Cold, rough winds don't deter Viking Half Marathon athletes

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The participants in the Viking 10k and 5k begin their race in downtown Greenwood.

Runners take off from the Front Street starting line of the Viking Half Marathon race Saturday while braving windy, 46-degree conditions.

Aaron Ford of Saltillo was the winner of the Viking Half Marathon Saturday.

Frank Holiman of Carrollton won the Viking 5k race.

Aaron Ford, left, crosses the finish line of the Viking Half Marathon on Saturday, while shouting encouragement at Archer Russell, another participant competing in the 10K.

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Cold, rough winds don't deter Viking Half Marathon athletes

As Aaron Ford neared the finish line of the Viking Half Marathon Saturday morning, his focus was on encouraging other runners.

“Finish strong!” he yelled to Archer Russell, a participant in the 10K race who was just ahead.

Ford, a 43-year-old from Saltillo, finished first in the half marathon with a time of 1 hour, 27 minutes and 55 seconds. He is a physical therapist operating a clinic in Tupelo.

This is his 20th year competing in endurance sports and his second attempt at the annual Viking Half Marathon, 10K & 5K — one of the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce’s yearly events.

“I ran the race in 2023,” he said. “We had a good time. It’s a good course and there is good weather out here.”

Ford said he typically does three running races each year and around five triathlons, which are multisport races consisting of swimming, cycling and running over various distances.

“It just puts you in a good mood. That’s really why I do it, more of the mental side rather than the physical,” he said.

The half marathon started at 7:30 a.m., with the temperature around 46 degrees and high winds to deter runners.

“The wind was tough,” Ford said. “I really didn’t look at my pace too much. I was actually going by my heart rate. When the wind was behind me, I was able to push a little bit more.”

Brayden Mitchell of Madison finished the half marathon in second place, followed by Allison Folk of Leland in third.

At 8 a.m., the 10K and 5K races started simultaneously. Across the three races, there were a total of 142 participants.

The 10K winner was 12-year-old Rafe Andrews. He finished with a time of 53 minutes and eight seconds in his first ever attempt at a 10K.

The Boyle native attends Bayou Academy and is on the cross country team. He said he has been to Greenwood several times and enjoys traveling to the city.

“I just like running and seeing God’s glory,” Andrews said. “...The course here was good, I liked it.”

Finishing in second place in the 10K was Andrea Hickerson of Oxford, and finishing in third place was Trakouri Jackson of Greenville.

Frank Holiman of Carrollton was the top finisher in the 5K distance, who was also at the top of the leaderboard during last year’s Viking 5K distance. He also had a top finish in the 2024 300 Oaks Road Race, the other annual running event organized by the Chamber of Commerce.

“I think (5K) is a good distance,” Holiman said. “It’s not too long, but it’s not too short.”

He said the flat course in Greenwood always makes it fun to run. He finished with a time of 17 minutes and 56 seconds, nearly five minutes ahead of Chris Phillips of Greenwood in second place. Verderius Fipps of Greenwood finished in third place in the 5K.

- Contact Taylor Thompson at 662-581-7239 or tthompson@gwcommonwealth.com.

