- April 24, 2024
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Stacey Monroe high-fives Annie Downer as she finishes the 2020 Andrew Monroe 5K.
Photo by Nat KaemmererLarry Jamieson, Jennifer Means and Barbie Treend.
Terrance Deshaies and Bonnie Seguin.
Runners recover after the race.
Chris Deleonardo, Keith Christensen and Thomas Mitchell.
Stacey Monroe and Terrance Deshaies dance at the afterparty.
Male winner Shawn Johnson, Stacey Monroe and female winner Heather Butcher.
Runners line up near a lifeguard station.
Runners get last-second warmups in.
The runners are directed on the race.
The race begins down the beach.
Runners stream down the beach in a colorful stampede.
Stacey Monroe and Nicole Leffingwell.
Shawn Johnson finishes strong with a pacer by his side.
Joey St. Onge kicks to the finish.
Heather Butcher brings it in for a win.
Rachel Chambers and Jeff Berman battle for the end.
On Jan. 6, the Andrew Monroe Memorial 5K brought out hundreds of runners along Siesta Beach in the race’s seventh year.
On a chilly morning, runners from all over gathered on a hard-packed beach and dodged casual runners and early beachgoers as they scrambled for victories on the sand. Despite the tough terrain, the winning 5K time was 17:38.4.
Race director Stacey Monroe expressed her gratitude for the runners supporting the race’s cause. The namesake of the race is Monroe’s son, Andrew, who died in a car crash in 2011. Andrew was an avid soccer player, and the proceeds from the annual race go toward a scholarship fund for senior soccer players at Riverview High School, track and JROTC members. Leftover proceeds go to the Sarasota Community Foundation, which provides the opportunity for scholarships to all county athletes who apply. In the race’s seven years, $80,000 has been raised, Monroe said.
“The running community of Sarasota and St. Pete is just a very loving community,” Monroe said. “They always try to support what’s going on. There are so many races going on and I still get 400 people.”
After the runners kicked down the beach to the finish line, they made their way to the afterparty with sponsors including Applebee’s and OrangeTheory.
