It was just a coincidence but Ryan Smith of Dexter and Tina Smith of Hillsdale both emerged victorious on the demanding 25K point to point Tahqua course on August 9. The folks in downtown Paradise described it as the nicest day of the summer with highs in upper 70s. Ryan Smith, second overall at July’s Waugoshance Trail Marathon, employed his single track savvy into overall win at Tahqua. His 1:49:25 was the second fastest tour of the 25K course ever. Only two athletes have ever broke 1:50 on this course: Alaska’a Matias Saari (1:43:43) and course record holder Tyler Noble of Saginaw, MI (1:40:02). Two other runners in this year’s race accomplished the prized sub 2 hour status on the Tahqua course, Hessel’s Lee Kanitz (1:54:54) and Cheboygan’s Dennis Pauli (1:57:59).

Among the women only 6 minutes separated the top three runners. Thirty nine year old Tina Smith, a former collegiate cross country star at Southern Indiana and the 2013 winner of the Tahqua 10K, started out strong with Newberry High School Senior phenom Natalie Beaulieu. Both athletes pushed each other over the more moderate first 15 kilometers and then Smith pulled away and took the victory by a margin of 1:38. Both Smith’s and Beaullieu’s times broke the old course record. Beaulieu is an agile and strong runner, but Smith’s familiarity with the radical terrain from her previous year’s victory likely gave her the advantage. Bridget Durocher of Laurium finished third in 2:20:59, her fastest time on the course. Durocher won the race in 2010.

The 10K witnessed a tough three way battle between Joshu Courtright of Traverse City,Benjamin Watson of Grand Rapids, and Peter Shambaugh of Ann Arbor. Courtright pulled away past the half way point and emerged as the victor in 45:15. Watson, an XC coach at Rockford High School hung in

with the two more youthful runners and cross the line in 46:09 for second. Shambaugh, a high school XC runner at Ann Arbor Pioneer finished third, just back from Watson in 46:32.

Morgan Harney, another high school cross country runner captured the women’s 10K title by over 5 minutes. Harney finished second to Tina Smith in 2013. Her 2014 time of 54:42 was one of only two in the women’s race to break 1 hour. The other woman was trail veteran Linda Walsh of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario finishing in 59:45. Lisa Gomez-Mesquita of Mt. Pleasant, like Walsh, a veteran trail runner finished third in 1:00:04, an impressive feat for the 53 year old master’s runner.

Complete results are now available.

Overall winners in the 25K were awarded Patagonia Trail Running Shoes. 10K winners received trail running gear from Greenlayer and RaceReady. The top three in each age group won hand made ceramic bowls by artist Thomas Baugnet of Munising.