Men's Half Marathon Results

Place	Name	Chip Time	Age	City
1	Aaron Ford	1:27:55.6	43	Saltillo
2	Brayden Mitchell	1:31:03.3	19	Madison
3	Jake Metcalfe	1:38:19.4	41	Tupelo
4	Wyatt Young	1:47:43.0	28	Mathiston
5	Patrick Myers	1:49:26.4	36	Houston, Texas
6	Rich Hewlett	1:51:09.6	51	Starkville
7	Shanehan Westphal	1:52:41.5	48	Brandon
8	Andrew Kruchten	1:52:49.7	25	Memphis, Tennessee
9	Jeff Keady	1:53:40.2	65	Thomaston, Georgia
10	Don Brown	1:55:04.7	78	Minden, Louisiana
11	Kris Riddle	1:55:08.7	51	Tupelo
12	Kenner Todd	1:55:30.2	25	Starkville
13	Jeff Horn	2:02:00.4	53	Tunica
14	Austin McCausley	2:04:21.1	24	Benton
15	Adam Coward	2:11:18.6	45	Belden
16	Charles Redditt	2:17:07.1	57	Conway, Arkansas
17	Bryce Hickerson	2:17:17.3	16	Oxford
18	Floyd Melton	2:20:26.8	53	Greenwood
19	Frank Ognibene	2:29:16.0	77	Germantown, Tennessee
20	Graham Warr	2:34:05.2	58	Memphis, Tennessee
21	Timmy Farish	2:39:26.0	41	Louisville
22	Patrick Collins	2:40:17.1	46	Carrollton
23	Erin Brown	2:42:05.2	35	Cleveland
24	Michael Carroll	2:44:46.6	64	Memphis, Tennessee
25	Kris Dixon	2:57:26.2	47	Sherwood, Arkansas
26	Tommy Dixon	2:57:26.8	74	Eudora, Arkansas
27	Michael Warren	3:01:14.1	20	Greenwood

Women's Half Marathon Results

Place	Name	Chip Time	Age	City
1	Allison Folk	1:36:34.5	31	Leland
2	Jennifer Chintala	1:39:52.3	48	Geneva, Illinois
3	Gray Blocker	1:49:10.5	37	Greenwood
4	Susan Fortenberry	1:49:41.7	45	Clinton
5	Cayden Gentry	1:54:15.3	19	Maben
6	Sandra Dixon	1:54:37.5	64	Taylor, Arkansas
7	Casey McGhee	1:57:05.5	49	Memphis, Tennessee
8	Kesha Smith	2:03:01.7	49	Blytheville, Arkansas
9	Rachel Pritchett	2:17:06.5	43	Nashville, Tennessee
10	Maria Mata	2:19:28.1	44	Montrose, Arkansas
11	Sydney Raines Davis	2:25:34.1	21	Starkville
12	Brenda Johnson	2:30:18.1	70	Starkville
13	Lindsey Gentry	2:35:09.7	49	Maben
14	Susanna Klocke	2:35:27.9	57	Collierville, Tennessee
15	Sarah Ognibene	2:45:30.5	68	Germantown, Tennessee
16	Ava Scott	3:01:12.9	19	Greenwood
17	Betty Gill	3:03:55.1	75	Columbus

Men's 10 Results

Place	Name	Chip Time	Age	City
1	Rafe Andrews	53:08.4	12	Boyle
2	Trakouri Jackson	55:23.2	39	Greenville
3	Dylan Jones	55:29.6	33	Indianola
4	Archer Russell	57:42.8	12	Gunnison
5	David Jones	58:45.3	62	Clarksdale, Georgia
6	Eric Harriman	1:01:28.3	57	Columbia, Louisiana
7	Harding Hubbard	1:01:44.1	48	Yazoo City
8	Michael Plunkett	1:23:21.9	51	Fulton
9	Brad Borth	1:32:32.0	77	Enterprise, Louisiana
10	Sriram Nallani	1:32:49.0	60	Greenwood
11	Michael Kennedy	1:51:13.5	55	New Albany

Women's 10k Results

Place	Name	Chip Time	Age	City
1	Andrea Hickerson	54:42.2	46	Oxford
2	Heather Henry	55:44.2	48	Columbus
3	Katie Toomey	55:59.4	40	Greenwood
4	Airrin Metz	56:14.3	28	Greenwood
5	Becky Ganz	59:56.5	52	Freeburg, Illinois
6	Angela Williams	1:00:37.0	44	Clarksdale
7	Karin Bowen	1:00:39.9	47	Brandon
8	Kelsie Tribble	1:03:46.9	37	Greenwood
9	Eileen Hill	1:08:46.2	41	Starkville
10	Jackie Helm	1:09:21.6	56	O'Fallon, Illinois
11	Mary Coleman	1:16:49.3	39	Starkville
12	Melissa Plunkett	1:18:07.9	53	Fulton
13	Diane Sampson	1:20:33.8	66	Yazoo City
14	Julie Russell	1:21:25.2	43	Gunnison
15	Lee Hartmann	1:22:34.8	68	Tupelo
16	Haley Carpenter	1:33:13.2	33	Baldwyn
17	Debra Kinser	1:47:38.5	71	Jackson
18	Katelin Kopf	1:51:14.3	35	Coldwater

