Tag Archives: Columbia running club

Nightmare in Elmwood 5k – Columbia, SC – 10/26/24

The Nightmare in Elmwood 5k is one of the newer races on tour, first held in 2022, but it’s already one of my favorites. I mean, you don’t have to twist my arm to do race cosplay, and this one actually encourages it. Add in a unique course, GRIT endurance direction and a lot of neighborhood support and there’s no surprise why this event is already popular.

My biggest concern, like trying to find a good pair of blue shoes, is the unique balancing act of finding a cool costume that is also at least somewhat “runnable”. The fact is most runnable costumes are fairly lame and the coolest ones are terrible for trying to throw down a decent 5k. I mean, I love costumes, but I also love CRC points. And with my insane age group, I ‘m going to need to need at least a sub-21. I was seriously thinking about a more timely Beetlejuice ensemble, but I’ve come to realize that if I want to run fast, it’s going to have to be in a dress. And Beetlejuice is full on striped suit with pants, like HYC post race.  Oh sure, they may call them tunics, kilts or robes. But let’s be real, any fast costumes have dresses.  Also, ventilation is key. Halloween always seems to end up in some fourth or fifth conjuring of summer that never seems to end in this town. I have pics of my poor 3-year-old ready to have heat stroke because daddy thought he looked so cute as a (pre Mandalorian) baby Yoda.  So, I once again surrendered my man card and went in search of the coolest (literal and metaphorical) dress I could find.

Fortunately, I enlisted some help from another fellow cosplayer, your newsletter editor Mrs. Tisdale, and came across Halloweencostumes.com. For what they lack in name creativity, they certainly make up for in terms of selection. And they had an awesome William Wallace Braveheart costume. Sure, a 1995 movie that probably no one under 40 has seen isn’t exactly timely, but I’ve been stuck in the mid-90s for the past three decades anyway.

I thought I got a good deal on the costume, but it turns out the model online was also sporting about 30 bucks of accessories like the sword, wig and blue face paint. Oh well, I had already committed so I shelled out the cash. Trying on everything at home showed me it was an awesome costume, and definitely runnable. The con was that the wig, which also could double for any 1980s hair band ensemble, was insanely itchy and hot. But alas, I must suffer for my art.

On race morning, I was nervous about putting on the blue makeup, so I skipped any double dipping. Fortunately, my wife is understanding of my overall bizarreness, so she gave me a brief tutorial of using sponge wedges to apply the blue face paint. That morning I gained a new appreciation for what women go through, as I desperately tried not to ruin my blue foundation with wig hair flyaways. I kept having to flamboyantly flip my hair back and I decided that my man card may need to be permanently revoked.  Though this may have already happened thanks to my Downton Abbey/Bridgerton obsession, so I guess it was all good.

I showed up to the race an hour early and one of the parking lots was already full. Dang, this was getting to be a big event. Lots of Halloweening out there, so I figured I had minimal chance of winning the costume contest. My extensive experience has shown that cute kids win everytime, with hot girls a close second.  Dead last are middle aged man-children with wigs and makeup. JP photography was there along with freelancer Sean Rayford so hopefully I’d get lots of pics at least. My ego needs feeding somehow. 

I warmed up some on the course, having done the whole thing on Friday. The race goes to benefit the Elmwood Neighborhood Association, so the homeowners go all out on the decorations, especially since there’s a prize for the best one. Seriously, I’ve never seen a community so into an event. Yerg, who was not in costume, ran some with me, so I knew masters was already out of the picture. The course has an insane drop and tough climb in the beginning and the end, though a lot of the middle is fairly flat. The route takes you through Elmwood then does an out and back to Finlay Park before returning to the finish.

 

With the start, I made sure to pose for Julie, because I just have to be an attention whore. We headed out on Bryan street before turning right on Park and then plummeted down the hill. It’s pretty steep, and I kept thinking Julia Ghering in her Michael Myers mask might end up on the concrete. That would be a weird ER trip for sure. After reaching the bottom, you head right back up on Lincoln. At this point I had broken free from the pack, but Yerg, Regan, and Shannon were kicking my ass. Dr. Kushinka had already destroyed the field out in front. I always set my sights on “first costume” in this race and there was some dude in a Bob Ross outfit with a dress shirt, artist’s palette, brushes and jeans that was right by my side. Poor Bob had already sweated through his shirt like he had jumped in a lake. We were together through the top of the hill when I felt a loosening of my kilt/dress and the whole shoulder wrap fell off. OMG, I’m going to have to stop. THERE ARE ONLY UNDIES DOWN THERE. I don’t need any more moments like the green velour leprechaun incident, which make gray sweatpants seem modest. Fortunately, I was able to yank the strap up, reach around and tuck it in my belt with only a few seconds of jogging mid-race. Never have I been more grateful for switching out the cheap fabric costume belt with a real leather one. 

The short break actually helped a little, so I kicked it back into 5k mode and caught up with Bob Ross. One mile mark was in 6:40ish near the Elmwood Cemetery. We then hit the Vista Greenway which is mostly flat. Bob , whose real name is Bruce, asks me what my real 5k time is. His is apparently 19:50ish, so I felt like I could probably take him, especially with his jeans. Though he did look 20 something so you never know. I was able to pass him near the turnaround in Finlay Park and we headed back home. The way back was cool since you got to see everyone else in the field. Lots of cool costumes. Heading back into Elmwood, I was getting slightly faster but the hair band mop on my head was absolutely cooking my brain. I climbed the first hill and saw Rayford taking pics. One of Sean’s photos was on the front of the New York Times for Hurricane Helene a few weeks ago, so I did my best William Wallace charge in his direction. I’m sure a random cosplay dude in a costume 5k in Columbia is also NYT cover worthy. I fell down the cliff again to Confederate Avenue and steeled myself for the brutal Park St climb. It’s short but it is insanely steep. I powered up Park and could see Yerg, Shannon, Parker Roof and Regan ahead. I saw Parker stop to walk for a second and I started trying to throw down a kick. Sadly, I only had fumes left. Regan and Shannon also seemed to get Parker running again, so I realized I wasn’t going to have enough room to catch them. One last turn onto Bryan street and I could see the 20s on the clock already. I mounted a weak kick, but made sure to pose for Julie again at the finish. Time was 20:41, so not too shabby, especially given that course and the near wardrobe malfunction. I’ll take it!

In the overall men, Kushinka crushed the field in 17:10, with Benjamin Laprise 2nd and Robert McBee 3rd. Shelby Gurley was top female, with Shannon Godby 2nd and Avery Farr 3rd. Male Masters was won by the Yerg, while Ronda Sanders was tops among the masters women.

Age Group honor roll (female): Jordan Seeger was 2nd in the 20-24. Michaela Willoughby and Julia Ghering were 2-3 in the 25-29. Mary Kate Korpita won the 30-34. Ashleigh Carpenter was 3rd in the 40-44, while Kristin Wallace and Sarah Soltau were 2-3 in the 45-49. Welcome back, Sarah! Stevie Dee took 2nd in the 50-54, while Lynda Leonardi and Pam Griffin went 1-3 in the 55-59. Brigitte Smith was tops in the 75+

Age Group honor roll (men):  Parker was 2nd in the 20-24. Regan Freeman and Bruce Edmonds were 2-3 in the 25-29. William Wallace was 1st in the 45-49. Drew Dickerson was 3rd in the 50-54, while Roy Shelley and Joey Swearingen were 1-2 in the 55-59. Clay Ham and Eliere Tolan were 1-3 in the 60-64. Jerry Rich was champ and Pete Poore 3rd in the 70-74. Ron Hagell and Richard Wright claimed the top 2 in the 75+

Other notable finishers: Antjuan Seawright, Korinne Collins, Karen Kryzanowski, Eme Crawford, Michael and Clara Beaudet, Missy Caughman, Leighton McClendon, Marcus Cunningham, Wendy Homyer, Makenzie Wilt, Sara Wilcox, Kana Rahman, Kara Clyburn, Melinda Waldrop, Gretchen Lambert, Hou-Yin Chang, Nikki Charlton, Michelle Edmondson, Jennifer Glass, Lynn Kramer, Kerry Stubbs, Heather Hawn, Shiela Bolin, Margie Shelburg, Rachel Trott, Susan Weaver, Kristin and Poppy Loughlin.

The costume contest was basically prizes for everyone, though true to my prediction the kids (toy story) and the Fia group (Inside Out) were probably the top choices. I did get a bag of Cromer’s popcorn to soothe my ego though!

 

https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/131775#resultSetId-504483;perpage:5000

Pikes Peak Ascent (13.3 miles) – Manitou Springs, Colorado – 9/21/24

This one was a long time coming. 

Sometime in the summer of 2022 I found myself on my screened-in porch, my favorite place at home and origin of most of my questionable racing decisions. My college roommate, Jarod, messaged me out of the blue and asked if I had any interest in running the Pikes Peak Ascent with him. I had considered running Pikes Peak in the past when asked by Uncle Ricky and the Harbison trail runners but made a sound decision then that this was probably not a good idea. However, Jarod contacted me 2 high gravity IPAs deep, the exact point where reason goes out the window. I WAS IN. A few months later I was at the computer at the exact moment the registration came open and “luckily” snagged a spot.

Unfortunately, it was only a few weeks after that when I decided to blast out a 5k start a little too aggressively on an already tight Achilles. One little twinge and the whole of 2023 became a dumpster fire of healing attempts and too-early comebacks. Ultimately, I ended up in physical therapy in late summer and, as I turns out, an insanely uphill 13.3 miler was not part of my PT’s treatment plan. Sadly, I had to text Jarod the bad news and let him know I was definitely coming next year. He ran it in 2023 and crushed it with a 4:15.

