’03 FPC Grads Brandon Anderson and Jonathan Alter Win Half-Marathon and 5K

They were both runners at Flagler Palm Coast High School, from where they graduated in 2003. Brandon Anderson of Bunnell continued running for the University of North Florida–and now for the Jacksonville Running Company–while Jonathan Alter ran for Florida Southern College in Lakeland.

On one of the coldest mornings of the winter in Palm Coast Sunday, Anderson won the city’s first half-marathon, with a time of 1:16:09, beating Matt Carr by 27 seconds. Doug Noland was third (1:22:33), James Wolfe fourth (1:23:02). Anderson won the 5K in 17 minutes and 34 seconds. Jose Musso was second (18:05), Jonathan Baranowski third (18:11) and Christopher Bailey fourth (18:48).

“I think that’s the slowest half-marathon I’ve ever done,” Anderson said. “I was injured for a good 11 months. It’s good to be back.” His best was 72 minutes 31 second, almost four minutes faster than his time today. “For a half-marathon I’d like it to be a little bit warmer, but really for a race of this distance, it’s almost the ideal temperature. It’s not comfortable for Florida guys, but for the best race times, it’s ideal.”

The temperature was 37 at the 8 a.m. half-marathon start. The 13.1-mile course started in the parking lot of the Palm Coast Marina and took runners across the Hammock Dunes bridge to the Hammock (up to 16th Rd) and back along the Intracoastal, portions of Colbert Lane and Palm Coast Parkway before finishing at the marina. The 3.16-mile 5K stayed on the west side of the Intracoastal.

In the women’s divisions, Heather Koning won the half-marathon with a time of 1:35:53, beating Nathalie Gautier by 25 seconds. Susan De Frees was third (1:38:58), Sheila Sullivan fourth (1:38:58). Alexa Gemma won the 5k in 21 minutes and 24 seconds. Demi Brownrigo was second (27:03), Kelly Klays third (27:04), Brooke Tucker fourth (27:28) and Kim Fitzgerald fifth (27:44).

Some 346 runners finished the two races, including 165 in the 5K (104 of them women) and 181 in the half-marathon (100 of them women). The average finisher’s time in the half-marathon was 2:04:15, and in the 5K, 39 minutes and 43 seconds.

The event drew fewer runners than expected. Most of the runners in the two races were local (consequently filling fewer hotel rooms or exposing the area to fewer people than an event like this could), which suggests that the event got either little exposure beyond Flagler County or that the checkered reputation of its promoter, Dean Reinke, may be hurting his events’ drawing power. Overall, of the 346 runners, 24 (or 7 percent) were from out of state, 23 of them running in the half-marathon. Just over half the runners (53 percent) were from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach or Bunnell, with Volusia, St. Johns, the Orlando and Jacksonville areas generating the majority of the remainders.

About 140 awards were handed out: the races were broken down into numerous divisions, with runners and walkers sectioned off into age groups as young 12 and under to 70 and older. Among half-marathoners in the women’s 70 and up division, Margaret Eaton (the only entrant in that division) finished with a time of 3:45:41. The men’s oldest division was 60 to 64, a field of four won by Greg Kaputa (1:54:11).

In the 5K, two girls and two boys in the 12 or younger division finished: Adriana Osario (28:00), Rose Riley (41:52), Patrick Lane (33:41) and Alex Dixon (56:04). Mary Murray won the women’s division in the 70 and older (44:19) and Antonio Colasanti won the men’s 70 and older (41:56).

Winning the men’s 50 to 54 division in the 5K was Dennis Craig, Flagler County’s newest circuit judge, with a time of 20:32. His personal record is 16:20.

The races were pit on by Orlando-based promoter Reinke in association with Palm Coast. Reinke said that of the 14 half-marathons he’d put on, Palm Coast’s was the coldest. The two men winners of the 5K and half-marathon declared themselves satisfied with the organization of the races.

Complete results by division and overall position: Click here for the half-marathon, and here for the 5K.