- April 19, 2024
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Masters winners Tom Mitchell, left and Linda Bayne, right with organizer Stacey Monroe, center.
Jasmine France receives her winner's plaque from Stacey Monroe.
Ashleigh Howle and Kelly Fox hand out muffins after the race.
Maliah, Nolyn and Jovan Chapman
Holly and Riley Board
Jackson and Tom Mitchell
Top female finisher Jasmine France and father Ed France
Theresa Andrews and Maureen "Mo" Hogan
Charlie Denman and Tom Treend
Stacey Monroe waves finishers into the chute.
Hannah Lemke, Adam Bright and Amy McCormack
Two runners sprint for a photo finish.
Jasmine France kicks to the finish.
Jasmine France kicks to the finish.
Tom Mitchell finishes third.
Taylor Hennige races towards second place.
Connor Wozniak runs into the finish.
Mark Betten, Alex Cozmer and Helen Briggs spectate.
Dan Pollock waves runners out of the gate.
James and Lisa Hawkins with Jessica Auerbach
Runners mill around before the start.
Organizers wore soccer-patterned masks in memory of Andrew Monroe.
The Andrew Monroe 5K ran for the eighth year on the morning of Jan. 10 on Siesta Beach for one of the first local live races since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Starter Dan Pollock warmed up the chilly morning with good-natured yells as the runners headed out on the beach.
"We're following county guidelines," he reminded. "So stay away from me!"
Of course, COVID-19 necessitated some changes to the race. Organizer Stacey Monroe had to draft a COVID-19 plan, including strategies of social distancing and mask-wearing. This 5K was the big welcome back to Sarasota County racing and opened the Manasota Track Series of races, and 335 runners showed up in total compared to last year's 385.
"It's good for COVID times," Monroe said.
Much of the field was made up of returning runners taking to the hard-packed sand of Siesta Beach. The top male finisher, 20-year-old Connor Wozniak, covered 3.1 miles in 18:03.3, while the top female finisher, 11-year-old Jasmine France, ran a 21:17.9.
The Andrew Monroe 5K is in memory of Monroe's son. An avid soccer player, Andrew died in a car crash in 2011. Stacey Monroe established the race in 2014 and all proceeds go toward a scholarship fund for senior soccer players at Riverview High School, track and JROTC members.
After the race, runners grabbed muffins and waited to hear the official results.
