A total of 113 two-person teams helped raise $13,000 Saturday for local non-profit organizations during the third annual The Amazing Race of Highland County.
Race organizer DJ Jamieson said 23 local non-profit organizations, plus the Highland County Family YMCA, will benefit from the event’s proceeds, which has now raised $39,000 in three years to help local charities.
“It was great. Fantastic. We had no hiccups, no injuries and the weather cooperated,” Jamieson said. “Everything went off without a hitch.”
Jamieson said next year’s race will be held Saturday, Aug. 13. It is held annually on the second Saturday in August.
The race course is seven to eight kilometers long and this year had 20 challenge stations that the teams had to finish before moving on. The stations are usually manned by the non-profit organizations that benefit from the race.
Jamieson said the YMCA was included among those who benefit from the race because it serves a vital role in the event.
“The race goes right through the YMCA. We couldn’t do it without them,” Jamieson said. He said that three of the challenge stations were inside the YMCA building, a 100-foot long slip-and-slide challenge was located on the hillside behind the Y and its outdoor volleyball courts are also used.
The goal for the future, Jamieson said, is to add more teams. Last year 115 teams took part.
“The more teams we have the more money we can donate to local non-profits,” Jamieson said. “We’d like to branch out and maybe get people from other areas involved like Chillicothe, Wilmington, Washington C.H. and others. I think our best advertisement is just putting on a great race and I think we did that.
“It’s such a great location out there. There’s lots of parking, creeks and ponds to go through, the 5K course. We could probably accommodate a few hundred teams.”
The race is held primarily at Liberty Park, but also takes place on land owned by Southern State Community College, the city of Hillsboro and Weastec.
The overall winners this year were the Amazing Cousins team of Reaghan Haines and Wyatt Evans, who finished in a time of 1:05:34. The overall runners-up were the Corner Pharmacy team of Neil Decker and Nate Luke in a time of 1:07:48. Third place went to Team Brandenburg including Elijah Brandyberry and Noah Brandyberry in a time of 1:08:54.
The top all female teams were the Running is our Therapy team of Heather Carraher and Susie Lucas in a time of 1:15:37. The runners-up were Straight off the Couch team members Lauren Greer and Kaylee Sue Laber in 1:20:32.
The all male winners were Corner Pharmacy and Team Brandenburg.
The male/female winners were the Amazing Cousins and the C & C Express team of Audra Brown and Chad Chisman in 1:15:25.
The top parent/child teams were The Euphemisms team of Michael Snarr and Ty Snarr in 1:16:06 and The Young, the Old and the Reckless team of Doug Ernst and Tessa Ernst in 1:18:15.
The winning senior teams were the Clock Stoppers consisting of James Cochenour and Carol Grate in 1:29:59 and Sisters in Sweat team members Bonita Howard and Kimberly Garrett in 1:31:53.
For full results visit www.amazingrace ofhc.org.
Jamieson said he’d like to thank the event’s main sponsor, KFC, among others, and the Blue Steel Band for playing free of charge.
“Overall it went really well,” said Jamieson. “We made some money and had lots of fun. Good times.”
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or on Twitter @13gillilandj.