Now some of you may think, 4:15 for a half marathon? Isn’t that really slow? Yes , yes it is. But most of us are used to half marathons on pavement, with a relatively flat course, and at sea level. The Pikes Peak Ascent is none of these. Well, there are 1.5 miles of asphalt at the beginning. But otherwise, this is a relentless climb from the already high Manitou Springs (6,320 feet) to the Pikes Peak finish at 14,050 feet (just below the summit of 14,115).  7,815 feet of elevation gain per their website. As a flatlander I had no grasp of these numbers. It sounded like a lot though.

 

By the spring of 2024 my Achilles (thanks to Vertex PT and tincture of time ) had mostly recovered. I was able to defer my entry for Pikes from last year, so I started to think about training. But I didn’t. Hill running is the majority of my training already, and I typically do a half marathon or more every Sunday morning. HOW MUCH HARDER CAN IT BE? We will get to that. I did get roped into the Richmond Marathon in November (when Joyce caught me on the IPA porch), so at least I had been doing longer long runs on Sundays. Suddenly, September was upon us, and I was hit with that all too common feeling of “What did I get myself into??”.

 

Thankfully, Jarod was OK with me coming a few days early and crashing at his house in Colorado Springs. Having tolerated the tornado of mess that was 1994-1997 Alex, this was quite gracious. My first real pang of fear for this race came when I went up the stairs in Jarod’s house (elevation 7000 feet). Damn, I’m already out of breath here, much less 14000 feet. Ruh roh.  Jarod agreed to help me out with getting at least some altitude acclimation in. Ideally, you probably need at least two to four weeks, but who has time for that? I had two days. We drove up to the Crags trail on the other side of Pikes Peak at about 10000 feet. It was about 5 miles, mostly up for 2.5 of that. Yikes, this altitude stuff was no joke. We had planned to jog some of it, but my flatlander ass was huffing and puffing like I was 400 pounds. I power walked it and got really worried for Saturday.  Friday was mostly a rest day and we did the official shake out three miler in Manitou Springs and picked up our packets.

The weather had looked dicey several days out, but we were lucky the impending storm front moving in was slower than they thought, so our weather was great on Saturday morning.  In the 50s at the base and 30s at the summit. The Ascent is the first part of the race weekend, with about 1500-1800 people racing to the top on Saturday. The marathon is held Sunday, where you do the Ascent and then run all the way back down to Manitou Springs. There are some people who even double dip both races, which, especially in hindsight, is completely and utterly insane. 

Wave 8 start

 

The race starts in 16 waves stratified by the time you submitted to qualify for the race. I think I put in my Boston time. The qualification standards are not high, they just want to know you (hopefully) won’t die. I got put in the 4thwave but wisely chose to start with Jarod in Wave 8. 

 

My God what have I done?
Jarod slightly more excited than me.

The start was in my element. On the roads of Manitou Springs, lots of energy and just a cool funky little town. I thought I was just cruising, but Jarod said I was already going too fast, at least for him. The incline started immediately. I managed to run the first 1.5 miles on pavement but was already breathing hard by the time we got to the Barr trailhead, where the race really begins. The course follows the Barr trail the whole way. The first stretch is known as the “W”s , named for the shape of all the switchbacks, and features a lovely 13 percent average grade. Here I was forced to walk for the first time, and I assure you it was not my last. I probably did the walksies about 80-90 percent from then on. I did my best to power hike it. It gets pretty congested on the trail, but it’s not like I had enough speed to really pass most people. There was a lot of leap frogging going on. After the initial lung punch of the “W”s, you hit the No Name Creek aid station (4.48 miles). I was feeling pretty good at this point. Plenty of energy and nothing hurting. I felt a little less anxiety. It helped that the grade then got a little less steep after that, and (GASP) I was actually able to run some. I mean it was still 8 percent grade but walk/running seemed to work. I was making pretty good time, and I recall seeing I was at 1 hour 32 minutes at an aid station just past 6 miles. Oh man, I am going to crush this. Going to be low 3 hours for sure. I decided to take one of my 2 GUs at this point. I had only bought some GU at the expo the day before when Jarod was incredulous that I hadn’t brought any fuel. Espresso Love GU has quite a bit of caffeine, so I bounded ahead and tried to run whenever I could. There were even some downhill (perish the thought!) sections that I sprinted out. Barr Camp is one of the biggest aid stations at 7.79 miles. My elegant nutrition plan featured a handful of grapes in addition to my water and Skratch sport drink, which I had been chugging nonstop.

I was still feeling pretty good at Barr, which is at 10,200 feet, but things started getting a little rough after that. There’s some flat to downhill for a bit right after the camp, but then sh!t got real, real quick. The grade gets cranked up to 13 percent, and you can forget about running that, especially at that elevation. The trees start getting a little sparser, and you can even make out the peak from time to time, which seems impossibly high.  The grade here is just relentless, and I can feel those 14-15 minute miles getting a lot slower. After what seemed like an eternity, I walked into A-frame, the last major aid station at 11,950 feet.

Still posing early on

It’s only a 5k from the finish from here. I distinctly remembered Dean Schuster asking me how fast he thought he ran the last 5k of the Ascent. I knew it was brutal, so I threw out a ridiculously slow number for him ( a 19–20-minute 5ker) , 45 minutes. He said an hour and a half. Um, what?? He posted some video of him huffing and puffing above the tree line on Facebook as proof. Surely it couldn’t be that bad. But I had to admit I was feeling a little lightheaded and beat down by this point. I took the GU right before A frame and grabbed another handful of grapes.  In my oxygen-deprived haze, I had a bizarre moment where suddenly I turned around and saw Jarod, then saw someone in an inflatable Trex costume cheering me on. I was really confused. Jarod had been slowly gaining on me for the last few miles. I stopped to get a selfie with Trex but then had to take a few seconds to not feel so passy-outty. Jarod appeared to have the intent to run with me to the finish, but I told him I was going to have to take it slow. As if the blistering 28-minute pace from Barr to A wasn’t slow enough. I was able to come back to Earth after a few deep breaths after A frame and suddenly I was above the tree line. It’s an absolutely incredible sight, just miles of perfect alpine scenery with snowcapped mountains and ice blue lakes. The trail leveled out for a bit to allow me a little Rocky Mountain high, and the GU kicked in, so I caught a second (oxygen deprived) wind. I even tried to trot a little, but I caught a case of the faintsies, so I figured that was a bad idea. There’s a timing station two miles from the finish and that seems so close. I still have a hard time seeing the peak, and there is just a huge wall of rock going upward for what seems like forever. Every time I look up it’s bad, because a) it seems a lot longer than 2 miles and b) the sudden upward gaze wants to make me feel all woozy. From then on, I just went to full zombie mode. One foot in front of the other, follow the people in front of me. A stocky dude in a blue shirt and a tiny woman from Nebraska and I had been together for the last several miles, and now we we’re locked into a brotherhood of pain in the death march to the finish. The last mile has another marker, and I swear I was hallucinating the kazoo band playing Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. But I did see them in a YouTube video, so I guess I was at least semi-lucid. The final mile is just soul crushing. The course has super steep switchbacks with even some rock scrambling at points. You can start to hear the finish line from a long way off, but you look up and you can see the conga line of oxygen deprived zombies still going up forever. They call these the “16 golden stairs” but it seems more like the route to hell than heaven. At one point I went over a crest and expected the finish line to be there. I almost cried when I saw 3-4 more “golden stairs” to go. Finally, I rounded the last turn and there was a straight path to the finish line. I thought maybe I’d run and do some triumphant pose, but I slumped to the finish like an episode of the Walking Dead and kept walking so I wouldn’t pass out. Jarod and the race photog caught the moment of beauty below:

 

I finished in 4:29 with a blazing 20:10 per mile pace. Rocked a 52nd in age group. I had plans of touring the summit house but I was completely wrecked. I changed into some warm clothes and I could barely lift my shirt over my head. I started to come back to life with some coke, but I was too weak to eat a cheeseburger we got at the summit cafeteria. If big boy can’t eat a cheeseburger than something is definitely not right. We ended up riding down on the first bus available, which takes about an hour with all the twists and turns.

The grade is so steep that you have to switch buses halfway down so the brakes don’t overheat. The second bus driver must have a side job in Nascar because we were getting thrown all over the back of the bus. One of Jarod’s friends almost had to puke out the window,  which I was scared of causing a Stand By Me blueberry pie style vomiting incident since we were all a little queasy from the altitude. The after-race party in Manitou Springs was great with a free beer and pizza.

 

Would I do it again? My answer at the finish was HELL NO. But then again, there are always afternoon IPAs on my back porch.

Results: https://www.brooksee.com/ppa/results?#

Springdale 5k – Camden, SC – 9/7/24

 

The Springdale 5k in Camden has been a staple of the Blue Shoes calendar since 2009, when it used to be held on the horse track, in the evening, in August. Although the post-race beer and party were on point, the 95-degree weather and ankle-deep grass definitely left something to be desired. Luckily, Erin Roof and GRIT revamped the race about a decade ago and changed it to the neighborhood near the horse track, switched it to morning, and delayed it to September. While the morning is less beer friendly, she made up for it with a full-service waffle station. It is a sight to behold. There is a slight possibility that you may not have burned off waffle-level calories in a 5k, but I like to remain blissfully ignorant of that.

