It was another strong week of performances on the trail, road, and grass for the Asheville Running Collective.
On Saturday, several members of the Collective lined up for the Shut-In Ridge Run, one of Asheville’s most iconic races. This 17.8 miler follows the rugged Shut-In trail as it climbs 3000 feet along the Blue Ridge Parkway with a finish at Mt. Pisgah. Weather often plays a role in the race and this year was no different with a night of rain leaving a slick trail of leaves and rocks for the runners to navigate.
Leading into the race, the 2015 edition looked to be one of the most competitive fields assembled in its 37th year history. The depth and speed of the field lived up to the hype with the lead pack pushing the pace early and pulling most of the field out very fast. The quick start took its toll on many of the front runners and made for an especially brutal final few miles. Shiloh Mielke held on best and maintained a 6-minute lead to the finish line in 2:33:59 to earn his sixth Shut-In victory. The next ARC racers across the line were Dave Workman (7th), Javan Lapp (8th), and Jerad Crave (11th). Stay tuned for an in-depth race report.
Another notable result of the weekend came from ARC’s Blue Ridge Relay team member Harry Dixon in the Monumental Half Marathon. Harry has strung together some great racing since crushing his set of legs at the BRR. On Saturday, he lowered his PR from 1:06:23 (set in October) to a very quick 1:04:26 (4:56 mile pace!) on his way to the overall win. Keep it rolling, Harry!
Finally, Phillip Latter capped a successful first season of coaching at Brevard High by leading the girls to a state championship victory in the NCHSAA 2A classification. This is the second state meet title of the fall for the ARC’s HS coaches. Last week, Mark Driscoll’s Carolina Day School girls won the NCISAA 2A state title for the second year in a row. Brent Schouler, we are expecting big things from your teams next year!
Shut-In Ridge Run - Asheville, NC
Shiloh Mielke - 1st - 2:33:59
Dave Workman - 7th - 2:44:03
Javan Lapp - 8th - 2:44:35
Jerad Crave - 11th - 2:48:15
Results
Monumental Half Marathon - Indianapolis, IN
Harry Dixon - 1st - 1:04:26
Results
NCHSAA 2A State Championships - Kernersville, NC
Brevard High School Girls - 1st
Results
NCISAA 2A State Championships - Charlotte, NC
Carolina Day School Girls - 1st
Results