Men's 5k Results

Place	Name	Chip Time	Age	City
1	Frank Holiman	17:56.8	31	Carrollton
2	Chris Phillips	22:04.8	14	Greenwood
3	Verderius Fipps	22:29.8	25	Greenwood
4	Rafael Villasana	22:38.9	43	Greenwood
5	Dale Henry	23:06.0	47	Columbus
6	Michael Hargrove	26:46.9	36	Grenada
7	Tucker Arnold	28:25.5	30	Greenwood
8	Bryant Gatica	28:54.4	20	Sidon
9	Brian Fortenberry	29:48.9	48	Clinton
10	Alex Sanders	30:39.5	48	Oxford
11	Cleother Crain	32:02.1	35	Greenwood
12	Randy Stagner	32:04.0	53	Carrollton
13	Iker Villasana	33:38.7	10	Greenwood
14	Tony Jones	34:55.3	39	Grenada
15	John Retherford	41:30.2	62	Madison
16	Hugh Warren	42:21.3	62	Greenwood
17	Gage Rokasky	46:33.3	24	Holcomb
18	Jaxon Gary	46:34.6	6	Holcomb
19	Jerry Hicks	46:51.7	56	Greenwood
20	Michael Sampson	46:58.6	63	Yazoo City
21	David Hill	51:58.9	60	West Point
22	Jerry Stephenson	54:28.7	71	Greenville
23	Jessie Rokasky	55:13.5	45	Carrollton
24	Ryan Ingram	1:01:31.7	30	Seminary
25	Jeremy Williams	1:06:23.1	35	Greenwood

Women's 5k Results

Place	Name	Chip Time	Age	City
1	Skyler Phillips	28:06.1	19	Greenwood
2	Mabry Montgomery	28:19.2	31	Greenwood
3	Christin Turnipseed	29:02.4	45	Ackerman
4	Tonya Wofford	31:16.1	52	Hernando
5	Ava Dubard	31:22.0	19	McCarley
6	Ainslee Obryan	32:52.3	14	McCarley
7	Katie Troutt	34:22.0	36	Carrollton
8	Vicki Jee	35:09.1	67	Greenwood
9	Julie Hill	35:22.3	46	West Point
10	Beth Sanders	36:01.0	46	Oxford
11	Jodi Harriman	38:50.4	56	Columbia, Louisiana
12	Eleanor Hinckley	39:05.6	11	Greenwood
13	Libby Rokasky	39:22.7	39	Carrollton
14	Amber Stanley	40:13.6	33	Greenwood
15	Susie Johnson	40:23.2	19	Sidon
16	Alexandria Thompson	40:51.7	29	Greenwood
17	Alderine Hubbard	41:06.7	46	Yazoo City
18	Elizabeth Hinckley	45:26.7	38	Greenwood
19	Lauren Tackett	45:31.5	36	Greenwood
20	Whitney Wise	45:32.3	39	Greenwood
21	Cecilia Hinckley	45:35.0	8	Greenwood
22	Gracie Barnette	46:37.4	25	Holcomb
23	Renee Young	46:47.5	52	Columbus
24	Jamie Hicks	46:52.2	43	Greenwood
25	Lydia Jacobs-Stagner	47:26.3	14	Greenwood
26	Callie Sanders	49:55.2	11	Oxford
27	Beth Harney	55:11.6	55	Princeton, Texas
28	Crystal Harney	55:11.6	47	Princeton, Texas
29	Kelia Thompson	57:46.8	34	Greenwood
30	Margarette Meeks	58:01.0	63	Greenwood

https://www.columbianprogress.com/cold-rough-winds-dont-deter-viking-half-marathon-athletes-69c8179f9ad68

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