With the fall race season about to kick in, this weekend’s tour provided three races, which would hopefully spread the field out for trophy opportunities. The church one in Lexington looked promising for a possible holy grail overall win, but do they have waffles??? I don’t think so. In addition to breakfast bliss, Springdale also offers giant horsehead trophies, which are second only to the Stomp the Swamp (R.I.P.) gator head for pure awesomeness.

Camden is only 25 minutes from my house, so I showed up my customary hour early. They have a mobile home like bathroom set up instead of portapotties, perfect for my also customary colonic destruction. Craft and Draft Friday happy hour will always exact its toll. One of my issues with this race is misjudging the finish, so I did a quick mile out and back to make some visual markers to know where I was. FYI, 1912 Forest Drive is almost exactly a mile from the finish arch.

Strolling up to the start line, I started to get a little nervous. Yes, there were a fair number of teenagers there. But no Jarvis, no Branham, no Striggles…. could this be another holy grail? I’m still holding on to my embarrassing non-tour 2023 Veteran’s Day 5k lean-at-the-tape at full Mach 5 blue shoe kick to beat a 19 year old girl as my last win. Shame is not a burden with which I deal.

I started thinking about strategy. It’s actually very simple. One half downhill and flat, one half uphill. You want to go hard in the first 1.5 miles, but you have to leave plenty in the tank for that climb. It’s not super steep, just unrelenting.

At the start, all the kids blast out way too fast and it takes most of a quarter mile before they drop off. A half mile in, and I’m freefalling down the course. The kid at the very front, who went out in like 5 flat pace, suddenly stops and I think he’s done. One of the neighborhood dogs comes tearing out and starts losing its mind barking, which I guess gives him enough adrenaline to get him going again. And I’ll be damned if he isn’t hauling ass again. Luckily the dog chills out a bit and gives us all a WTF ARE ALL THESE HUMANS COMING FROM look.  One human I’m concerned about is a dude with some gray and a myrtle beach marathon singlet. I’m chasing kids, but I can’t be complacent about unknown fast dads. He’s just to my side, so I throw down a burst to try and break a fellow old man’s spirit. Mile 1 comes through in 6:15, which is probably ideal for my race plan. Fast enough to be near the front but not fast enough to destroy me.

I spend the flat area at the hill bottom trying to psych myself up for the pain that will ensue. The front runner guy is blasting the field, and I can barely see him. I guess the holy grail will remain elusive. There is one other kid about 20 meters ahead, so I set my sights on taking him down. The hill starts and it is not fun. That nice shady breeze in the first half suddenly gets replaced by a wet blanket of warmth and humidity. While it might not be a flattering fashion choice with my frighteningly white body, at least my singlet is letting in some ventilation. Mile 2 in 6:35, so I guess I got a little too scared of the hill. Gotta pick it up to break 20 and catch this kid in front of me. But oof it is getting tough. I’m still fighting off a year of Achilles-based trash fitness and probably some IPA pounds, so this is not fun. But I am ever so slowly reeling in the kid. The hill just keeps going, and each corner seems like the end. Finally, there’s a flat stretch and I can see one of those free library boxes that signifies the last turn. I start throwing down hard and pretty soon I’m right on this dude’s tail. He’s probably 120 lbs. tops but I am going to pass him like a runaway 18-wheeler. But then it happens. Just as I creep up on his side, he throws down an epic kick of his own and leaves me in the dust. Nooooooo! But there’s nothing I can do. The old man is getting beat at his own game. To make matters worse, I can also tell I am going to just miss 20 minutes. I cross in 20:03, 3rd overall. Not my best, but I can’t say I left much on the course. It did help that the kid, 15-year-old Jake Rust, scored a PR and was super happy with it. Good job, Jake. The old man gives you props…and I’m coming for you next time.

In the overall, 16-year-old Ben Rabon took the win, fighting off a dog in the process. Jake was 2nd and the Albino Sasquatch 3rd. Eleven-year-old Skyler Spilker won the female overall with Sarah Carroway and Jennfer Carruth also on the podium.

John Campolongo, Roy Shelley and Whitney Keen won male masters, while Ronda Sanders, Melody Kreiling and Zaiton Abubakar won on the women’s side. Melody was also the overall age graded time at 76%!

Age group women: Hayden Hall own the 11-14. Noa Miller took the 30-34. Catherine Sostak was 3rd in the 40-44. Kritin Wallace won the 45-49 with dog in tow. Caroline Keen and Clara Beaudet went 2-3 in the 50-54. Bertha Woehl was 3rd int eh 55-59 while Colleen Towery won the 60-64. Beverly Breuer and Mary Cassidy were 1st and 3rd in the 65-69

Age group men: Eric Gilfus won the 35-39. Whitney Keen and Anthony Godfrey took the top 2 in the 50-54. Clay Ham, Joe Roof and Phil Smith swept the 60-65. George Cassidy was champ of the 70-74, while Richard Wright won the 75+ . Bill Iskrzak was 3rd in the 75+ in his first race back after injury. Good to see you back, Bill!

Other notable finishers: Patrick Hall, Marty Wentzel, Drew Dickerson, Michael Beaudet, Teresa Shelton, Deanna Rennick, Pete Poore, Nicki Charlton, Traci Smith and Jennifer Norris.

https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/77754#resultSetId-485147;perpage:5000

Sweat it Out 5k – Columbia, SC – 6/1/24

I still consider it a newer race, but the Sweat it Out 5k has somehow been around since 2015 and is now in its 9th year. It has been a regular on the Blue Shoes and Tour de Columbia calendar, initially directed by fellow Sunday run slog jogger Shannon Godby and then taken over by Erin and GRIT endurance a few years later. True to form for an Erin Roof race, this event has featured some of the best swag, including the iconic Ernest Lee painting awards, which currently decorate my office and act as my Zoom/Teams background. I know my coworkers are impressed. The race proceeds go to benefit the National Foundation of Ectodermal Dysplasia, a group of disorders that includes hypohydrosis, or the inability to sweat. Nick, the son of race director Jamie Duke, has the condition, and it’s been cool to see the toddler at the first race now grow to a preteen.

 

Tragically, the year of the wonky Achilles wrecked my Sweat it Out streak in 2023, but given that I’m back at least at 85-90 percent, I wasn’t going to miss this year. At our first meeting of the year, the CRC board decided to bump up this event to cherished double points status, so it was sure to be a stud fest. I usually don’t look to have a fast time at this race with the heat, so I did a quick check of the forecast on Monday to see how miserable it would be. But wait… hold the phone, what is this?? 55 degrees?  That’s incredible for June in this famously hot town.

 

Sure enough, I show up at 6 am for the 7 am start and it is actually COLD. People had jackets on and everything. 54 degrees by my car thermometer. At packet pickup, fellow GRIT spokesmodel Sarah suggested this year’s event be called “Shiver it Out”. She wasn’t wrong. The early start always throws a wrench into my pre-race colonic song and dance. It’s often a three act play but you can never rule out an encore performance. We would see. I did a couple miles with H, McElderry and Yerg to warm up, and by the time I get back there are beasts everywhere. Somehow, I managed 2nd overall in 2019 with a 20:20 something time. I might not be in the top 20 with that time this year. Jarvis and David Williams were sure to podium on the men’s side, but there were also masters studs OJ and Dimery.  Joy Miller and Ivanka were picks to win among the women, but JLy, Ashley, Shannon, Sellers and Lindsey were also there to throw down some good times. Also, there were a whole slew of singlet wearing fast looking old dudes that were giving me the jitters. Damn you rando superfit dads.

Ten minutes before the start, I realize someone has indeed been cheering for the colon to come back on stage. DAMMIT. The line was a little long at the portapotties but it was moving. Thankfully Erin gave us an extra 5 minutes to poop. The start line is just ridiculous. I love to be grandiose and toe the line at most local 5ks but my fat ass was going to get run over if I did that for this race. I backed up probably 5 rows just to be sure. Reportedly there were 50ish CRC members on hand, and I don’t debate that number based on who I could see. Based on my start line selfie, I can see Mike Shrum, Eric and Sarah Allers, Jonathan McFall, Dimery, David Williams, Silent H, Brett Martin, Sellers, Rob THE YERG Yerger, Lindsey, Kirkwood , Patrick McElderry, Clay Ham, Sophie Homeyer, Dr. Ghering, Patrick Hall and Levi Beck. 

 

The start was as predicted, a total blast out of the gates with all the fast people. I got passed by a ton of people given my usual negative split plan. There’s nothing I hate more than going too hard early and dying a thousand deaths in the last mile. But with the cool weather and feeling like I’m getting left in the dust, I probably amped it up more than usual. This course is virtually flat, with the only real hill coming an agonizing 2.5 miles in. I focused on keeping a steady pace and hanging on to Jly and Sellers, both known for going out blazing fast.  Jordan makes sure Jen knows I’m right there and mocks the decidedly minimal amount of blue in my shoes. “WHITE SHOES!” I hit mile in 6:10 and there are still a ton of people ahead of me. Damn this is a competitive race this year. We are almost done with the second out and back loop before I finally catch Jly. The YERG is crushing it up ahead, so I try and stay in striking distance. I can tell that maybe, just maybe, the blue shoe mojo is coming back because I don’t feel abjectly awful at this point. It also probably helps that it feels like October. The third loop is the last and it’s a direct out and back trip on Saye Cut Rd. I was glad just to make it to Saye Cut before Hunter left it, but it isn’t long before he and a whole host of SC’s finest road racers come into view headed back.

