Payne, Marlier Win Chattanooga Chase 8K Titles

Bryson Harper Victorious In One-Mile Race On Monday Morning

  • Monday, May 29, 2017
  • John Hunt
John Payne  strides across the finish line of the 50th Chattanooga Chase held Monday morning in Riverview. Payne took first place in the overall men's division with a time of 26:54. Jessica Marlier was the top female finisher with a time of 31:24.
John Payne strides across the finish line of the 50th Chattanooga Chase held Monday morning in Riverview. Payne took first place in the overall men's division with a time of 26:54. Jessica Marlier was the top female finisher with a time of 31:24.
photo by Dennis Norwood

(Updated with photos.) It looked sort of like the good old days at Riverview Park Monday morning.

It was the 50th running of the Chattanooga Chasen and while Monday’s number of participants didn’t surpass the numbers posted back in the mid-80s during the running boom, they were close.

A total of 796 runners crossed the finish line in the 8K main event and the one-mile race that followed, many runners choosing to run both.  But on a day when temperatures were decent and the humidity was deceptively high, that didn’t’ seem to matter to overall winners John Payne and Jessica Marlier.

Payne had a battle with Nathan Holland and Bryson Harper for most of the hilly and challenging five-mile run through Riverview, but it was Payne who prevailed as he crossed the finish line with a time of 26 minutes, 53 seconds.

Holland was second in 27:12 while Harper had to settle for third in 27:20.

Marlier has won this race several times in years past, but Monday’s was her first race in Chattanooga in about two years.  She took up where she left off as she was 19th overall with a time of 31 minutes, 23 seconds.

Rachel Mason, who had won the Chickamauga Chase and Market Street Mile in recent weeks, was the runner-up among the females as she finished 35th in the field of 583 finishers with a time of 33:13.  Dianna Leun was third in 34:50.

While Payne and Marlier were victorious in the 8K main event, Harper was the fastest entry in the one mile as he topped the field of 213 finishers with a time of 4:45.

Jasper Wilson was second in 4:56 while Ryan Schumacher was third in 5:04.

Jennifer Huwe was the women’s one-mile winner as she claimed 23rd overall with a time of 5:58.  Charlotte Barron and Erin Gomez were next with times of 6:08 and 6:16 to finish 25th and 28th, respectively.

Payne is a 20-year-old UTC student who just completed his sophomore year.  He’s majoring in chemical engineering and he also does a pretty good job of running for the Mocs cross country and track teams.  He’s done more than his share of training in this neighborhood, but he wasn’t familiar with some of the hills early in the race leading up to the always-famous Minnekahdah.

He had talked to other UTC runners who had experience on this course, so he wasn’t totally blind-sided by the challenges of a great course.

“There aren’t many races with hills like that one, but you just have to be ready for it,” the resident of Portland, Tenn. said afterward.

“It was warmer today than I expected, but I came here knowing I was pretty strong and basically ran the race I had planned to run.  When we run down here, we just go up Hixson Pike to the right at Minnekahdah, so Shady Circle was a little longer than I expected.  But overall I had a good time,” he expressed.

Marlier is a 31-year-old fit specialist for Fleet Feet.  She knows from previous years what to expect when the race began.

“I always know this race will be hard, but there were a lot of good people to run with this morning and I was just trying to have fun,” she began.

“I was hoping to have a time faster than the Turkey Trot at the Sports Barn, but I’m happy with it.  Rachel Mason was on my heels in the first mile and that got me fired up.  Today’s time wasn’t my fastest on this course, but all in all, I’m happy with my results,” she said in her usual quiet tone.

Holland is a 33-year-old engineer for TVA who caught the attention of the veteran runners as he was wearing a shirt from the old Color Cruise 10K back in the 80s.  Turns out the shirt belongs to his father and it was all cotton, but that didn’t seem to slow him down at all.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever done a road race before as I run trails all the time and I’m not used to running that fast,” the bearded Holland began.

“I entered a 100-miler last week and only got about 40 miles, but today was fun.  I liked the uphills better as I can catch the younger guys going up, but they run faster than me going down.  If I could change this course, I’d put more uphills in it and might finish going up Young Avenue toward GPS.

“But when I came around that last turn down there, I was just trying to finish as I was hurting,” he added.

Mason has been dealing with a nagging foot injury in recent weeks.  She ran a strong race on Monday, but who’s to say if she could have gone faster with pain-free feet.

“I’m not too disappointed was I was really close to the time I was shooting for.  My foot still hurts and I was cautious because of that, but I never saw Jessica at the start of the race as there were a lot of people.  But she is an excellent runner who just broke off and left me behind.  I still enjoyed my run,” she said, explaining that 2011 was the last time she entered this race.

Harper, like Marlier, is a previous winner of this race.  The former Sequatchie County and Bryan College standout is really a talented young man, but he’s just coming back from a torn ACL and broken leg he suffered while playing soccer last year.

“It’s really good to be back from that ACL tear as I did no running for eight months.  I just came out here wanting to enjoy competing again.  I wasn’t planning to run the one-mile but Alan Outlaw (race director) talked me into it.  The 8K was about what I expected, but my training isn’t what I’d like it to be yet.

“I’ve won this race a couple of times, but I’ve done the double.  It was a good run for me,” the 28-year-old Unum employee smiled.

Joe Bray was another runner who did both races on Monday.  The only difference was his left arm was in a cast and sling after breaking it last weekend in a mountain bike accident.

“This didn’t seem to slow me down too much, but I just live right up the street and simply couldn’t resist,” the 29-year-old nuclear engineer explained.

Perhaps the greatest amount of cheering was saved for last as 89-year-old Jane Ensign set a state record for the third straight year in the one mile.

She’s the mother of Tim and Pete and posted a time of 26:09, which was just a few seconds off last year’s time of 25:31.

“I don’t think I’m going to make it,” she said as she approached the finish line.

“I did pretty well until Pete tried to slow me down.  I know that Tim broke his arm a few weeks ago after running a mile and I guess they were worried I might fall, but I felt pretty good today.

“I love setting records, but the only reason is no other old people are doing it.  But I could see the finish line and I wanted to get there as soon as possible.  I’ll probably be here next year, but maybe as just a cheerleader for everyone else,” she said.

Defending champ Seth Ruhling was present and competed, but his time suffered as he’s been sick in recent days.

“I just went out and died on the course,” he said after finishing ninth overall in 29:23.

“I’ve been sick for a few sick and whether that played a role today or not, I’m not sure, but I just wanted to finish.  Today was a good day to play,  but I think I’m going to bypass the one mile,” the Fast Break sales associated explained while other runners were still approaching the finish line.

The next race on the Chattanooga Track Club schedule will be the Riverbend Run 10K and 5K, which will be held on Saturday, June 17.

(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)

Jessica Marlier raises her arms in victory as she crosses the finish line of the 50th Chattanooga Chase Monday morning. Marlier finished with a winning time of 31:24.
Jessica Marlier raises her arms in victory as she crosses the finish line of the 50th Chattanooga Chase Monday morning. Marlier finished with a winning time of 31:24.
photo by Dennis Norwood
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