By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
May 6, 2001
Ian Hajek and Mike Thrailkill are 21 years apart chronologically.
But when it comes to 5K road races, the two are barely inseparable.
Hajek, 16, was six seconds faster than the 37-year-old Thrailkill in the seventh-annual Bonita Classic 5K Saturday morning.
Hajek crossed the final line at 17:17, while Thrailkill had a time of 17:23. David Pearce (18:12) was third, followed by Maurice Malone (18:49), Jason Vega (19:03), and Jess May (19:37).
Frannie Childs, 28, was the women's overall winner with a time of 21:47. Holly Corbitt (22:43) placed second.
Hajek and Thrailkill had swapped wins in their last two 5Ks with Hajek winning the Laird Run at Union and Thrailkill taking the Anderson Cup in Meridian.
It was Hajek's third 5K win this year.
Hajek turned in his first mile at 5:18 and completed the second mile at 11:01.
For as hard as the two run during the races, there's a bond between them before and after the competition ends.
The masters winners in the 5K were Jay Vining (20:37) and Karen Womack (22:45). The grand masters winners were Maurice Malone (18:49) and Georgia Walker (27:17).
The overall winners in the two-mile walk were Johnnie Bradley (24:23) and Mattie Williams (24:28).
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.