When 112 runners met Sunday at the soccer fields west of Nolan Elementary School on Signal Mountain, 76 had already run 40 miles in two days on two other Chattanooga mountains (Lookout and Raccoon). The early morning temperatures, already in the mid 70s, threatened to continue the hot weather trend of the last two days. Luckily for the runners a cool breeze accompanied them as they made their way around Signal Mountain’s trail system.

The day’s results were consistent with the previous two days with Signal Mountain local and Rock Creek Team Member/Boonies Board Member Matt Sims and Eric Charette of Huntsville, AL trading off the lead and Aaron Drevlow of Stillwater, MN and Lee Simril of Chattanooga finishing in third and fourth respectively, as they had the two previous days.

Mr. Charette arrived at the first aid station 3.3 miles into the race just seconds ahead of Mr. Sims, but Mr. Sims quickly took the lead and finished the challenging 20 miles in 3:02:54 winning the stage and the three days cumulatively in a time of 8:36:16 for the total 60 miles. Mr. Charette finished second for the stage and second overall in 8:56:29 and Aaron Drevlow finished third in 8:59:57. First place master's male finisher Lee Simril had a cumulative time of 9:16:25.

Robin Meagher finished first female for the day in 3:32:22 and for the overall three-day standings in 9:49:46. Brenda Simril of Chattanooga was 6 minutes behind for the day and only 20 minutes behind for the three days. Signal Mountain local and Rock Creek Team Member Natalie Sims rounded off the top three women’s finishes with a 3:49:27 for the day and a 10:26:57 overall.

The course featured two new trail sections this year; the most memorable, a cave traverse, occurred at 11 miles.

Runners came from thirteen states. The youngest finisher was Shane Shelton, 17, of Harrison, Tenn. and the oldest finisher was Sergio Bianchini, 68, of Eastridge, Tenn.

Proceeds from the race benefit Boonies, a non-profit trail enthusiasts' club based in Chattanooga.

The three-day event was supported by Smartwool, Rock Creek Outfitters, Boonies, Greenlife, Salomon, Hammer Nutrition, Marmot, Archer Physical Therapy, the Lula Lake Land Trust, Covenant College, and numerous local volunteers and support agencies.

For more information on the stage race, go to www.rockcreek.com/stagerace.

Stage 3 Results

1 3:02:02 Matt Sims M 37 Signal Mountain,TN
2 3:09:28 Eric Charette M 33 Huntsville,AL
3 3:19:20 Aaron Drevlow M 35 Woodbury,MN
4 3:28:44 Lee Simril M 44 Chattanooga,TN
5 3:28:46 Lance Steele M 38 Ringgold,GA
6 3:28:47 Michael Greene M 41 Chattanooga,TN
7 3:30:51 Sheridan Ames M 48 Signal Mountain,TN
8 3:31:04 Mitchell KohlmannM 27 Chattanooga,TN
9 3:32:22 Robin Meagher F 28 Atlanta,GA
10 3:32:41 Roxanne Zobava F 33 Atlanta,GA
11 3:32:58 Sal Coll M 48 Chattanooga,TN
12 3:38:28 Brenda Simril F 41 Chattanooga,TN
13 3:40:37 Jeff Woody M 45 Knoxville,TN
14 3:41:07 John Wiygul M 19 Chattanoga,TN
15 3:43:24 Sean Blanton M 23 Atlanta,GA
16 3:45:37 Tyler Dawkins M 27 South Pittsburg,TN
17 3:47:03 Chad Wamack M 38 Chattanooga,TN
18 3:47:04 Kevin Boucher M 30 Chattanooga,TN
19 3:49:02 Natalie Sims F 35 Signal Mountain,TN
20 3:49:55 Sergio BianchiniM 68 East Ridge,TN
21 3:51:56 Matt Silva M 33 Atlanta,GA
22 3:53:01 Joshua Bateman Loveswhit, M 21 Decatur,AL
23 3:53:02 Whitney Medlen F 22 Madison,AL
24 3:53:07 Johnny Pryor M 48 Nashville,TN
25 3:55:10 Michael ScherzerM 42 Ringgold,GA
26 3:55:48 Eric Fritz M 41 Huntsville,AL
27 3:56:22 Joseph Fejes M 43 Hoschton,GA
28 3:56:32 Chris Lollar M 32 Birmingham,AL
29 3:57:05 Brett Noerager M 38 Homewood,AL
30 4:01:23 Dreama Campbell F 36 Chattanooga,TN
31 4:09:09 Clay Warner M 26 Ringgold,GA
32 4:09:10 William Warner M 56 Ringgold,GA
33 4:09:31 Amy Bourie F 30 Fayetteville,NC
34 4:17:41 Marcus Farris M 19 Huntsville,AL
35 4:19:14 Mark Mason M 40 Chattanooga,TN
36 4:25:52 Sarah Woerner F 19 Dunlap,TN
37 4:25:57 Carl Woerner M 46 Dunlap,TN
38 4:27:09 Doug Dooley M 47 Signal Mountain,TN
39 4:28:05 Shane Shelton M 17 Harrison,TN
40 4:30:14 Peter Greene M 37 Ringgold,GA
41 4:34:07 David MaGuirk M 42 Thompsons Statn,TN
42 4:36:25 Greg Myers M 44 Dallas, GA
43 4:45:35 Beverly Brower F 28 Ridgeland,MS
44 4:47:06 Scott Black M 44 Barbourville,KY
45 4:48:28 Nathan Helton
46 4:48:49 Laura Matejik F 27 Huntsville,AL
47 4:50:05 Linda Scavarda F 25 Toney,AL
48 4:50:06 Joey Butler M 41 Madison,AL
49 4:51:33 Doug Cassiday M 43 Maysville,GA
50 4:51:50 Lisa Arnold F 40 Hendersonville,NC
51 4:53:06 Joey Howe
52 4:55:56 Blake Hamby M 32 Birmingham,AL
53 4:58:11 John Brower M 33 Ridgeland,MS
54 4:59:39 Stephanie CurranF 39 Litchfield,NH
55 5:00:17 Heath Foster M 24 Lookout Mtn,GA
56 5:00:41 Perry Sebastian M 49 Columbus,GA
57 5:01:02 Jadyn Stevens M 32 Fairview,TN
58 5:01:08 Vikena Yutz F 38 Dallas,GA
59 5:01:10 Jamie Medlen F
60 5:03:05 Nicole Howe F 34 Maryville,TN
61 5:04:22 Mike Hopton M 57 Daphne,AL
62 5:07:06 Keppy Baucom M 26 Fayetteville,NC
63 5:07:07 Pennington Garvitch
64 5:16:54 Lisa Zaccarelli F 40 Nashville, TN
65 5:17:31 Krist Battalni F 34 Chicago,IL
66 5:17:42 Diane Taylor F 52 Nashville,TN
67 5:20:37 Larry Rigsby M 57 Signal Mountain,TN
68 5:23:22 Beth Rice F 50 Knoxville,TN
69 5:27:58 Mark Elson M 49 Woodstock,GA
70 5:29:38 Philip Sheridan M 34 Minneapolis,MN
71 5:31:00 Kim Pike F 42 Atlanta,GA
72 6:00:54 Jim Heirigs M 50 Lakeland,TN
73 6:00:55 Alissa Schild F 28 Lakeland,TN
74 6:00:55 Emily Conley F 37 Lakeland,TN
75 6:01:52 Tracy Sproule F 38 charlotte,NC
76 6:04:55 Mike O'Melia M 47 Hampton Cove,AL
77 6:05:20 Kimberly Fuller F 37 Atlanta,GA
78 6:07:14 Larry Lyda M 54 Spring City,TN
79 6:14:36 Mimi Hughes F 53 Taft,TN
80 6:23:18 Nikki Lockhart F 39 New Tazewell,TN
81 6:23:19 Bobby Lockhart M 41 New Tazewell,TN

