The fifth annual Dog Days 5K featured not only a repeat champion in the women’s race but also the youngest-ever champion in the men’s race. A total of 71 finishers completed the final event in the spring-and-summer 5K race series in Gypsy Hill Park on Saturday morning.
Charlie Pruitt, 15, of Mount Sidney, became the youngest male to win a Blue Ridge Road Runner’s 5K race. In fourteen 5K events hosted by the local running club in the park since 2005, 17-year-old high school seniors had twice won a men’s title, but Pruitt’s victory marked the first ever by an underclassman. It did not come easily for the Fort Defiance sophomore, who, despite leading the majority of the race, ultimately had to hold off a furious charge by high school teammate Caleb Stewart, 17, of Crimora, the men’s silver medalist in 18:29. Joe Rudmin, 43, of Harrisonburg, who actually led the race with just over a quarter of a mile to go, held on for the men’s bronze medal in 18:37.
The women’s race was tightly contested for the first 1½ miles with the top three all within seconds of each other at that point, but in the next quarter mile Tasha Harner, 26, of Verona, opened a commanding gap on her competitors and went on to easily defend her 2009 title in 22:00. Fifteen-year-old Allison Alexander, a Fort sophomore, claimed the women’s silver medal in 22:25, while Rachel Drumheller, 34, of Stuarts Draft, earned the women’s bronze medal with her 22:44 clocking.
In age-division competiton, stellar performances were turned in by several women. In the 30-36 women’s division, Drumheller’s time was a new record by 27 seconds. In fact, the women’s 30-36 division was far and away the most competitive of the day, with runner-up Jessica Comisford also finishing under the old record by two seconds. In the same division, Shelley Murphy recorded the 4th fastest time ever, while Angie Wheeler ran the 6th fastest time.
In the women’s 46-55 age division, Krista Pruitt’s winning time of 23:03 annihilated the long-standing age group record by a whopping 1:01.
And in the boys’ 10 and under division, winner Cooper Yurish ran the second-fastest time ever for the age group, missing the existing record by 17 seconds with his time of 22:54.
Although the race concluded the Blue Ridge Road Runners’ series in the park, a cross country race for children in kindergarten through 5th grades will be held by the group on the morning of Saturday, October 23. Contact the Blue Ridge Road Runners at brroadrunners@yahoo.com for details and entry information for that children-only event.
OVERALL CHAMPIONS: Charlie Pruitt— 18:27 Tasha Harner— 22:00
NOTE: The overall champions received special awards and therefore are not included in the age division competition.
Men 30-36 Results 1 Wright, Bryan 20:25 2 Tinkham, Cory 21:11 3 Keller, Charles 21:56 4 Oxford, Gene 24:25 5 Payne, Truman 27:09 6 Kurtz, David 30:15
Men 37-45 Results 1 Rudmin, Joe 18:37 2 Taibl, Dave 20:15 3 Atkins, Jimmy 22:22 4 Wade, Matt 23:59 5 Weller, Robert 25:23 6 Hite, Patrick 25:24 7 Cox, George 25:36 8 Fitzgerald, William 26:12 9 Siemers, Troy 27:07 10 Reed, Wayne 34:29
Men 46-55 Results 1 Michael, Gary 20:39 2 Wright, Ray 22:28 3 Welliver, Sean 23:03 4 Jackson, Terry 26:22 5 Capuano, Matt 28:13 6 Campbell, Jeff 30:17
Men 56 & up Results 1 Gillies, George 24:26 2 Smith, Doug 25:08 3 Gray, John 25:34 4 Proctor, Butch 27:40 5 Allen, Jay 30:20 6 Karr, Kenneth 30:26 7 Welder, Paul 30:36 8 Wood, Henry 33:44 9 Atkins, Roger 35:58
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Saturday, August 7, 2010, at Gypsy Hill Park