A record number of participants took part in the 30th Annual Stars and Stripes Fun Run Monday in downtown McMinnville.
Over 300 competitors took part in a number of events, headlined by the 5K run. For the second straight year, Nashville resident Jacob Carrigan claimed the overall title in the 3.2- mile run which took runners from Court Square to the Civic Center and back to Main Street.
Carrigan, 30, completed the course in a near-record time of 16:42, nearly three minutes faster than his nearest competitor.
Anne Hunter Myers, 32, was the overall female winner, turning in a time of 20:09.
Carrigan is no stranger to victory at the Stars and Stripes Fun Run. He has won the event several times in the past, including 2010.
For his exceptional effort, Carrigan received the Danny Stubblefield Memorial Trophy. The trophy, standing over six feet tall, is given to the overall winner. The trophy was named after Stubblefield, who was an avid runner and overall winner of the Stars and Stripes 5K run several times in the 1980s.
David Marttala, the chairman of the event for the 11th straight year, was very thrilled with the turnout. The event, co-sponsored by Dr Pepper and McMinnville Noon Rotary, has seen a record number of runners the past two years.
“With over 300 participants, this is the largest event we’ve ever had,” Marttala said Monday during trophy presentations. “We’d like to thank everybody who came out and helped make this event special.”
There were a few surprises for spectators who turned out for the event. Several muskets were shot to announce the start of the race to runners and spectators alike at 7:30 a.m.
Once the race began, some runners seemed to stand out. Ben Myers, competing in the 30-39-year-old male division, ran the entire 5K pushing his child in a stroller.
The entire Warren County High School Lady Pioneer soccer team ran the race side-by-side, wearing matching purple shirts which could be seen all the way down Main Street as they approached the finish line.
Tracey Caten also provided an inspiring story for the 5K walk. Caten was injured last month in a car accident, doing severe damage to her back. Despite the pain, Caten was able to walk the course and finish among the leaders in the walk.
Some dashes to the finish also highlighted a great day for sprinters in Warren County. Grant Hitchcock and James Jackson settled for a tie in the junior division of the one-mile run after both crossed the finish line at the same time. For their efforts, both runners received first-place trophies.
Other winners in the one-mile run include Katie Toney, Kelcey Wilcher and Rachel Miller in the junior divisions and Ray Cantrell and Jana O’Connor in the adult division.
Male and female top finishers in each of the 5K’s age divisions included:
10-under — Gabe Nafrada (26:40) and Gracie Miller (32:52).
10-13 — Cole Millard (20:35) and Katelyn Lepley (27:35).
14-19 male — Amiel Emerson (19:40), Chaz Miller (19:58) and Ryan Gipson (20:39).
14-19 female — Caroline McKinley (28:23), Leah Steakley (28:24) and Allison Hubert (30:54).
20-29 male — Patrick Gibson (21:36), John Hines (23:03) and Jason Austin (24:16).
20-29 female — Alex Smartt (20:29), Carol Nelson (20:35) and Rebecca Murray (21:12)
30-39 male — Michael Mathis (19:43), Travis Crouch (19:50) and Noah Stefanick (20:18).
30-39 female — Emily Graves (21:33), Amanda Chambers (25:03) and Julia Noblin (25:56).
40-49 male — Paul Toney (20:31), Jeff Bandy (20:44) and Mike Mullins (21:51).
40-49 female — Becky Gipson (27:54), Terry Stubblefield (27:59) and Debbi Cole (28:05).
50-59 male — Mark Keisling (19:55), Fred Hoover (21:17) and Richard Evans (21:36).
50-59 female — Leslie Hoover (25:36), Lesa Duvall (29:51) and Betty Troop (33:09)
60+ male — Gerald Goodwin (27:39), Jim Money (38:21) and Mike Galligan (38:23).
60+ female — Darlene Caten (51:00).