Controvery at annual Kiwanis Greater Goldsboro Road Run

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on April 16, 2006 2:16 AM

• Print
• Email

The News-Argus

The 28th annual Sunrise Kiwanis Greater Goldsboro Road Run -- featuring a 10K, 5K run, 5K walk and one-mile fun run -- was held downtown last Saturday.

Out of 24 runners, Goldsboro native Michael Scott won the 10K with a time of 37:17, Jamie Cawood (Goldsboro, 37:45) and Tim Insley (Dudley, 40:09) finished second and third, respectively. Will Jay Hankerson of Wilson finished fourth at 41:31, followed by Dudley's Kent Vinson at 41:52.

Caroline Orr of Greenville was the highest female finisher at 45:05.

In the 5K, Paula Baldasano of Goldsboro took first at 19:14 as Dudley native Donnie Duggins (20:11) took second. Goldsboro natives Steven Hendricks (20:18) and Preston Schlachter (20:33) claimed third and fourth as Rocky Mount's John Tracey (20:40) finished fifth.

More than 70 runners participated in the 5K.

At the end of the 5K run, there was confusion about the course of the race. According to Patty Enloe, whose son Nik Fredrick was at the front of the race, the top four runners -- Fredrick, Tim Wright, Duncan Smith and Wayne Brodhead -- were led by a patrol car off the official course. They were eventually disqualified and refunded their entry fees by the race officials.

"I ran in the 5K. When I reached the finish line, I was advised by other members of the club that the lead runners had followed the police car that made a turn on Walnut Street before it got to the finish line," race director Ferris Duncan said. "These runners had inquired about what would happen. I tried to find those runners, and eventually talked to them and explained to them that we were sorry that the police car had caused them to go off course.

"Once they were off course, we had no way to determine their time. As far as considering them the winner, we couldn't do that.

Enloe stated that Duggins, the official winner, gave his first-place plaque to Fredrick following the race.

"It's been our practice to have maps of the race course posted where the participants can see it," Duncan added. "We also brief the police on the route and we try to have the intersections covered in edition to that. We'll condition to do those things. If posting more signs in some locations will help the situation, then we'll do that to. It's unfortunate that this happened, but it did. Once it happened, we can't make it unhappen."

Terry Butler (39:46) of LaGrange won the 5K walk. Joe Johnson (Goldsboro, 39:50), Michelle Wooten (Raleigh, 44:19), Michelle Vinson (Goldsboro, 46:27) and Lee Adams (Goldsboro, 46:28) rounded out the top five.