The YERG

Saye cut ends at a cone and I turn around like a runaway bus, also trying not to tweak anything in the process. Right on my tail I see Bobby Bartley , Ashley Holman and JLy. I’m starting to hurt a bit now, but I have YERG in my sights. I think I’ve got him but damned if he isn’t slowing down. We turn back on the Galway to head straight back to the start, and I can see the infamous hill looming ahead. Garmin chirps back at 6:13 so staying pretty even. I almost draw even with Rob at the hill, but he is even better at hill climbing than I am, having done a ton of mountain ultras. In front of Meadowfield, I know there is less than a half mile to go. I have Yerg just ahead, but there’s also a red singlet wearing guy (later ID’d as Bruno Alcalde) with some gray in his hair just ahead of him. Damn masters is brutal in this town. Yerg starts to ramp it up and he draws even with Bruno and then slowly edges ahead. I feel like death, but if there’s a finish line to be seen I know I can always find another gear. The trick is knowing not to push in all the chips too early. As we clear Meadowfield, I can see the finishing arch in the distance. HERE WE GO. Time for the Blue, or perhaps white, shoe kick. Full throttleup commences and I weave through Bruno and Yerg and out into the open. And oh man, it hurts. Full karate chop hands, giant head bobbing all over the place, and form going all to hell. Mile 3 alert pops up but I am in full tunnel vision by this point. For some reason I feel compelled to lunge at the line like it’s an Olympic sprint and I have to full on HYC style collapse in the finish area. That is the sacrifice to make all of 16th place. 19:19 by chip and consolation 2nd in age group since OJ got on the masters podium. While my chicken man award may be smaller this year, I’m pretty psyched for my fastest time since spring of last year. Plus, I got a GRIT gift at the award ceremony. I wasn’t sure who she was describing until she mentioned “giant ego” and then I knew it was me. Yep, just like the Carly Simon song.

Karate, anyone?

 

In the overall, Hunter Jarvis correctly navigated the course this week en route to a win in 16:14. From the way he looked on Saye Cut, it was like a jog in the park for him. David Williams was second in 16:35 and new Columbian Shawn Wiler was 3rd in 16:39. 

Joy Miller took home a big win in the women’s race, clocking 17:57 before hopping in the car to Sumter to double dip another win an hour or so later. Ivanka Tolan kicked my tail en route to second place in 19:08, with Ashley Holman claiming third in 19:52.

 

Masters on both sides was nuts: Dimery, Orinthal Striggles and Aaron Schaffner claimed the male podium, with Jason and OJ going sub 17. On the women’s side, Shannon Godby was the champion with Marian Nanney 2nd and Sarah Allers 3rd. Sarah, OJ and Ivanka were the top age graded athletes, all hovering right at 85 percent. Incredible. Shannon, Joy, Dimery and Robert McBee also crossed the 80 percent age grade, representing national class level competition. Not too shabby for a local 5k!

 

Age group honor roll (female): Lilly Holman was 2nd in the 11-14. Hannah Williams won the 15-19. Sellers was 3rd in an insanely competitive 25-29. Lindsey Hendren won the 30-34. Jennifer Lybrand, Kara Stevens and Sara McFall took top 3 in the 35-39. Shenequa Coles, Stephanie Dukes and Angie Thames swept the 50-54.  Lynda Leonardi won the 55-59. Colleen Towery was champ of the 60-64. Diane Freeman and Margie Shelburg won the 65-69.

 

Age group honor roll (male): Graham McLaughlin was 2nd in the 20-24. Josh Odell was tops in the 25-29 with Regan Freeman 2nd. Levi Beck won the 30-34. Mike Shrum, Johnathan McFall and Wesley Sawyer claimed the podium in the 35-39. Bruno Alcalde, Bobby Bartley and Brett Martin (new PR!) took top 3 in the 40-44. Brad Batchelder won the 45-49 over the epic Blue Shoes/YERG battle. Patrick McElderry, Johnathan Kirkwood and Eric Allers swept the 50-54. Robert McBee, Roy Shelley and Silent H won the 55-59, while Clay Ham, Eliere Tolan and Phil Smith did the same in the 60-64. Pete O’Boyle won the 65-69 while Jerry Rich and Leeds Barroll went 1-3 in the 70-74. Richard Wright and Ken Lowden claimed the 75+.

 

Other notable finishers: Kerry Stubbs, Maria Pray, Clara Beaudet, Harry Strick, Pete Poore, Hou Yin Chang, Nicole Charlton, Gretchen Lambert, Traci Smith, Deanna Rennick, Melinda Waldrop, Wendy Homeyer, Teresa Shelton, Missy Caughman, Sophia Homeyer, Tug Quarles, Leighton McLendon, Son Nguyen, John Richards, Michael Beaudet, Michaela Willoughby, Drew Dickerson, Patrick Hall and Julia Ghering. 

 

Crawdaddy Dash 5k – Columbia, SC – 5/4/24

It’s been several years since the Rosewood Crawdaddy Dash happened, and I was sure it was no more, but I was super happy to see Erin and GRIT revive it. I was at the inaugural race, which was probably 2011-ish.  The Crawfish festival which hosts the race used to bring in 1990s alt rock vets like Everclear and Better then Ezra, so definitely right up my alley. Later, Hunter Gatherer built their Hangar outpost, and no one has to twist my arm for a post-race beer. 2014 report below:

Rosewood Crawdaddy Dash 5k – Columbia, SC – 5/3/2014

 

The course has a bit of a tough climb to start, but few races end with virtually 2 miles of downhill and flatness. I thought I was excited about the race, but few can match the enthusiasm of Regan Freeman. I did a half mile warm up with him and dude was AMPED. I was jealous of his crawdaddy hat though. I can always get behind a good costume. In fact, Crawdaddy was being held on the same day as the May the Fourth race, enabling me to do a rare cosplay double, Obi-Wan and Crawdaddy boxer guy. Luckily the two races were 90 minutes apart, so an easy ride over. I didn’t quite have to drive like a maniac, but somehow, I weaved through USC graduation traffic from Saluda Shoals and made it to Hunter Gatherer by about 9 am. There might have been an entitled violation of a police barrier since I drove up from the back. I’ll never tell.

It felt better to not have long pants and a robe on, but it was still pretty miserable outside. Legs got super tight on the ride over too, so that was also fun. There was a nice crowd on hand and tons of CRCers, plus quite a few double dippers. Not sure of all of them, but Chris, Melody, Nicki, Brett, Stevie, HYC , Ivery and Roy made the trip from Saluda Shoals. Thankfully there were plenty of portapotties, because I’m always afraid of another infamous “true to the poo” incident from one of my other double dips.  Again, zero time goal here, just get to the finish line.

At the start, I try to position myself for maximum pic exposure on the front line, but I get passed almost immediately by about 20 people. Fantastic. As advertised, the first mile is a complete struggle bus on this course, though the initial 800 meters is the toughest. I try and maintain a decent pace, but my Jedi jaunt has apparently destroyed my life force. It feels like everybody and their mom is ahead of me and I just have nothing. I pace pretty evenly with Kara Stevens and clock in a tick under 7 minutes as we turn onto Rosewood. For reference I like 6:15 out of the gates, but that’s all I have today. What’s nice is knowing there are no more hills. I turn onto Ott and we all start the long gradual slog down to Owens field. The Ott St decline has been a favorite of mine for all virtual races, including the 2020 palmetto 200 and the 2021 virtual sweat it out with Yerg when he couldn’t make it in person. It’s really long and you can stride out the whole way down. Mile 2 in 6:39 so I’m at least near my 10k pace by now. Sellers Williamson, Brendan Holman and Seth Lapic are in sight but I’m kind of on my own at this point. Ashley is off Montgomery st taking pics, so I make sure to do some posing with what little oxygen I have left. I try and push it in mile 3 to at least get under 21. I manage to catch Sellers and I see Brendan, Seth and Yerg as I take a right on Jim Hamilton Blvd. I am very relieved to feel no wind on this stretch, because it can be brutal when it’s in your face. Luckily the only thing holding me back is 195 lbs of poor conditioning. But, hell, might as well blast out whatever you have. I start tracking down Brendan and suddenly he catches a case of the walksies. I scream at him and he sees the truly frightening sight of a pale ass tan lined sasquatch barreling his way. He takes off again in a startle but the walksie bug hits again a little while later and I manage to pass him about 200 meters from the finish.  Seth is up ahead. He may be weakened by a blazing 3:03 London Marathon two weeks ago, but still better than me today. I am just toast by the finish, beautifully captured by my finish line photo, which looks like a cross between a stroke or a bad taco bell experience. Just hideous, as always. Finish time of 20:44. 9th overall.  To clarify how brutal the masters competition is in Columbia, this was only good for 5th masters and technically 4th in my 45-49 age group. Luckily, the top three 45-49 people got taken up by masters overall and I got a “consolation” 1st in AG on the podium. But hey, I’ll take even a fake number one. 

Overall winners in this race included the ageless Orinthal Striggles, churning out a 17:03 at age 48. Steven Hicks finally broke through in a big way with a very sub 18 in 17:41 for second across the line. He opted to take first masters, so official 2nd was Cole Andrew in 17:49 with 3rd going to Regan in a nice 18:56. Ivanka Tolan took the overall women’s race in 19:59 , with Sellers 2nd  in 21:28and Kara 3rd in 21:46 for a CRC sweep. Male masters included Chris Branham in 2nd, with a nice 19:09 in the second leg of a double dip, and Rob THE YERG Yerger in 3rd. Female masters winners were Marian Nanney in 1st with Melody Kreiling taking an impressive 2ns at age 64.

