AUBURN, Al. — The sound of the cannon firing Sunday morning signaled the start of the Inaugural War Eagle Run fest and a new tradition for thousands of Auburn fans.
Runners cheered as they made their way across the starting line with their sights set on finishing in Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. The courses for both the half-marathon and 5K races took runners sightseeing through Auburn’s campus before they #FlyDowntheField to an epic ending at the 50-yard line on Pat Dye Field.
The unique finish to the War Eagle Run Fest is only the second ever FRESHJUNKIE Racing event to end in the stadium of a Southeastern Conference (SEC) school, making it all the more special to the runners who got to experience the rush.
25-year-old Evan Park from Marietta, GA was the overall winner of the half-marathon with a time of 1:11:42. He was followed by 26-year-old Anthony Federico, an Auburn local, who finished in 1:18:13. 17-year-old Joshua Clough from Spanish Fort, AL was the third half-marathon finisher and had a time of 1:19:39.
Completing the half-marathon in 1:29:24, 24-year-old Margaret Magro from Columbus, GA was the first female winner. 29-year-old Mary Craig from Birmingham, AL finished a few minutes later with a time of 1:31:00. Auburn local, 27-year-old Kelsey Drew, was the third female to finish the half marathon and completed the race in 1:32:42.
The overall winner of the 5K event was 25-year-old Eric Brown who came from Auburn, WI and completed the race in 16:21.82. He was followed closely by 39-year-old Auburn, AL resident Bradley Merner who ran the 3.1 miles in 16:32.30. 16-year-old Ben Sydell of Cumming, GA was the third to finish the 5K race and had a time of 17:24.75.
22-year-old Isabella LeBlanc from LaGrange, GA was the first female 5K winner running the race in 20:09.57. 28-year-old Tiffany Howard, an Auburn local, followed close behind with a time of 20:24.28, and 19-year-old Katherine Rush, also local, completed the 5K in 21:08.99 to be the third female finisher.
After the race, participants were awarded their commemorative Finisher Medal and joined scores of other runners outside the stadium for the War Eagle Run Fest Post-Race Tailgate Party, which featured an array of traditional tailgate food including nachos, hot dogs, and peanuts, and beer for runners 21+.
Although Sunday marked the very first War Eagle Run Fest, it certainly will not be the last. Next year’s event is already scheduled for Feb. 19, 2023. Runners can learn more about the War Eagle Run Fest at https://www.wareaglerunfest.com
For a list of all FRESHJUNKIE Racing events, please click here.
ABOUT FRESHJUNKIE RACING:
FRESHJUNKIE Racing is an event production company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They have been producing a variety of running and multisport events through the southern United States for 13 years.
For more info visit: https://freshjunkieracing.com/
