First Annual Capt. Matthew Freeman 5K Run For Peace November 11, 2011, JF Gregory Park, Richmond Hill GA
Place Name Bib # Time
OVERALL WINNERS - MALE
1 Michael Kelly 183 17:58:00 2 Clint Martin 150 18:43:00 3 Zack Jones 51 19:06:00
OVERALL WINNERS - FEMALE
1 Amanda Elliott 73 20:05:00 2 Sarah Batt 11 20:10:00 3 Elizabeth Waite 25 22:19:00
MASTERS WINNERS - MALE
1 Garth Peterson 198 19:19:00 2 Tim Fortier 167 20:03:00 3 Robert McCoy 79 20:55:00
MASTERS WINNERS - FEMALE
1 Trudi Franzel 154 22:24:00 2 Wendy Wolf 105 23:10:00 3 Teri Kanicki 281 24:40:00
AGE LEVEL AWARDS
MALE - AGE GROUP 13 and under
1 Blitchington, Trevor 258 20:26:00 2 Collins, Jefferson 249 22:11:00 3 Franzel, Riley 153 22:22:00
MALE - AGE GROUP 14-19 1 Carlson, Thomas 178 19:16:00 2 Balas, Andrew 166 19:26:00 3 Hoeksema, Shane 142 19:55:00
MALE - AGE GROUP 20-24 1 Born, Joshua 146 20:55:00 2 Maxton, Nathan 115 20:57:00
Results courtesy Energy Oasis
Even the winners of the second annual Capt. Matthew Freeman 5K Run for Peace said Friday’s race at J.F. Gregory Park in Richmond Hill wasn’t about winning.
It was about far more than that.
“I love running,” said Richmond Hill High School sophomore Amanda Elliott, who captured first place in the women’s race. “And this is a good way to support my country. It was a great thing that (Capt. Freeman) did for our country and now with this organization. I wanted to help in any way I could.”
And it was fitting that the race was held on Veterans Day, said a number of competitors, including Richard Evans, who is a retired soldier. The 68-year-old Hinesville resident had open heart surgery two years ago and is now running races around the area.
“I appreciate the sacrifice veterans have made and I appreciate the sacrifice the Freeman family has made, so I want to support the cause,” Evans said.
In all, an estimated 300 runners took part in the run, a fundraiser for the Capt. Matthew Freeman Project: Pen’s and Papers For Peace – an organization that provides school supplies to kids in Afghanistan and other war-torn countries. Freeman, a Marine, was killed in Afghanistan in August 2009.
He would have loved what took place Friday, said his mother, Lisa Freeman.
“This is just so very Matthew,” she said. “He loved the town and he loved his school, and he was all about the military and this town and this just highlights it all. You can tell God’s shining on us today with this beautiful weather and all the smiles on people’s faces. Matthew would be so proud.”
Read more in the Nov. 12 edition of the News.