JACKSONVILLE - Gate River Run 15K defending champion Emily Sisson returned to Jacksonville from Arizona and dealt with the somewhat humid morning of the Gate River Run 15K American championship road race with one thing in mind.
“Coming from Arizona, where the heat is dry was a bit different today, but I kept thinking the other runners are in the same boat,” said Sisson, 30. “I just went out hard and held on. The bridge was slightly different than last year and that was a bit stressful at the end.”
With the elite women turned loose six minutes in front of the elite men, “The Equalizer,” Sisson had to race up front in order to claim an additional $5,000 in prize money on top of the first place female prize of $10,000.
Behind her, two top male runners; Nico Montanez, of California, and Leonard Korir, of Colorado, were given chase up until Montanez turned on the gas to attack the Hart Bridge the final two miles of the race.
Sisson, winning with a 47:28 final clocking, had built up a 45 second lead on to the Hart Bridge and held on to win the Equalizer by just four seconds with Korir and Bor closing fast with sub-4:20 final miles; 4:14 for Korir, off the Hart Bridge. Sisson finished with a 4:52 last mile. Montanez won the mens title with a 43:09 split with Korir at 45:13 and Bor at 43:14.
With nearly 11,000 runners in total, top area finishers included Fleming Island High runners Grace Adams and Marlea Feld finishing with dad Dan Adams in 1:08:50 and 1:08:51 for second and third in the 14-19 age group. Orange Park’s Rebecca Stratton, a St Johns Country Day School cross country runner, was 10th with another Fleming Island High athlete, Anna Rafalski, 12th.