Overall Results (for all 3 days)

1 8:36:16 Matt Sims M 37
2 8:56:29 Eric Charette M 33
3 8:59:57 Aaron Drevlow M 35
4 9:16:25 Lee Simril M 44
5 9:26:48 Lance Steele M 38
6 9:33:20 Mitchell Kohlmann M 27
7 9:40:43 Kevin Boucher M 30
8 9:46:04 Sheridan Ames M 48
9 9:49:46 Robin Meagher F 28
10 10:00:18 Sal Coll M 48
11 10:09:58 Brenda Simril F 41
12 10:16:53 Matt Silva M 33
13 10:21:22 John Wiygul M 19
14 10:26:57 Natalie Sims F 35
15 10:27:32 Jeff Woody M 45
16 10:27:33 Joseph Fejes M 43
17 10:29:38 Tyler Dawkins M 27
18 10:37:21 Sergio Bianchini M 68
19 10:37:59 Marcus Farris M 19
20 10:43:02 Chad Wamack M 38
21 10:51:58 Johnny Pryor M 48
22 10:52:38 Doug Cassiday M 43
23 10:58:48 Joshua Bateman Loveswhit M 21
24 10:59:11 Whitney Medlen F 22
25 10:59:34 Michael Scherzer M 42
26 11:01:36 Brett Noerager M 38
27 11:16:09 Chris Lollar M 32
28 11:27:50 Amy Bourie F 30
29 11:52:55 Jadyn Stevens M 32
30 11:54:27 Mark Mason M 40
31 12:00:53 Joey Butler M 41
32 12:05:31 Sarah Woerner F 19
33 12:08:05 Carl Woerner M 46
34 12:16:26 Doug Dooley M 47
35 12:25:18 Linda Scavarda F 25
36 12:36:17 David MaGuirk M 42
37 12:40:59 Scott Black M 44
38 12:42:18 Philip Sheridan M 34
39 12:45:19 Shane Shelton M 17
40 12:57:41 Beverly Brower F 28
41 13:16:17 Peter Greene M 37
42 13:33:34 Blake Hamby M 32
43 13:56:41 Lisa Arnold F 40
44 13:57:52 Vikena Yutz F 38
45 14:00:16 Stephanie Curran F 39
46 14:04:22 Mike Hopton M 57
47 14:12:12 Krist Battalni F 34
48 14:25:08 Beth Rice F 50
49 14:43:35 Larry Rigsby M 57
50 14:55:13 Kim Pike F 42
51 14:59:50 Kimberly A. Fuller F 37
52 15:29:05 Diane Taylor F 52
53 15:30:00 Mike O'Melia M 47
54 15:43:22 Emily Conley F 37
55 15:57:16 Larry Lyda M 54
56 15:58:28 Alissa Schild F 28
57 15:58:30 Jim Heirigs M 50
58 16:00:20 Mimi Hughes F 53
59 17:31:06 Nikki Lockhart F 39
60 17:31:06 Bobby Lockhart M 41