 

Female Age group honors: Michaela Willoughby was 2nd in the 25-29. Shelley Rivers was champ of the 40-44. Kristin Wllace and Deanna Rennick won 1st and 3rd in the 45-49. Stevie Dee Dukes, Missy Caughman and Melinda Waldrop swept the 50-54. Kelly Danias was 2nd in the 55-59. Teresa Harrington won the 60-64. Margie Shelburg was 2nd in the  65-69. 

 

Male age  group honors: Christopher Houck won 1st in the 30-34 with Ian Loughlin 2nd. Seth Lapic and Antjuan Seawright took the top 2 in the 35-39. Brendan Holman and Brett Martin went 1-2 in the 40-44.  With all the studs in the overall and masters, I won the 45-49 by a mere 10 minutes. That has to be a record. Ivery Baldwin, Drew Dickerson and Todd Derrick won the 50-54. Roy Shelley, Eliere Tolan and Leighton McClendon swept the 55-59. Clay Ham was 1st and Phil Smith 3rd in the 60-64. Leeds Barroll won the 70-74, while Richard Wright and Ron Hagell took the 75+.

 

Other notable finishers: Son Nguyen, Nicole Charlton, Maria Pray, Traci Smith, Kathryn Houck, Kristin Loughlin, and Gretchen Lambert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucky Leprechaun 5k – Camden, SC – 3/2/24

The Lucky Leprechaun 5k was established in 2018 to help promote the Irish Fest in Camden. While I am always somewhat reluctant to leave the confines of the Columbia metropolitan area, this race promised free green beer at the finish line, a pancake-flat course and the ever-present swag /awards of a GRIT event.  Add to this it was being held ON MY BIRTHDAY, and I was in. Camden is barely a half hour from the casa del Blue Shoes, so really not much of a trip anyway. Erin then made the group (of mostly Camden and Elgin runners) sing Happy Birthday to me at the award ceremony, andpresented me with a giant birthday cookie cake. I’m sure 90 percent of the 2018 registrants wondered a) who the hell is this guy? and b) why is he such an insufferable egomaniac? Legitimate questions, both.  What I didn’t know is that the ego stroking was only a ploy in Erin’s long game to find someone ridiculous enough and attention-whorish enough to serve as the race mascot, Lucky Leprechaun himself. So, forever indebted to the 2018 birthday celebration, I was that person. Except for an ill-timed college friend’s wedding in 2022, I’ve been the leprechaun ever since. 

And let me tell you, the suit is hideous. Decked out in green velour, gold/green vest and striped socks, this thing is not attractive. It also has to be dry cleaned, which may or may not have occurred in 6 years, as well as stuffed in a closet 364 days a year. It’s pretty gross. But it definitely will get your attention, especially when you’re already 6’3” and probably 7 feet with the insane looking jaunty stovepipe hat. 

However, it is not completely race unfriendly. The green velour pants are definitely light and airy, so much so that the 2019 photos are probably not suitable for viewing by children. My best time is a 19:03 in 2021, but after a year of a gimpy Achilles, I couldn’t touch that in regular racewear in 2024. My time last year was 20:03 at the beginning of my injury woes, so that was a more realistic goal.

I tried to arrive early for the race, but sometimes the race day colon is a fickle mistress, so I was a little late. The place was packed, so there was definitely  an uptick in registrations, even with the competition at the Spurs Up Sprint in Columbia and the Myrtle Beach Marathon. I haven’t raced since Dam to Dam a few weeks ago and everything was tight. This would be interesting. My warmup included a rogue visit to an unofficial portapotty and getting verbally lambasted by a teen volunteer for running off course. I was like, dude do you think the race started 30 minutes early and I’m leading the entire field by a half mile in this outfit? But hey, I admire the dedication to duty. Weatherwas nice but a little humid.

At the start, there was a huge CRC contingent, officially 31 of us by the group list on runsignup. Sarah and Eric Allers even came in from Rock Hill. Competition looked pretty stiff, with a couple of young dudes and Chris Branham signing up last second to scrounge points. Do we have a threat to Jarvis’ supremacy on the overall Tour? Shannon Godby was back to defend her 2023 title on the women’s side. 

My goal in this race was to not get hurt, start easy-ish and negative split. With the gun, I’m still tight and race pace feels brutal. Everyone is passing me and there’s a small part of me that tells me I could just mail this one in, especially with the suiton. But every time that thought gets overridden by the insanely, maniacally competitive primitive race brain that supersedes all logic. The course is a pretty much a rectangle. While fairly flat, the first half is a gradual uphill and the second half the same grade downhill. If you make it to the turnaround in decent shape, you can crush the last mile plus. 

After being reassured my Achilles wouldn’t snap, I focused on trying to catch up with everyone that blew me away at the start. Sarah was leading a pack of young girls, which was cool to see her still inspiring the younger generation. She also made sure to trash talk me as I pulled alongside and told me to smack her husband in the rear if I could catch him. I’m pretty sure Eric would administer a leprechaun assault and battery if I tried that. Mile 1 was like 6:40ish, so I definitely needed to pick it up to have a chance at 20. I managed to pull up to Mr. Allers and Shannon a little over a mile in, and I was starting to feel the effect of the pace uptick and the heat of a couple layers of velour. Just ahead of them was this kid, and just as I started to pass him, he cut me off. Oh, he probably didn’t see me. A few dozen meters later, same thing. OH IT’S ON NOW, BUDDY. I pull a 2010 Marcus Lattimore maneuver and blow by this dude with the agility of, well, a 7 foot almost 49 year old leprechaun with a bad foot. Nothing like asserting your dominance against a pesky 8th grader. 

I can see the pace car way ahead, and finally, finally it turns to the right. Every year it just seems longer. Rounding the turn is awesome, because suddenly your treadmill is on negative 1 percent instead of the opposite. Mile 2 is 6:30ish , so it’s going to take a miracle to get a sub 20. Plus, what felt like moderate humidity and 50ish degrees now feels like mid-August in the suit. I’m kind of dying but at least I now have my significant gravitational advantage on my side. I start to ramp it up a bit, but there isn’t much gas in the tank. Also, I’m surprised to see an a) an unknown female leading the women’s race and b) she is matching my kick step for step. I’m making zero progress. We finally crash back onto the main drag of Camden, Dekalb street,and I am toast. I can see the finish turn just ahead but mystery girl is thoroughly kicking my ass. I think I can maybe throw down a headless chicken pass at the end, but it’s just not happening. She whups my tail and finishes a few seconds before I blast through in 20:11. Good enough for 11th place (10th male) and a solitary TDC overall point. I’ll take it. 

The race finish area featured pint glasses and big golden trophies for the overall and masters, as well as St Patty’s Day donuts from Mondo donuts. And did we mention beer? There was also beer. Maybe not my high gravity snooty IPAs, but a Mich Ultra will do at 8:30 in the morning. I can also say the donut was on point, since I ate it like a rabid raccoon in the car on the way home. Awesome race as always!

Overall: Sixteen-year-old Benjamin Rabon got the win in 18:15, with Chris Branham 2nd in 18:45 and Benjamin Laprise 3rd  in18:49.  In the women’s race, hats off to Molly Williams for holding off the Leprechaun for the win in 20:08. Shannon Godby crushed a 20:34 for 2nd and Sarah Allers was 3rd in 21:33. Shannon scored a 81 percent age grade while Sarah posted a near world class level 89 percent. Wow.

The timing company took masters runners out of the overall, so unofficially, the male masters podium was Jeff Brandenburg (19:01 and also an 81 percent age grade), the leprechaun, and Eric Allers. Female masters winners were Barbara Brandenburg, Jennifer McLeod and Kristin Wallace. 

Age group honor roll (female): Hayden Hall was 3rd in the 11-14. Julia Ghering was the champ of the 25-29, with Michaela Willoughby 2nd. Toni Jumper was 2nd in the 40-44. Bertha Woehl was 2nd in the 55-59. Melody Kreiling and Colleen Towery were 1-2 in the 60-64. Mary Cassidy was 2nd in the 65-69.

Age group honor roll (male): Regan Freeman won the 25-27. Patrick Hall was 3rd in the 45-49. Eric Allers was 1st in the 50-54, while Frank Seier was tops in the 55-59. Tony Yarborough and Phil Smith were 1-3 in the 60-64. George Cassidy and Pete Poore went 1-2 in the 70-74. Ron Hagell was 2nd in the 75-79. 

Other notable finishers: Michael Beaudet, Clara Beaudet, Drew Dickerson, Margie Shelburg, Stevie Dee Dukes, Son Nguyen, Teresa Shelton. Pam Griffin, Nikki Charlton, Cassidy Carter, Tammy Carter, Dianne Steadman, Maria Pray, Sherry Blizzard. Sorry if I missed anyone.

https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/53235#resultSetId-440185;perpage:100

Run Hard Turkey Day 5k – Lexington, SC – 11/24/22

Thanksgiving Day has always been the day of the Boys and Girls Club Turkey Day race , but to my Sunday slog jog partner Randy “Silent H” Hrechko, it’s the day of his ceremonial long run through the Soda City, known as the Thanksgiving Day Ground Pound. Even through COVID, he’s kept up the Ground Pound streak for over the past decade. But with the end of the year rapidly approaching, the CRC pointmongering reaches a fever pitch. And while I’m perpetually trophy hunting, H is usually pretty low key about it. But I knew he was having severe point anxiety when he discussed a) ditching the ground pound this year and b) going out to Lexington to trophy hunt. Clearly he’s spent way too much time near my insanity.

