by Kevin Grogan
The 5th running of the Clermont Clay was held Sunday on Bradshaw Road in South Clermont. Extremely muddy and humid conditions saw 500 runners tackle the extremely tough 15k loop; while the 5k had close to 200 athletes cross the tape. Proceeds from the FloDash event support the development of new running and endurance trails in the Clermont area. This will be the last year running the full 9.3 mile loop with the anticipated construction of Wellness Way; so it made the morning very special to both 15k runners and to event organizers.
Reflecting on the event Race director Kimberly Grogan added “Definitely bittersweet with it being the last year of the loop. Big thanks to all our participants who braved the slushy clay this morning, to our sponsors who make the event that much better with their support and to our amazing volunteers who work tirelessly. From packet pickup, race setup, to finish line and cleanup, we couldn’t have done it without them!”
The 15k was won by three-time Clermont Clay Champion Fredison Costa in a blistering 51:49. Olympic Triathlete Jarrod Shoemaker followed for second & then Gainesville’s Rich Smith rounded out the podium.
The fourth male to cross the finish line was Grovelands Marko Cheseto. Cheseto set the double-amputee marathon World Record two weeks ago at the Chicago Marathon. You can read about Marko in last week’s South Lake Tablet.
On the women’s side, Clermont Triathlete Anna Emery was the first female. Suzana Bucciarelli & Julie Huyett rounded out the top three.
Worth noting, the 5k (which is run through the four steep rollers) was won by Temple Terraces Khan Imran in a remarkable 17:17. This has to be one of the very toughest 5ks in the state of Florida.
The event was put on by FloDash Event; Kimberly and Kevin Grogan, Brian Boylan, and Amalie Skorman.
The Sponsors of the event played a huge part. Oakwood Smokehouse, Luckys Market, Skratch Labs, City of Clermont, Orlando Health South Lake Hospital, Donner Wealth Management, Byron Faudie Photo, Boco Hats, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DJ Scooter Miller & so many individuals really helped it go smoothly.
Volunteer groups included Montverde Academy Cross Country, Real Life Academy, Windermere High School, Orange County Public Schools, Swim Like a Pro, & the Clermont Triathlon Club.
For complete results for both the 15k and 5k, see Racesmith
Finish line video can be seen here:
Pictures of event
Kevin Grogan is a contributing sportswriter for the. South Lake Tablet. Kevin and Kimberly are owners of Dash-Sports
