Carico and Balfour keep 'em flying at Stars and Stripes Patriot 6K

Six kilometers may seem an unusual distance for a race, but it's actually the distance at which the women's world cross-country championships are contested. The NCAA women's cross-country title is also decided in a 6K race. A few open cross-country races in our region are 6K runs, such as the Tannenbaum Trail Run. Thomasville, Georgia added its own 6K cross-country race on Saturday morning, 14 September 2013--the Stars and Stripes 6K Patriot Run.


If you prefer traditional distances, call it 30 furlongs.


Will Carico won the six-kilometer Patriot Run by almost a kilometer. Carico, a sophomore on the cross-country team at Thomasville's Brookwood School, covered the course around Myrtlewood Plantation in 23:17. If you're looking for a point of reference, that's like running a 19:24 5K, then continuing on for another kilometer (or five furlongs) at the same pace. Thomasville runner Chris Holt was the runner-up, clocking 27:06. John Richards followed, third in 27:30. Beverly Hamilton of Thomasville was the first woman finisher, coming in fourth overall at 27:40. The fastest master runner in the race was John Wheeler, who placed ninth overall in 28:37. Hot on his heels in tenth was the top female master, Shannon Balfour of Thomasville, the women's runner-up in 28:41. Honey Balfour, another Brookwood School cross-country runners, was third in the female standings, 14th overall in 30:07. The Patriot Run was the second race on Brookwood's schedule for the 2013 cross-country season.


119 athletes finished the first-year event. Timing and finish line services were provided by A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia.


Top Ten Males

1. 23:16.6 ~ Will Carico (M, 15) Thomasville, GA
2. 27:05.4 ~ Chris Holt (M, 31) Thomasville, GA
3. 27:29.2 ~ John Richards (M, 24) Thomasville, GA
4. 27:48.9 ~ Lance Parker (M, 31) Thomasville, GA
5. 28:03.4 ~ Gareth Pyle (M, 34) Thomasville, GA
6. 28:05.7 ~ Hampton Worthey (M, 18) Thomasville, GA
7. 28:28.8 ~ Phillip Chason (M, 17) Cairo, GA
8. 28:36.3 ~ John Wheeler (M, 46)
9. 28:55.7 ~ Chad Johnson (M, 42) Thomasville, GA
10. 29:12.3 ~ A Whatley (M, 43)

Top Ten Females

1. 27:40.0 ~ Beverly Hamilton (F, 35) Thomasville, GA
2. 28:41.0 ~ Shannon Balfour (F, 49) Thomasville, GA
3. 30:06.2 ~ Honey Balfour (F, 14) Thomasville, GA
4. 30:43.4 ~ Olivia Adams (F, 18) Thomasville, GA
5. 30:45.0 ~ Nancy Herring (F, 58) Thomasville, GA
6. 30:47.7 ~ Leah Odom (F, 29) Thomasville, GA
7. 31:22.6 ~ Keri Johnson (F, 29) Pavo, GA
8. 31:41.5 ~ Melody Gunter (F, 50) Thomasville, GA
9. 32:05.2 ~ Mary C (F, 45) Cairo, GA
10. 32:14.7 ~ Haley Meeks (F, 26) Thomasville, GA

Links

• Complete results
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AuBsYKIIn3TCdFVKZ2JJVE5xMUJvTHRhMENBR3k4clE
  
  
• Myrtlewood Plantation
  http://www.myrtlewoodplantation.com/
  
  
• Find another cross-country race in the region in whatever units on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1