Benford,Davis at W.Va. 5K Championship

Tri State

Andrew Benford, 14:55

Eric Putnam, 14:57

Casey Batey, 15:12

Jacob Burcham, 16:33

Jennifer Davis, 17:14

Marian Pyles, 18:10

Jorden Thornton 19:31.4

McMillion Racing Crew

Benford pulls away from Putnam 200 meters from finish line
Davis leads women’s field by comfortable margin

Kevin Spradlin
TriStateRunnur.com

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Andrew Benford has run in only a handful of road races in all of his 23 years.

After Saturday’s win in the inaugural West Virginia 5K Run/Walk Championship, don’t be surprised if the 23-year-old Ravenswood, W.Va., resident – and University of Richmond standout – tries another one soon.

Benford, who just missed qualifying for the NCAA outdoor track championships, eeked out a 1.6-second victory over Eric Putnam as the two neared Putnam Square in downtown Huntington. Benford stopped the clock in 14 minutes, 54.3 seconds. Putnam finished in 14:55.9.

Benford was impressed with the day’s festivities, meant to be a catalyst towards a healthier lifestyle for residents of the Huntington area since a November 2008 report cited it as the unhealthiest population in America.

“In the future, I think I’m definitely going to try and come down for this one,” Benford said. “I really like the course. When you look at all the road races in West Virginia … they’ve kind of diminished over the past 10 years or so. You won’t see a more competitive road race anywhere in the state.”

And that competition ran the age gamut from 18 to 35. Putnam, the latter, is cross country coach at Shawnee State University in Ohio. Casey Batey, former standout at Marshall and West Virginia universities, is one of at least four collegiate All-Americans in the race. Along with Batey and Benford, there also was women’s winner Jennifer Davis and Huntington’s own Jason Pyles.

Benford’s win was anything but easy. He started at the front of the pack from the beginning but by the 1-mile mark shared the lead with Putnam, Pyles, Bateyand Matt Shiffbauer.

By 2 miles, the race belonged to either Benford or Putnam. Benford said Batey and Pyles were “just kinda hanging on” and Shiffbauer had dropped off the pace.

“In the last mile of the race, me and Putnam kinda separated (from Batey and Pyles),” Benford said. “I started to really up the ante a little bit. (Putnam) was a really tough competitor. Over the last mile, I couldn’t shake him. Basically, I was doing everything I could without killing myself.” Read More

Results WV Runners Awards
Pre race and post race photos
Race photos Set1 Set2 Set3 Set4 Set5 Set6 Set7

‘Super’ presence helps city get to the starting line

Kevin Spradlin
TriStateRunnur.com

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Staging a new running event in an area proclaimed by one well-publicized report to be America’s fattest city can be quite a challenge.

It helped to have a three-time Super Bowl champion on your side. Former New England Patriots receiver Troy Brown, a Marshall University graduate, and his two sons were three of 519 finishers in the inaugural West Virginia 5K Run/Walk Championship on Saturday in downtown Huntington.

Race director Pat Riley said the report, released in a Nov. 17, 2008 article by The Associated Press, didn’t seem to offend anyone. Instead, it was a realization.

“It was a good motivational piece,” Riley said. “All kinds of activities have popped up (since). This race is just going to be part of it.”

Riley said the report helped point out what many locals already knew. Simply by traveling to high school cross country and track meets in the Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia tri-state area, “you notice a difference between everybody at these events.” Maybe, Riley said, the report was true after all.

“The timing was right do do something like this,” he said.

So he and a coalition of like-minded folks dreamed up a USATF championship race. He said nearly every church in the area seemed to be doing its own version of “the biggest loser” weight-loss challenge.

Riley formed a race steering committee and partnered with both the Huntington Herald-Dispatch and the United Way of the River Cities. The local NBC affiliate also bought into the concept.

“If we’re going to debunk this title of unhealthiest city in the nation, it’s going … to take the media to scream it from the rooftops,” Riley said.

And scream they did. With delight, perhaps, when Brown, who comfortably carries about 200 pounds on his 5-10 frame – short, by NFL wide receive standards. Oh, and he’s black.

Along with obese people, Brown’s presence at local middle school as assistant running coach is well-known because of the color of his skin. Huntington is predominantly an all-white town. Related Article: “W. Virginia town shrugs at being fattest city”

West Virginia 5K State Championship Race Page