Male Runner of the Year

This first time I encountered this runner’s name was back in late 2008 as I was looking at the results of the 10 mile challenge. I was familiar with the runner who finished 2nd (Tripp Sutherland). He was fast and in my mind was probably the best runner in Tally at the time, so it kind of surprised me when someone beat him. I didn’t know who he was, but apparently I was still too new to the running area because I was quickly informed of who the winner, also this year’s Runner of the Year, was.

This Runner of the Year has been hanging around in the results since as far back as October 23, 2003, when at the sweet, cute, innocent age of 16 he or she placed 3rd at the venerable Alan Sundberg Memorial 5K in a time (FAST Time, might I add) of 18:22.

Since then, this year’s Runner of the Year has run at least 57 races: the following numbers are staggering, in my opinion:

1. 1. 67% of the time (38) he finished in 1st place;
   2. 19% of the time (11) he finished in 2nd place;
   3. 11% of the time (6) he finished in 3rd place;
   4. 2% of the time (1) he finished in 6th place; and
   5. HE EVEN FINISHED IN 0TH PLACE ONCE. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE, TO RUN FASTER THAN 1ST PLACE

In 2014, he had 8 first places, 2 second places and 2 third places. (Many runners don’t race 8 times a year, let along win 8 times.)

He also takes his speed outside of the area and has run races of many different distances in: Gainesville, Boston (MA and the more important GA), Jacksonville, Duluth, etc.

He is one of those runners that just shows up and runs fast, but you do not really know when he is going to show up.

He might be the only person that I know of to beat Kevin Sullivan in a race (2011 Springtime 10K).  Maybe the only thing that this ROY was doing while not winning races for the past 8 year was attending Med School (I’ll give you a pass).

Congratulations, Chris Lake, for the 2014 Male Runner of the Year Award.