Glade resident oldest runner at Wellness event
65 Runners in Wellness Express 5K Average Under 12-Minute Miles
For The Vista
A new course for the Cumberland Medical Center Wellness Express Fitness 5k run and walk did not slow down the more than 80 participants — including Fairfield Glade’s Hazel Bardash — who was the oldest runner in the event.
Bardash, a personal trainer at the CMC Wellness Complex at Fairfield Glade, finished the event in 38:07:91, a pace of 12:18 per mile, along with her running partner, Irene Blackburn, 61, of Crossville. The pair train together for long distance events.
The other 70-year-old in the race, James Burns of Deer Creek ran the course in 30:23:00, a pace of 9:48 per mile.
“They all prove that teenagers and senior citizens, and everyone in between can compete side by side in distance running events, as long as they train for it,” said Dee Dee Kuenzer, program manager of the CMC Wellness Complex in Crossville and chief organizer of the event.
Sixty-five runners averaged under 12-minute miles for the 3.1-mile event.
The winner was 40-year-old Adam Kington of Crossville. His time was 19:15:79, a pace of 6:13 per mile.
The top woman finisher was 14-year-old Lindsey Norrod of Crossville in 23:09:19, which equaled 7:28 per mile. She was part of the Cumberland County High School girls basketball team which ran as a group and won the team title in the event.
Four other team members finished in the top 15. They were: Klaire Varney, 24:53:19; Gina Dick, 25:37:05; Hannah Brown, 25:37:31; and Mattie Hinch, 26:17:47. They all ran an average speed between 8:02 and 8:29 per mile.
This was the first year the race was not held on the relatively flat terrain of downtown Crossville. It was moved to the hilly section of Miller Road, starting at Dayton Road and running west to Peavine Road and the U.S. 70 intersection, and back.
Norrod finished just ahead of 73-year-old Chuck Schultz of Louden, Tennessee, a regular competitor in running events around the state. He was the winner of the Male Veteran group and finished fifth overall with a time of 23:52:17, a pace of 7:42 per mile.
“Besides 24 runners, who were teens or sub-teens, we had six runners in their 20s, 14 in their 30s, 16 in their 40s, 12 in their 50s, and 12 in their 60s, and the three in their 70s,” she said.
Besides the overall winners, leaders in the various categories were:
Male Master, Jeffrey Vires, 47, of Crossville (21:04:24); Male Grandmaster, Terry Walter, 52, Crossville (22:41:18); Female Master, Tracy Adams, 40, Crossville (29:18:89); Female Grandmaster, Kim Tabor, 51, Crossville (30:16:33), and Female Veteran, Carolyn Emery, 64, Crossville (31:56:70)
First place male finishers by age group who were not overall winners, or category winners, included:
Age 7-9 — Cole Richards, Lenoir City, TN; 13-15– Dalton Teeple, Crossville; 20-24 — Ian Newberry, Crossville; 25-29 — Chris Barrett, Crossville; 35-39 – Micah Cruse, Parsons, TN;
45-49 – Dwayne Crain, Crossville; 50-54 – Joe Matlock, Ozone, TN; 55-59 – Wade England, Crossville; 65-69 – Rob Harrison, Crossville; 70-74 – Burns, Deer Creek.
First place female finishers by age group who were not overall or category winners included:
Age 13-15 – Klaire Varney, Crossville; 16-19 – Gina Dick, Crossville; 20-24 – Kaycee Robbins, Crossville; 25-29 – Samantha Gilpin, Crossville; 30-34 – Elisabeth Reece, Pikeville, TN; 35-39 – Gretchen Grenz, Crossville; 40-45 – Amy Cruse, Parsons, TN; 45-49 – Janet Moerdyk, Crossville; 50-54 – Penelope Vires, Crossville; 55-59 – Kris Foss, Crossville; 60-64 – Janet Burnett, Crossville; 65-69 – Flo Hopkins, Rockwood, TN; 70-74 – Bardash, Fairfield Glade.
Winner of the Mile Walk event was Kali Turbelt, age 14, of Crossville (18:40:11). The only male walker was Ben Grenz, age 5, of Crossville (24:24:24).
The proceeds from registration for the event benefited the Cumberland County Cardiac Support Group.
The race was timed by Total Race Solutions of Knoxville.
Besides Cumberland Medical Center and the CMC Wellness Complexes at Crossville and Fairfield Glade, major sponsors of the run were Action Heating & Cooling, Gladys Weismuller, Small Biz Staffing, Tabor’s Pawn Shop, Tres Baucum and Private Wealth Management Group, and Wags and Whiskers Pet Rescue.
Other groups and individuals who made the event possible through donations and other efforts were: Adams Awards & Specialties, A TO Z Printing, Biofreeze Pain Reliever, Blush Salon, Cash Express, City of Crossville, and its Public Works Department, Crossville Chronicle, Crossville Tire & Appliance, Cumberland County Clay Crusher Scholastic Clay and Target Team, Darryl’s Auto Service, Domino’s Pizza, Kristina Doten, photographer, Elmore Design, Fairfield Glade Community Club, GG’s Pizza & Subs, Glade Sun, Glade Vista, Gondola Pizza House, “In Gramps Shoes,” The Movie, Kali’s Kitchen, Mayfield Dairy Farms, PEG Broadcasting, Petro’s Chili & Chips, Stonehenge Golf Club, Time To Shine Car Wash, The Feed Store, and United Grocery Outlet.