A “year of transition” for Seth Ruhling ended in his second overall victory in the Karen Lawrence Run, which also was in a year of transition.
The 20-year-old Collegedale Academy graduate is in the process of leaving Lee University for Southern Adventist, and he outran Lee teammate Matt Jenkins for the 4.2-mile victory in 22 minutes, 34 seconds Wednesday night from the downtown Sports Barn. Jenkins, 21, was second in 23:23, with Jarrod Andrews, Daniel Mihaescu and Josh Erherd completing the top five in 24:08, 25:00 and 25:07.
Shanna Hutchinson, 33, was the women’s winner and 13th overall in 28:26, six seconds and one place ahead of Sara Gibson. Hutchinson grew up in Chattanooga but just moved back over the Thanksgiving holiday from San Francisco, where she lived eight months after nine years in Aspen, Colo.
“I’m a software engineer, so I work remotely. I can live anywhere,” she said. “I love Chattanooga. I love all the sports and the trails, and my family lives here and it’s a great city.”
She is more of a distance trail runner — she ran the Lookout Mountain trail 10k earlier this month — but had a strong finish Wednesday.
“Sara led me most of the way. She had a good pace,” Hutchinson said.
Ruhling also won on New Year’s Eve in 2012 — in 23:48 — and finished second last year, when Lee coach Caleb Morgan was second to University of Tennessee at Chattanooga runner Paul Stuart in the 35th time the race benefited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year the race began benefiting Chattanooga’s Ronald McDonald House Charities.
“I love Caleb. I definitely owe a lot to him — all he’s taught me in a year and a half of coaching me,” Ruhling said.
But it was another coach who was on his mind — Van Townsend, the former Baylor School coach who tutored him during his high school years but whose battle with cancer has taken a downward turn.
“He’s very sick, and I dedicated this race to him,” Ruhling said. “I hope everyone will pray for Coach Townsend.”
Ruhling was happy to end 2014 on a high note for himself. He pulled away from Jenkins on the second lap over the Walnut Street Bridge and was in control the rest of the way.
“I’ve been in a year of transition,” he said. “It’s had a lot of ups and a lot of downs and I’m changing schools, but my mindset from a year ago this time is completing different. This was a great way to end the year.”
Sam Boozer, 54, and Lisa Logan, 42, were the masters winners in 27:56 and 30:52. Boozer was 10th overall.
Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.