2011 Reindeer Run

Amelia Island now has a half-marathon to call its own, with the successful launch of the Reindeer Run half-marathon and 5K Saturday.

More than 400 runners and walkers registered for the inaugural 13.1-mile race, sponsored by Amelia Island Runners. With an additional 278 registered for the 5K, it was the largest event yet presented by the local running club.

“I feel that overall it exceeded our expectations and went a lot more smoothly than you’d expect for an inaugural event,” said co-race director Pattee Boler. “In speaking to people afterward, they seemed happy with the event in general. And we were blessed with wonderful weather -- you couldn’t have ordered up better weather.”

First across the finish line for the new half-marathon was a former U.S. marathon record holder, Jerry Lawson of Jacksonville Beach. Lawson, 45, finished in 1:20:54. Gene Severtson, 35, of St. Marys was the second male finisher overall (1:22:56), and third was Nick Hamlin, 32, of Yulee (1:23:20).

Lawson said he benefited from the competition, in which he and Severtson traded the lead, and from the atmosphere of the event. “I started cheering at other runners as they were cheering at me,” Lawson said, adding that Severtson “did a great job and ran a great race.”

Finishing first among female runners was Sarah Williams, 28, of Amelia Island, in 1:28:44. Second was Ashley Baker, 37, of Johns Creek, GA (1:35:10), followed by Sorcha French, 36, of Fernandina Beach (1:35:19).

“I loved it,” Williams said. “I really liked the course. There was nothing I didn’t like.”

The 5K and the first leg of the 13.1-miler followed the route of the Shrimp Festival 5K to the north end of North Fletcher Avenue and back. The half-marathon continued into Fort Clinch State Park and then to Old Town Fernandina, returning through the fort to finish at Main Beach Park.

The morning dawned bright, cool and windy, but “the only place the wind was a factor was on the first 5K,” Williams said. “Going back through Fort Clinch was beautiful, and there was no wind. Old Town was nice, too.”

Asked about being the first female winner of an inaugural half-marathon, Williams said, “I did realize that, and I asked Jerry Lawson, ‘You do know that you have the course record, right?’”

Talented high school runners paced the men’s field in the 5K, won by Will Weaver, 15, of Fernandina Beach in 18:53. Close behind were Clay Hewett, 15, of Fernandina Beach (19:04) and Blake Hankwitz, 16, of St. Marys (19:21).

Weaver, a 9th-grader at FBHS, won the Nassau County high school cross-country championship meet this fall, and finished 14th in the 1500m at the Middle School State Championship last May (4:38.52). The Reindeer Run was his first overall victory in a local road race.

Although he began the race leading the pack, Weaver was surprised near the end of the 5K when two of the half-marathoners passed him. He learned later that he was running in the same field with a former U.S. marathon record-holder.

“It was a shock because I wasn’t expecting half-marathoners to be going that fast,” Weaver said. ”I was amazed at how good the runners were. I appreciate that they would come out and run with us. I was happy they came to the island.”

He also said he was happy that his FBHS teammate Hewett set a personal record. “I’m hoping he’ll be a big part of our team next year too,” Weaver said.

The top three female 5K finishers were Holly Czeiszperger, 21, of Kingsland (24:26), Kathryn Howell, 43, of Woodbine (25:08), and Lyndsie Faulk, 22, of Bryceville (25:21).

In the half-marathon’s masters category for runners age 40 and over, winners were Mark Grubb, 47, of Atlantic Beach in 1:27:46, and Rosa Haslip, 48, of Fernandina Beach, 1:41:38. Grandmasters winners, age 50 and over, were John Palladino, 55, of Camp Hill, PA, 1:31:19, and Caroline Geiken, 54, of St. Simons Island, 1:46:19.

In the 5K, masters winners were Bill Beaumont, 55, of Yulee in 19:24, and Hope Lejeune, 42, of St Marys in 26:00. Grandmasters winners were Dave Hoock, 55, of Ponte Vedra Beach in 21:28, and Mary Jean Last, 61, of Fernandina Beach in 28:19. Complete race results are available at AmeliaIslandRunners.com.

The half-marathon was more than a year in the planning, and organizers are compiling comments from runners to consider improvements for next year. Among features drawing praise this year were the 13 custom-designed reindeer mile-markers, each in different colors and garb; the corps of enthusiastic volunteers, and finishers’ medals with the half-marathon race logo.

This year’s event also featured three fun runs for children and a “kids’ zone” for children’s activities. The fun runs were free with a toy donation for Toys for Tots, and donation boxes were brimming with toys, kids’ race director Liz Kawecki said.

“I think people just had a lot of fun. It was hard to drag the kids off afterwards because they were having such a good time,” Boler said. “I heard that from a lot of people.”

Race proceeds will benefit the Healthy Start program, Friends of Fort Clinch and Amelia Island Runners running programs. AIR’s next race will be the Pirates on the Run 5K/10K on Feb. 18, 2012, at St. Peter’s Church, with routes that include the Egans Creek Greenway. Information and registration is+ available at the AIR website.

Co-race director Susie DeMille thanked the many volunteers who worked on the race, the Fernandina Beach Police, Fire-Rescue and Recreation departments, the Police Auxiliary Corps, Fort Clinch State Park, spectators and sponsors.

Boler and DeMille, dressed in red Christmas outfits, were a constant presence at the event, cheering the runners and enjoying the achievement of a long-held goal.

As a cannon sounded and hundreds of runners started their race, “I felt like I was going to cry,” Boler said. “It was so exciting, and the realization of a dream. There they were, running on our course.”

Said DeMille: “I can’t wait to do it again.”