Hindmost Race
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10112230072748023.1073742364.5215641&type=1&l=90121d56f9
  
  
• Mike Rowland's photos of the 2018 Devil-Take-The-Hindmost Race
  https://www.facebook.com/mike.rowland.351/media_set?set=a.10209580659472951.1073741853.1821804264&type=3
  
  
• David DeJesus' video of the 2018 Devil-Take-The-Hindmost Race
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InbsjTKgX6Q
  
  
• Trouble Afoot! coverage of past Devil-Take-The-Hindmost Races, with results and links to photos
  
  • 2017: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/07/devil-2017.html
    
  • 2016: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/07/devil-2016.html
    
  • 2015: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/07/devil-2015.html
    
  • 2014: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/08/devil-2014.html
    
  • 2013: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/devil-2013.html
    
  • 2012: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/07/devil-2012.html
    
  • 2011: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/07/devil-2011.html
    
  • 2004: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/07/devil-2004.html
    
  • 1993: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/devil-1993.html
    
  • 1992: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/devil-1992.html
    
  • 1990: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/07/devil-1990.html
    
  
  
• Announcement for previous Devil-Take-The-Hindmost Races
  
  • 2011: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/07/devil-returns-2011.html
    
  • 2013: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/devil-returns-2013.html
    
  • 2014: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/07/devil-returns-2014.html
    
  • 2015: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/07/devil-returns-2015.html
    
  • 2017: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/07/devil-returns-2017.html
  
  
• Find the date of the next Devil-Take-The-Hindmost Race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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