Friday, May 14, 2010 -- Charleston, WV / Magic Island/ Kanawha Blvd
Sundown Showdown - Spring/Summer Speed Series #2 (iPO Event Id#: 12680)

[Details] [Coverage] [Photos] [Overall Results]

Wet and happy at the Sundown Showdown

Story and photos by George Gannon

After tackling The Boston Marathon, a two-mile race might not seem like much, but Jason Pyles ran hard at the Sundown Showdown in Charleston.

The race starts near the intersection of Kanawha Boulevard and Pennsylvania Ave, takes runners to Florida Street , sends them back toward the starting point and ends with a loop around Magic Island.

Pyles was moving so fast, he actually beat race organizers to the turnaround and he went a little too far.

Speeding alongside the Kanawha River

"That might have cost me 15 seconds or so," he said. Pyles finished with a time of 10:02. While he didn't take the top spot in Bean Town, Pyles said running in the venerable race was something he'll never forget.

"The experience was awesome," he said.

Rounding out the top three was Brandon Harless (10:39) and Nick Bias (10:42).

Ninety-four racers participated in the event, which took place Friday evening. They also braved a brief, but torrential downpour that delayed the start by about 30 minutes.

The Sundown Showdown is the second in the Summer Speed Series sponsored by The City of Charleston and The Tallman Track Club. Next up is the Run With A Cop 5K. It's set for June 12 at 8 a.m.