Hot Times at Pot Luck
 

David Yon, June 10, 2008, photos by Fred Deckert

As I took a break from preparations for the Pot Luck Bash, the TV cameras showed the thermometer at Howser Stadium climb from 100 degrees to 110 as 4:00 p.m. approached.   Thank goodness the Pot Luck race didn’t start until 6:00 p.m. – enough time to let the mercury drop into the double digits at least.  Clearly, though the word for the 2008 Pot Luck Bash was going to be HOT and runners were going to suffer.  The vast majority of races are held in the cooler morning hours, but the 4 mile long Pot Luck Bash breaks up the routine with a late afternoon start that often comes with challenging weather and wilting heat that defined this past Saturday.  The good years are when the skies open up and downpour turns all the runners into kids playing in the mud.    
 
The Pot Luck Bash is one of many ways GWTC encourages running in the youth community.   (The summer track series which began last Thursday is another.)  It is a fund raiser for the Chenoweth Fund which was created in 1988 and has now awarded more than $70,000 in scholarships and assistance to deserving athletes with a heavy emphasis on youth running.  After the run, old and young mingle over one of the best food spreads around as runners bring pot luck dishes and music to mix with the low country boil that gets cooked up while the runners battle on the course.
 
The agenda includes an opportunity to recognize the outstanding athletes in track and field and cross country from the local high schools and provides $500 to support the efforts and programs of the Male and Female Track and Cross Country Athletes of the Year.  The winners at the 2008 Bash Athlete of the Year Awards included Jana Stolting of Maclay High School (Track), Kara Taylor of Chiles (Cross Country), Whitney Strickland of North Florida Christian (Track Athlete) and Matt Mizereck of Leon (Cross Country).  They included two state champions, lots of hard work and a bunch of fast times.  Also recognized for their outstanding seasons were Maria Harper, Tyler Braman and Brandon Bassett of Chiles, Trey Edwards and LaKetra McGee at Florida High, Joe Franklin (a two time winner) at Chiles and Will Stanford and Kiersten Caldwell at North Florida Christian.
 
The course for the Bash is beautiful as it winds through Eleanor Phipps Park.  The park is part of the Lake Jackson watershed and includes 668 acres of diverse terrain and more than 20 miles of trails that are a great example of what makes our city special.  It is a great setting for another unique aspect of this race.  Runners are not permitted to wear watches and the “winner” is not the person who crosses the finish line first, but rather the one who most closely predicts how much time it will take them to run the course.    While the course is well marked, the distances are not marked.  It is easy to start wondering on these forested trails if the end will ever arrive.  Nevertheless, it is amazing just how accurate one has to be to claim the title.  This year’s winner, Ann Guillen, was just 4 seconds off her predicted time of 36:00 minutes as she finished in 36:04.  Second place went to Joel Piotrowski who missed by 7 seconds.  He ran 26:47.  Third place went to Jason Dimitris who finished in 32:07.  The first runner across the finish line was John Robida who ignored the hot temperatures and ran 23:00 to beat second place Gary Droze who finished in 11 seconds behind. Sarah Docter-Williams was the first woman across the line in a time of 25:09.  Sheryl Rosen was next with a time of 27:55. 
 
    Many thanks to the City of Tallahassee and Chuck Goodheart for taking such good care of this property.  The Park and the club house have been great hosts for the Bash and help make the support for the Chenoweth Fund possible.   (At Right - Jere Moore beats the heat)