Packed weekend of racing with fast times and high finishes.
Justin Gragg started things off for the Collective on in Charlotte with a shiny new 8k XC PR of 24:31. He raced in a pack of guys including his Mars Hill University training mate, Alex Griggs, who notched a school record of 24:23. Keep up the great work, guys!
On Saturday, Victor McHenry tested his fitness at the Bethel Half Marathon & 5K. For the past two months, he has been on a comeback from a hamstring injury that took him out of training for the Blue Ridge Relay. His 1st place half marathon finish in 1:14:43 shows that he is making strong progress. The problem with a fit Victor is that no Strava CR in the Asheville area is safe. Prepare yourself.
Peyton Hoyal rounded out the weekend of racing for the ARC with a very strong 2nd place finish at the Steamtown Marathon in a PR of 2:30:44. The race turned into a bit of a tactical affair with a slower than planned first half and a tough race for places in the second half. In the end, Peyton won his battle with the 2nd-4th place guys and walked away with a cool $1,000. Pitchers of Iron Rail IPA on Peyton next time he is at the Wedge Run!
Also - we want to give a shout out to some strong performances from friends of the ARC at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and Ironman Louisville. In Chicago, Rich Heffron ran a smart, steady race to earn a 2:33:29, Tony Casey snuck under 2:40 with a PR of 2:39:51 (the Johnson City crew ran great), and Wedge Run regular Claire Bartholic dropped nearly 15 minutes off her PR for a 3:11:51. Finally, major congrats are in order for Wedge Run-stalwarts Dwight Shuler (11:04:32) and Susan Harrell (12:54:56) for their strong finishes at IM Louisville. Inspiring stuff, everyone.
Royals XC Challenge - McAlpine Park, Charlotte, NC
Justin Gragg - 8th - 24:31
Results (PDF)
Bethel Half Marathon - Canton, NC
Victor McHenry - 1st - 1:14:42
Results
Steamtown Marathon - Scranton, PA
Peyton Hoyal - 2nd - 2:30:44
Results
