By Herb Wills
Lee Willis, A Florida State University doctoral candidate in history, will defend his title at the 32nd annual Palace Saloon 5K on April 15. Willis won the 2005 race in 16:06, the fastest 5K road time in Tallahassee last year.
In the women’s division, defending champion Breeda Dennehy-Willis is injured and will not be competing. An Irish Olympian, Dennehy-Willis’ 2005 time of 16:31 is the course record for the Palace Saloon 5K. She also won the race in 2004. Four other women (Jane Johnson, Vikki Saga, Karen MacHarg, and Janice Gage) have recorded back-to-back Palace Saloon Championships. The only woman to have won three straight Palace Saloon races is Sarah Docter-Williams (1997, 1998, 1999).
The Palace Saloon 5K will start from James Messer Fields Park at 8:00 AM ET on Saturday, April 15. Race day registration and packet pick-up will take place near the starting area from 6:45 – 7:45 that morning. The course is USATF certified and finishes in front of the Palace Saloon on Jackson Bluff Road. Sponsors of the event include the Gulf Winds Track Club, the Palace Saloon, and Tri-Eagle Distributing.
About Lee Willis:
http://campus.fsu.edu/profiles/willis/
About Breeda Dennehy-Willis:
http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/athlete=70755/BioPopUp.html
Palace Saloon 5K Champions:
http://palacesaloon.com/champions.html
Palace Saloon 5K Entry Information:
https://gulfwinds.org/Fliers/palaceapplication_2006.pdf