Moran & Evenden Win XTERRA Seven Islands Sunblast Trail Run

Knoxville, TN -- Nearly 100 runners representing 11 different states participated in the XTERRA Seven Islands Sunblast Trail Run - a six-mile race at Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge Park on Saturday, May 19th.     

The Men's Race:

A heated dual from start to finish, former UT runner and current Charlotte, NC resident Mike Moran (32) finished in 37:44, just sixteen seconds in front of Chad Dean (27), for the win.  Local master's standout Barry Lucas finished third overall in 38:25.  These three runners broke away from the rest of the field by the first mile of the roughly 6-mile course, racing the entire route.   

"What a beautiful course.  We were running with the lead pack on a ridge overlooking the river when we startled about 5 deer on our left.  They ran parallel with us for a hundred feet, then crossed the trail just 15 feet in front of us.  It was incredible" stated Moran, a New Balance Technical Rep. 

The Women's Race: 

Local standout Sally Evenden (52) won the second consecutive XTERRA Trail Run, posting a 45:26 finish on the hilly and challenging course.  Evenden, a phenomenal Grandmasters runner, continues to dominate in the XTERRA series. She had "never run at Seven Islands Wildlife Preserve in the past.  This race series is exposing runners to different parts of our community and to trails we wouldn't otherwise run.  It's a great way to explore Knox County's resources." 

Rounding out the top three overall in the woman's race, Tracy Brooks (24) completed the course in 47:06 finishing second with Jaime Brede (30), an elephant trainer all the way from Breckenridge, Colorado finishing third in 48:17.  Brede raved about the event: "I can't believe all the amenities that this race provides for only a $10 entry fee.  The park itself stands out for it's natural beauty and that alone made the race fun.  But getting that along with shirts, Gu, food, and prizes - sweet!"   

XTERRA provided gift certificates and shirts, Gatorade was on the course for our thirsty runners, Knox County lent their support and beautiful park, and others including Paul Mitchell, JFG Coffee, Yankz, and SweatVac provided support as well. 

Upcoming:

The FINAL race in this series, the XTERRA I.C. King of Trails Run, will be held on June 30th at Knox County's I.C. King Park.  After the race, the Tennessee Series Regional XTERRA Trail Run Champions will be named!  Additionally, the top-5 point recipients in each age group will qualify to attend the XTERRA National Championship Trail Run in Lake Tahoe in September.  

Beneficiary:
All proceeds from this series go to the Knoxville Track Club's Youth Athletics Program, helping thousands of area youth ages 5 - 18 achieve their fitness goals through indoor track, outdoor track, and cross-country running.   

For more information on the event check out the Knoxville Track Club or XTERRA Websites: www.ktc.org & www.xterraplanet.com/trailrun 

For complete results go to: http://www.ktc.org/Races/results.htm  

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