CHURCH HILL — Runners had perfect conditions for the 15th annual Laurel Run Ascent 11-mile trail race on Saturday, April 13, at Laurel Run Park in Church Hill.
With lots of rain during the week and the evening before the event, race director Mark Skelton said, “the Laurel Run creek gorge was absolutely spectacular, especially with the waterfalls and abundant wildflowers. Despite the difficulty of the course, including crossing the creek twice, this race is always a favorite among trail runners in the region. Texas Roadhouse of Kingsport again catered a wonderful lunch for the runners and volunteers.”
The event was the third race in the 2024 Skelton Law Racing Series presented by Rogersville attorney Mark Skelton. The race was included in the State of Franklin Track Club King & Queen Competition, Long Distance Series, and Trail Series Competition, and was the 2024 RRCA Tennessee State Cross Country Championship.
The challenging course includes scenic trails beginning in Laurel Run Park at an elevation of 1,147 feet and ascending to the fire tower atop Bays Mountain Park at an elevation of 2,405 feet before returning to Laurel Run Park.
Runners ranging in age from 20-year-old Eowyn Warner of Abingdon, Virginia, to 79-year-old Tom Deaderick of Morristown completed the race.
Derek Gibson of Mosheim, 31, was the top overall finisher with a time of 1:18:37. The second-place overall finisher was 26-year-old Tyerell Hughes of Roan Mountain with a time of 1:21:44. The third-place overall finisher was 30-year-old William Ellis of Gray in a time of 1:21:56.
The top female finisher was the 20-year-old Eowyn Warner in a time of 1:42:44. The third-place female finisher was 46-year-old Amanda Tipton of Kingsport in a time of 2:07:44.
The male Masters champion, finishing fifth overall, was 46-year-old Jason Tipton of Kingsport in a time of 1:36:07. The female Masters champion and second-place female finisher was 53-year-old Jerusha Thompson of Johnson City in a time of 2:06:40.
The male Grandmasters champion was 54-year-old William Harper of Kingsport in a time of 1:39:23. The female Grandmasters champion was 60-year-old Jill Johnson of Kingsport in a time of 2:15:30.
The male Senior Grandmasters champion was 71-year-old Clyde Kidd of Kingsport in a time of 2:29:24, and the female Senior Grandmasters champion was 66-year-old Sharon Bumgardner of Kingsport in a time of 2:18:55.
The Overall, Masters, Grandmasters, and Senior Grandmasters champions, male and female, were presented 2024 RRCA Tennessee State Cross Country Championship medals. The Road Runners Club of America is the oldest and largest organization in the United States dedicated to distance running.
Awards were also presented to all finishers in five-year age group categories, with all participants receiving commemorative shirts.
The gold sponsors for the 2024 Laurel Run Ascent included Rural Health Services Consortium Inc., the Law Office of Mark A. Skelton in Rogersville, R. Douglas Strickland M.D. of Gastroenterology Associates in Kingsport, and Texas Roadhouse of Kingsport. Other supporters included Food City of Church Hill, Seaver’s Bakery of Kingsport, Laurel Run Park, Bays Mountain Park, The Rogersville Review, State of Franklin Track Club, Road Runners Club of America, and a host of community volunteers who help to make the race a success.
Upcoming events in the 2024 Skelton Law Racing Series include the Amis Mill 10K road race on May 4, the Wolf Run 7-mile trail race on July 23, the 15-mile Bays Mountain Trail Race on Sept. 7, and the Surgoinsville Half Marathon road race on Oct. 19.
Since its inception in 1999, the award-winning Skelton Law Racing has presented a series of premier trail and road running events and has always been a 100% volunteer community service organization. Interested sponsors, volunteers and runners should contact RRCA-certified race director Mark Skelton at 423-272-4812 or email markskelton@markskelton.com.
Race entry forms are available at the Law Office of Mark A. Skelton in Rogersville or online at www.RunTriCities.org.
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