So we hatched the top secret plan to run Lexington, because the first rule of trophy hunting is ..you do not talk about trophy hunting. While Jesse Harmon had done some Thanksgiving races before, this was the first incarnation of this race, the Run Hard Turkey Day 5k. The course was a new one, but it’s apparently the Lexington High cross country route, essentially 2 loops of the perimeter of campus. I briefly flirted with the idea of a very tight double dip with the BGCM race, but decided the logistics and potential speeding ticket made it too risky. Nevertheless, the notorious HYC managed to pull the double, albeit with his typical start line tardiness.

But with Lexington, the hope was a trophy hunt. Thanksgiving is always a crap shoot in that department, with relatives visiting and all. You never know when somebody’s super fit 45 year old xc coach uncle is going to show up and crush your dreams. Speaking of crap shoots, H and I showed up so early they didn’t have the usual stadium bathrooms open yet. We were able to find a random unlocked women’s room near the track and unspeakable horrors were released in there. What’s worse was the 12 year old girl meeting us at the door as we left. She’ll have nightmares for sure. Sorry.

We did a warmup loop around campus and found the course to be not too bad. Plenty of momentum sucking grass and a couple of hills, but definitely better than the River Bluff HS roller coaster. We get back to the start with less than 10 minutes until the gun,  and the Blue Shoes colon decides there’s an encore to the first performance. Let’s just say I got some speedwork in right before the race. When I do make it back with only a few minutes to spare, I realize there’s a problem. While all the potential CRC studs are AWOL, there’s KIDS. Like lean, singlet wearing , arm sleeve dudes that probably run my 5k pace on a daily slog jog. GAH. How am I going to get overall points against guys 50 pounds lighter and 30 years my junior. There’s even a 30ish guy there looking all elite. I told Randy this was going to be a waste of time. Of course he’s going for masters/grandmasters so he couldn’t care less. Not too many CRCers, though Jared Franklin, Melody Kreiling , Rick Gibbons, Sara/Dorothy/Scarlett Huchins and HYC were on hand.

The start of this thing is madness. All the fast kids go tearing off the blocks and leaving me for dead. I’m trying to go hard but this is also by 4th race in 6 days. I’ve got the vapors on, but they’re not much help on the soft grass. At least it stopped raining just before the start. You cross the football field , run on some bumpy terrain and then thankfully get dumped out on the paved road running through the Lexington campus. I try to speed it up on the road to make up time but it’s pretty demoralizing getting smoked by all the fast dudes. I focus on chasing who I think is Jared Franklin (same red shirt and black calf sleeves) , and the middle schoolish kid next to him. Jared had said he wasn’t in the best of shape but he seems to be killing it. After the road stretch is a nasty long uphill on the grass into the wind, totally sucking any momentum. Though thanks to hulk quads I manage to make up some ground on the field. As the first lap approaches I pass “Jared” and realize he’s not Jared at all (actually Rich Mizell). Middle schooler also gets passed by the middle-ager. I’m blasting away along the front of the school when Joyce, ever the motivator, screams at me “HA HA YOU PICKED THE WRONG RACE”. Well, she wasn’t wrong.

I manage to pick up a second wind on the second loop. I can see Jesse Oates way up ahead but no way am I catching him. I essentially run the rest of the race alone, except having to do a little dodging of the back of the pack walkers. I figured it would be poor form to run over a kid doing his first race. I’m pretty much toast when I hit the start line for the second time , but it’s all downhill from there. I haven’t even looked at my garmin, figuring this course to be really slow with all the grass.The last bit goes around the football stadium and finishes on the field. I make out some 19s on the clock and blast it out to make sure I don’t get blue shoed. Finished at 19:32. Of course the first thing I do is badger Jesse about my place. 7th overall! So not a complete disaster. Glad to get anything with that field. What’s better were the awards – full size pies for overall and masters and individual sized ones for age groups. Very nice. 

Overall: 30 year old Drew Harris crushed a 16:03 to take the win over Sol Shafer in 16:14. Thomas Sutcliffe got 3rd in 17:04. Women’s overall was won by two 12 year olds, listed as S. Potts and K . Murray in the results, Natalie Walke took 3rd. Women’s masters was Wendy Hart/Jennifer Conrick/Melanie Jackson and Jodi McFarland. They all crossed the line together. I assure you that would never happen in the guys’ division. Randy and I took the top 2 men’s masters with Brandon Koehler third.

Age groups: Jesse Oates won the 15-19 while Campbell Cox took the 20-24. Jared won the 35-39. Amanda Wardlaw was 2nd in the 45-49. Tab Blakely won the 50-54. Melody Kreiling won the 60-64 by 11 minutes. Other notable finishers were Ryan and Jay Welch.

Nightmare in Elmwood 5k – 10/29/22 – Columbia, SC

The Nightmare in Elmwood 5k is a completely new 5k, the brainchild of Erin Roof/GRIT and the Elmwood Park neighborhood. I’m always a fan of the swag-tastic GRIT races, but this one provided another costume opportunity and was scheduled so you could double or even triple dip CRC races in one day. Plus, the race course was essentially on my “home field”. I don’t live in the neighborhood, but Elmwood is one of the regular Blue Shoes afternoon downtown slog jog routes and the site of an unexpected Sasquatch win in the Tame the Beast 12k in 2018. I was definitely in.

I had debated being sensible and making this my only race on Saturday. But who am I kidding? My insatiable lust for CRC points and severe case of FOMO made it virtually impossible to resist a triple dip. The first step is admitting you have a problem. Elmwood was number 2 on the docket, sandwiched between two potential trophy hunts at Go Leo Go at 8:30 and RCRC Great Pumpkin at 4:00. 

I saw the course map and decided to preview the route on Thursday. In my mind, it was a flat course, figuring it stayed on top of the hill on which Elmwood Park sits. …And I would be wrong. It actually takes you down almost to the bottom of the Park St roller coaster and turns on Confederate, then essentially has you run back up on a parallel street (Lincoln). Oh man, this was going to be rough, especially repeating it at the end on the out-and-back route. However, the rest of the course was relatively flat and fast, especially the Vista greenway section. And I’m going to assume Elmwood had some kind of Halloween house decorating contest because these people went all out. Perfect for the race.

After throwing down a hard 5k at Leo, and getting brutally strollered and double chicked in the process,  I was a sweaty mess by the time I got to Elmwood. I had chosen a costume both great for running and appropriate for my ego, entitled “HE’S A GOD ” by a company called “Dreamguy”. Not entirely sure whether this Greek god outfit was meant for a straight dude. It was somewhat lame by my cosplay standards, but it was virtually no hindrance to racing. Plus, I wasn’t going to run in my heavy, hot Bridgerton Duke costume picked out by Mrs. Blue Shoes. As you can tell,  I was completely losing my man card this Halloween. 

After a destruction of the Victory Church bathroom, I scoped out the competition at the start. I knew Regan Freeman was on board already. I step up to the line and here comes “Trackstar” Eddie Crisanto. The only race I’ve ever beaten him in is the Beer Mile. And that’s because he puked. He tells me he’s doing RCRC too. Total trophy crasher! Oh well, hopefully I could still score some points.

The gun goes off and my legs feel like complete, absolute trash. I’m getting swarmed from the get-go and getting passed left and right. Instead of flying down the opening hill on Park, I’m finding myself braking and tearing up my quads trying to reduce the pounding. Dr. Kushinka is crushing the field already, and Eddie and some other guy I don’t recognize aren’t too far behind. Regan is by himself, then a big group with me and Yerg , Parker, Jen Davis and an unknown woman in a Cinderella costume. Oh no, I can’t let someone else take the fastest costume. The slog up Lincoln is no joke but at least it’s short. It takes all the way until the Elmwood cemetery rd before I finally feel a little better. The course flattens out and the first turnaround, appropriately, is right at the cemetery gates. Mile 1 just before the cone in 6:40. Yikes, this is about 30-40 seconds off from my usual. I try to ramp it up a bit and finally take down Cinderella, but she is still looking strong. I can’t let her be the belle of the ball, because obviously that’s me. Looking ahead on the greenway, I can see Regan, and it looks like he’s all aboard the struggle bus. PERFECT. The second turnaround is on Finley Park,and I pull a NASCAR maneuver like a runaway city bus, passing Mr. Freeman on the outside. There’s a mob scene behind me so I better put it into high gear. Mile 2 in 6:15 on the way back on the Greenway. It’s cool to see everyone in this out and back section. Huge CRC turnout! I’m getting pretty gassed by this point but I know I’ll need some in the tank for that last hill. I think I’ve gapped the rest of the field but I keep having hallucinations of other runners thanks to the wind whipping through my toga dress and sash. So manly. I bottom out on Confederate avenue and take the left on Park. Sweet Jesus this is steep. Short, thankfully, but really steep. As I power up this hill I can see Eddie up ahead. I’m not going to catch him, but hopefully I can salvage a sub 20 after that opening mile. At the top it’s flat again and I am just toast. One last turn into Bryan St and I go HAM to the finish, crossing in 19:44. Standard Blue Shoes collapse, trying to not look too ridiculous, as I know Erin is directing the photog to document the sweaty cosplay mess on the pavement. 4th overall, first masters,and most importantly, first costume. I’ll take it. Took home a nice basket of Riverbanks swag and a cool skull trophy. Great race!

Overall: Marc Kushinka left everyone for dead  in 17:17 , while Codie Pickett from Moncks Corner was 2nd. Eddie got third. Jen Davis was able to track down Cinderella (Andrea McCracken from Raleigh) for the top two women’s slots, while Shannon Godby was 3rd female/1st masters. Nikki Barthelemy and Joyce Welch completed the masters podium for the women, while Rob THE YERG Yerger and Prez Roy Shelley went 2-3 for the men.

