The 10K Road Race, held at Vista View Park yesterday, offered a completely different environment from the Hollywood Beach routes used for the 5K. The longer race displayed more of the Florida scenery found in the interior of the state.
Nearly 200 runners pushed themselves to the limit in their quest for medals or a PR (personal record) and many attained their goal. Great job, runners! We also saw many new faces, including the overall winner.
For Adam Cochran, the Wait is Over and a Journey Begins
It’s not shocking when one of the youngest runners makes off with the best time, but it was surprising to hear 51-year-old Adam Cochran of Takoma Park, Maryland say he’s been waiting for the chance for many years.
Adam gave notice of his ability by finishing the 5K event with the best overall time of 17:39, which placed him 5th in NSGA’s all-time Top 10 Performance List for the 50-54 age group.
Any idea of anyone else winning Saturday’s 10K was erased early as Adam quickly found his gear and outpaced the field by a healthy margin, clocking a time of 37:44. After catching his breath at the finish line, he was ebullient about winning the National Senior Games 10K. When asked why it meant so much, Adam says, “I’ve known about Senior Games for a long time and always thought that would be great to do when I got to 50.”
Welcome to the club, Adam!
Jacksonville Runner Seizes Opportunity for his First Nationals
Todd Pye considers himself a lucky man to find himself at the 2022 National Senior Games. “I found out about the Games in December and thought I missed out because I didn’t qualify to go,” the 56-year-old explains. “Then I found out that they opened it up due to the pandemic and I could enter without qualifying this time.”
Todd finished 13th overall in the 5K race and was more than satisfied with his performance. “It’s nice to see the level of ability of these people,” he says, adding “The whole thing is just so inspiring for me.”
See you in Pittsburgh, Todd!
