Courtesy of Jacksonville Progress - By Michelle Dillon mdillon@jacksonvilleprogress.com
The fifth annual Jingle Jog was hosted by CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Saturday, Dec. 4, with over 250 participants registering for the event. The 5K fun run was open to runners and walkers of all ages, with a Kids Dash preceding the main event.
The 2021 Jingle Jog sold out a week prior to the event, surprising organizers, according to Meredith Bryans, General Manager of ITRI365 Timing & Event Production.
Jingle Jog last year was completely virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic and entries into this year’s run were slightly less than previous years due to continued COVID-19 concerns, according to Bryans.
Jacksonville High School cheerleaders were present to encourage and applaud runners.
Santa made an appearance at the event as well. With weather conditions hindering his helicopter transport, Santa had to catch a ride on a Jacksonville fire truck to reach the fun run.
Registered participants, age 5 through 66, included individuals, couples, parents and their children. They dressed in holiday fashions, event T-shirts or whatever was comfortable. Some ran, some jogged with strollers, and still others walked.
The first 10 male runners to cross the finish, with their place and time, were:
• Clay Emge, first, 16:14
• Nicholas Andrade, third, 19:59
• Christopher W. Alexander, fourth, 20:08
• Thomas Brown, fifth, 20:38
• Christian Jack, sixth, 20:44
• Kirby Shepherd, seventh, 20:44
• Matt Meredith, eighth, 21:37
• Christopher Alexander, ninth, 22:22
• Tony Vining, 10th, 23:30
• Luis Rivas, 13th, 24:31
The top 10 female finishers were:
• Mallory Merdith, second, 16:14
• Keely Johnson, 11th, 24:15
• Leslie Hale, 12th, 24:19
• Li-Yu Mitchell, 17th, 25:14
• Anne Clare Cupepper, 21st, 26:25
• Claire Tipton, 22nd, 26:37
• Meagan Molandes, 23rd, 27:07
• Megan Riaz, 24th, 27:26
• Jessica Clark, 28th, 28:35
• Aremy Medina, 29th, 28:48
For a full list of runners and their finishes, visit itri365.com/results.