Female age group: Ryan Welch won the girls 10 and under, while Sabine McGrievy was 2nd in the 11-14. Sophia Homeyer was 2nd in the 15-19 . Jessie Weaver ran in full Mandalorian costume and still took 2nd in 25-29. This is the way. Janie Campbell was 2nd in the 30-34. Brie McGrievy and Stevie Dee Dukes were 2-3 in the 45-49. Dana Kaminer, Missy Caughman and a completely unrecognizable Clara Beaudet swept the 50-54 podium. Bertha Woehl and Tee Coker were first and third in the 55-59. Melody Kreiling was champ of the 60-64, with Regina Kelly 2nd. Eileen Korpita won the 65-69. Lynn Grimes and Brigitte Smith were 1-2 in the 70-74.

Male age Group: Liam Patangan blazed a 21:38 to take the 10 and under boys, with Oliver Oates 2nd. Parker Roof was tops in the 20-24. Regan won the 25-29 while Brian Aplin was 2nd in the 30-34. Micah Simonsen was champ of the 45-49 in his comeback race! John Sherrer won the 50-54, with Michael Beaudet 3rd. Joey Swearingen and Kurt Hamm went 1-2 in the 55-59. Dave Hale PUSHED DA RUN to 1st in the 60-64. Pete O’Boyle crushed the 65-69 in 23:28 with Harry Strick 3rd. Leeds Barroll and Pete Poore went-12 in the 70-74, while Ron Hagell and Ken Lowden did the same in the 75+

Other finishers included: Ian Loughlin, Michael and Kate Ferlauto, Michael Jensen, Regina Kelly, Will Rowan, Teresa Shelton, Deanna Rennick, Gabby Swearignen, Jennifer Glass, Melinda Waldrop, Quentin McGrievy, Maria Pray, Chateau Mangaroo, Laura Howell, Heather and Brian Hawn, Bridgette Honor, Rachel Trott, Tony Claremont, Samantha Horsley, Margie Shelburg, Sue Weaver and Kristin Laughlin.

Sweat it Out 5k – Columbia, SC – 6/4/22

The Sweat it Out 5k started out 8 years ago as a small independent race, but over the years it has grown to be one of the more competitive events on the tour. Held in the area near Meadowfield Elementary and Hammond Academy behind the VA, the course is a fairly flat and fast route and typically provides the last decent chance at a fast time before the summer heat really sets in. Erin Roof took over race directing early on, so true to GRIT form, there is great post race swag and food, wth chick fil a biscuits, coffee and the signature Chicken Man painting awards. Don’t forget the free beer at Hunter Gatherer at packet pickup on Friday. (I certainly don’t) The race goes towards a good cause as well, benefitting the national foundation for ectodermal dysplasias. The cause and race is in recognition of Nicholas Duke, who has an ectodermal condition that makes it impossible for him to sweat. 

Sweat it Out has always been a standby on the Tour de Blue Shoes, but this year my calendar started filling up for June 4. At some point I agreed to do the Cottonmouth Beerlay (8 mile beer relay) with Drew Williams. That was in Greenville that afternoon, so a rough double dip was already in order. But then I realized the Wildewood Fun Run 5k was also that morning at 10 am. And I had to do that too, since I “won ” last year’s event by brutally beating down a couple of cocky teenagers from the ‘hood. Beware the chunky middle aged man showing up to a fun run in Vaporflys.

But I still had high hopes for a decent race at Sweat It Out to lead it all off. I ran a 19:05 last year and had an insane COVID shutdown virtual mano y mano race with F^&*ing Higgins in 2020 in 19:04 (which I lost and got brutally blue shoed in the final quarter mile), so I hoped to maybe crack 19 this year. It’s always a tough call though, because the heat is typically pretty nasty. The race start time is 7 am, which is good to avoid the worst of it. Unfortunately my testy race day colon isn’t used to that, so I’m always afraid of a late encore to my toilet performances of the morning.

Inside sources for this race suggested that the women’s field in this thing was going to be absolutely stacked. Sure enough, Shawanna White, Purity Menene, Sally Davidson, Christa Collins, Jen Davis, Jennifer Lybrand, Ivanka Tolan, MC Cox, Ashley Holman and Shannon Godby were all on hand, and Greenville elite Shelby Jaramillo was there as well. That being said, the men’s field seemed unusually light with no Trackstar Eddie, Shrum or Striggles to be found. Initially it looked like maybe Branham and I, or Regan, would be fighting it out for the male win, though it was all but assured we would be chicked multiple times over. A young fast looking dude and elite masters Get to the Green winner Robert McBee showed up late though, so the holy grail was definitely off the table. I told Branham he really should try to avoid getting blue shoed this time (a la Race for the Place). Getting a Sasquatchean beatdown two races in a row would be embarrassing. There was a huge CRC turnout for this one, since TDC point opportunities were about to get a lot fewer in the next two months.

We all lined up at 7 am and though the heat is definitely there, it’s not nearly as bad as it could be. I was hoping for the freakishly cool morning of the Higgins showdown but high60s/low 70s wasn’t too shabby. The start of this thing was nuts. Everybody just flying in the first quarter mile. I’m getting passed by everybody since I always have to toe the start line with my enormous ego. All the ladies are crushing it. It takes me a full half mile before I can settle in to where maybe I should be in this field. I feel like Branham, Christa and Jen are gapping me already and I’m really struggling not to let them get out of range in the first mile. Regan must have doubled up on the coffee because he is really flying out there with Shawanna. I really, really would like to just pull out as I can tell this race is going to be a dumpster fire from the get go. But maybe I can salvage something. Brendan Holman is riding me like an oversized monkey on my back and I’m deathly afraid of maybe getting Aufuldished too and miss out on masters altogether. Jordan is screaming for his wife so I know JLy is just behind me too. I really thought mile 1 was slow, but Garmin chirps back a 6:11, so not terrible for me. I had been hitting around 6 flat pace earlier this year, but it ain’t January any more. Mile 2 is a rectangle behind the school followed by the Saye Cut straight out-and-back. Saye Cut always gives you a chance to see where you are since there’s no hiding when you turn around right back from which you came. As I near the turnaround, I see the young dude, Purity, and Shelby absolutely locked in a tight pack for the overall win in both genders. McBee is next, followed by Shawanna, Regan, Chris, Jen and Christa. Regan is talking and acting like he’s out for a jog. Must be nice to be 25, I guess. Mile 2 in 6:08 and I’ve managed to keep Branham in range. One problem with pulling my usual negative splits though is that I feel like absolute death. The dumpster fire is starting to rekindle. What’s worse is not only that late hill, but also the thought of that late hill. I’m blasting down Galway pretty hard but the gas tank is pretty empty at this point. I do an ugly arm pump up that incline right before Meadowfield but yeah, I got nothing. In my mind I had hoped to blast past Christa, Jen and Chris in that last half mile, but that most assuredly was not happening. Plus, who knows what danger lurks behind me. I try and make a final surge in the closing stretch but I’m just dying. Chris informs me “NOT TODAY, DUDE”. He’s right.I hit the final turn and have to ugly sprint to get under 19:30, 19:22 officially. Not my best, but I was glad I din’’t bail. I salvaged 2nd masters and another addition to the Chicken Man installation in my office!

(Note – the timing company results had categories set up as if there were cash awards – I’m going by standard CRC Tour de Columbia rules)

 In the overall, Shelby nipped Purity by one second in the women’s race 17:39 to 17:40. Looking at other results, Shelby ran a 5:15 mile on Friday in Greenville and got up at 3 am to come down and race in Columbia. Nice double dip! Shawanna took 3rd in 18:54. On the men’s side, 19 year old David Williams took the win in 17:25, with Robert McBee 2nd and Regan 3rd. Regan crushed an 18:54 even while dealing with some recent injuries – pretty impressive.  Female masters had a top 3 of  Christa Collins, Ivanka Tolan and MC Cox. Chris Branham took male masters, with The Sasquatch and Duane Kimball  2nd and 3rd. 

Male age group honor roll; Danny Vowles was 2nd in the 15-19.. Parker Roof took the 20-24 win, while Ian Loughlin claimed the 25-29. Seth Lapic, Westley Mckinney (pacing MC) and Brian Aplin swept the 30-34. Antjuan Seawright and Chris Reed were 2nd/3rd in the 35-39. Brendan Holman was champ of the 40-44. Randy SILENT H Hrechko took the 50-54 with Jonathan Kirkwood 2nd. Ed Aufuldish, Clay Ham (with a 22:12 PR) and   Mark Gallagher swept the 55-59. Dave Hale and Patrick McCormick were 1-3 in the 60-64. Ron Lipe and Harry Strick took the 65-69. Alex Ponomarev and Bill Iskrzak were first and third in the 70-74. Ron Hagell was 2nd in the 75-79. 

Female Age group honor roll: Evelyn Holman won the Under 9 with an impressive 24:26. Lilly Holman was 2nd in the 10-14. Sally Davidson took the 20-24 crown in 19:47. Jessica Weaver was champ of the 25-29. Jen Davis, Jennifer Lybrand, Kara Stevens (PR in 21:57) and Lauren Lapic swept the 30-34, while Ashley Holman, Brittany Jones and Megan Duffy did the same in the 35-39. Mc Cox, Shannon Godby and Colleen Quarles placed in a brutally competitive 45-49. Missy Caughman was 2nd in the 50-54. Renee McCormick, Kelly Danias and Greta Dobe won the 55-59. Melody Kreiling and Mary Gallagher took the 60-64, while Helene Lipe and Margie Shelburg did the same in the 65-69. Total beast mode for Lynn Grimes, as she won the 70-74 at SIO and was the only TDC double dipper, driving to Sumter and winning her age group there too. WOW.

Other notable finishers: Jamie Duke, Nick’s mom and race founder. Joe Roof, Jonathan King, Phil Smith, Rebekah Robertson, Eliere Tolan, Patrick Hall, Stephanie ‘Stevie Dee” Dukes, Stephanie Williams, Gretchen Lambert, Son Nguyen, Jessalyn Smith, Deanna Rennick, Pete Poore, Jennifer Norris, Lynn Kramer, Kat Hudgins, Maria Pray, and Ken Lowden. Kerry Stubbs competed virtually.

True to the Brew 10k -Pomaria to Peak, SC – 4/2/21

As it turns out, like the chance of me ordering an IPA, I will reliably and predictably show up for any event that involves beer and racing. Some may argue that drinking in the morning sounds weird and gross, but I assure you they are very wrong, especially when you’ve just thrown down your hardest effort for a few miles.

So when Erin and GRIT endurance started hosting the True to the Brew race in 2018, I was most certainly in. Nice time of year, flat course and music/beer/food at the finish. What’s not to love? The race goes to benefit the Palmetto Conservation Foundation and the Palmetto Trail, so even better. This is a trail race, but the flat and open point-to-point route make it pretty accessible to diehard roadies like myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love the trails, but my Sasquatchian frame is not known for the cat-like agility that fast technical trail racing demands. 

This race is so flat I even considered bringing out the VAPORS. But like a small puppy, I treat my 200 dollar precious nikes with the gentlest of kid gloves. The thought of possibly damaging these babies on some rocks was too traumatic to bear, so I opted for my standard blues. 

I was glad the TTTB was actually live this year (with a virtual option as well), but there were obviously some COVID restrictions. Since the race is point to point and has vans bringing you back to the start, they had to make sure there wasn’t a huge bottleneck of people at the finish. The solution was doing waves every 15 minutes instead of the 5-10 seconds we’ve seen at most COVID era events. This definitely led to better spacing.  I signed up for the race months ago, so I’m not sure how the corrals were divided, though the first one was supposed to be for under 7:30pace I believe. I’m sure Erin recognized my ELITE STATUS and put me in the first wave. 

I would say I was well trained for this race, but to be honest, my legs finally decided to pay me back for the abuse inflicted them in recent weekends. The whole past week was a bit of a struggle just doing my daily slog jogs around downtown Columbia. I’m sure “The Sweaty Sasquatch” will be on the next Soda City tourist brochure for local characters. It turns out that following a marathon with a 200 mile relay and sleeping on a picnic bench in the cold do not bode well for a 46 year old’s body. Go figure. 

So I arrived at race day in perhaps less than optimal condition. But hey, I was there super early and I was going to make sure that the epic pooptastrophe known as “TRUE TO THE POO” from 2019 would not happen again. My colon still quivers every time I run the Palmetto Trail’s bridges. I’m not there very long before I see Drew Williams AND John Charlton, essentially blowing my masters chances out of the water from the get-go. Lots of CRC people in the first couple of waves. Tracy Tisdale was there to race, sans Jedi camera, thus ensuring that the Facebook masses would be subjected to the harsh eye of the sweaty iPhone. My Palmetto 200 “El Capitan” Brian Clyburn and wife Jen were there with both dogs. Nancy McKnight , Mario Alvarez, Whitney and Caroline Keen, The Yerg and Melinda, Eric Gilfus, Ed “FAST EDDIE” Aulfuldish, Prez Roy Shelley, Sara Wilcox, Colleen Quarles andJoey Swearingen were some familiar faces at the first start.

The first wave took off at 7:30 am, and Drew blasts out to the front immediately, followed by Charlton. Oh hell, I’m letting these guys go. My legs loosen up some as I try to approximate somewhere between 6:30 and 6:40 pace. As has been well documented, I’m terrible at pacing a good 10k. I either go out too fast and die (see 2012 Dam 10k 6:18 first mile), or underperform by not going hard enough. I feel like I’m moving pretty well, but damned if two “kids” pass me in sequence about a half mile in. Being an aging Xer, “kid” now refers to anyone under 40. Well at least they weren’t trying to compete for my extremely elite third masters position. Not too far after I get my first split – 6:53. Damn, not even close. Yeah, looks like the legs and my cardio are on different wavelengths today. The course is dead straight so I fight drifting off into race daydreaming mode, almost wishing I had some music to keep me company. My coworkers have expressed disbelief that I don’t listen to music while I race, especially given my autistic spectrum like pop music knowledge of the last 40 years. But then again , they don’t know the dark and twisty things of the sasquatchian mind that I have to process on a daily basis. 

Dark and twisty, like choosing my hello fresh meal for the day and which hazy IPA the irmo craft and draft may have on tap. Yeah, I’m totally goth like that. I am concerned about the ghost of Ed Aulfuldish and Rob Yerger, because I keep hearing things. But it’s always either a squirrel or the rampaging elephant sound of my own body hurtling through space. At some points I try and throw down some bursts of speed, at least to keep Drew, John and the kids in sight, but my legs are quickly shooting down making any moves. I rattle off some more 6:50s and hit the Hope Ferry Rd 5k point in 21 something. By this time I can see that the two kids have actually gotten in front of the masters battle, which is kind of surprising since neither of those dudes seemed familiar. Being a 5k specialist, maybe I can throw down a decent finish here. I give a little more effort for a mile and get back a 6:47. Doh. So much for a big negative split. Over the next mile there’s an ever so slight closing of the gap between me and the other old guys, but not really enough to give me that David banner/incredible hulk adrenaline boost that produced my 5k PR in December. 

But at least I’m not getting caught. I figured Yerg would be cashed from his 70 mile mid-week solo ultra he threw down on Wednesday, but there’s always FAST EDDIE, and he already shamed me at Skidaway 2 weeks earlier. Luckily I was able to hold off anyone over the last two miles, basically phoned in couple more 6:50s and did a weak blue shoe kick on the bridge to finish in 43:10. Since this is a trail course and bound by the confines of the bridge and the Wilson’s store parking lot, it’s really more in the 6.3  to 6.4mile range. I’ll take it on my cinder block legs. There were some timing headaches with the staggered starts but it looks like they were able to iron them out. There was a great band at the finish and while there couldn’t be beer on site this year, you got a craft and draft free brew coupon (later cashed in at the Irmo location , SHOCKINGLY for an IPA).  I ended up 6th overall and 2nd masters, with John Charlton claiming 3rd overall to bump me up a notch on the masters podium. Strangely, some dude in the second wave beat me for the 5th place I thought I took. Damn you,Grier Sponenberg. You’re going down next time!

In the overall, the “kids” Kyle Logue and David Giovannini battled it out for first, with Kyle edging out David by a second. I believe David was my medical student at some point, so I ‘m going to seek out a retroactive failing grade for disrespecting his elders. As mentioned, John Charlton was the pride of the old dudes, claiming third overall. Drew won masters, with me and Jeff Padgett 2ndand 3rd.  

Among the women, Martha Beahm won first, with Wendy Hart and Rachel Simmonscompleting the podium. Female masters was super close, with Jodi McFarland, Julia Norcia and Jen Clyburn all finishing in 51 minutes.

Age groupers: WOMEN: Sabine McGrievyclaimed 1st in the 12-14 in a nice time of 1:04. Nikki Barthelemy was first in the 40-44. The 45-49 was swept by Colleen Quarles, Amanda Charlton, Julie McKinnon and Caroline Keen. Tracy “JEDI RUNNER” Tisdale took 1st in the 50-54, ahead of Sara Wilcox and Renata McFadden. Teresa Harrington claimed third in the 60-64, while. Cheryl Outlaw and Janice Compton went 1-2 in the 65-69.

MEN:  Quentin McGrievy harnessed his track team speed to take first in the 12-14. Eric “HORN STAR” Gilfus won the 30-34 by 2 minutes. Dr. John Baker, master of the 4 am training run, finished 3rd in the 35-39. Brian Clyburn won 1st in the 45-49 with his 2 insanely hyperactive dogs. Whitney Keenand Roy Shelley placed 1st and 3rd in the 50-54, with Frank Seier 4th. The 55-59 was a CRC sweep with Ed Aulfuldish, Mario Alvarez and Joey Swearingen claiming the podium. Jim Manning took 2nd in the 60-64 with Lorand Batten 4th. Mike Compton was 2ndin the 65-69 with counselor Leeds Barrolllaying down the law in 3rd. Chap John Houser crushed his 1st place in the 70+ by over half an hour, en route to a week where he hit his 300th straight day at the gym – congrats, Chap!

Lots of familiar faces in the results – Mark Chickering, Renee McCormick, Matt Havens, Michael Beaudet, Clara Nance, Lisa Powell, Phyllis Hughes, Darby Shinn, Lois Leaburn, Bryan Leaburn, Craig Campbell, Gretchen Lambert, Matt and Brie McGrievy, Tommy Outlaw, Gabby Swearingen, Tonya Stamey, Jessalyn Smith, Marlena Crovatt-Bagwell, Missy Caughman, Kara Blaisure, Kim La, Kana Rahman, Heather Herndon, Patrick McCormick, and Maria Pray were all finishers. 

Virtual completers included Charles Seastrunk, Naomi Rabon , Rocky Soderberg and Amanda Rowan.

Thanks to Erin Roof and family and Mary Roe from the Palmetto Conservation Foundation for another great race!