One hundred eighty runners completed the inaugural Tryon half-marathon hosted by the Tryon Running Club on Saturday, Nov. 17.

The ages of the finishers ranged from 15 to 71. Profits from the registration fees will be donated to the Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry of Polk County.

Brett Morley of Landrum was the first overall finisher with a time of 1:13:36.  Morley was a member of the award-winning Landrum High School cross country team.  After graduation, Morley ran cross country for Spartanburg Methodist College. He currently is a member of the cross country team at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C.

Todd Walter, also of Landrum, was the overall masters male finisher with a time of 1:24:38.  Walter was also fourth overall. Walter, a Landrum physician, is an assistant coach to the cross country team at Landrum High School.

Amber Moran of Asheville was the first overall female finisher with a time of 1:26:48.  Natalie Taylor of Raleigh was first masters female with a time of 1:32:44.

Complete race results can be found at runningtime.info/2012/r12.htm

The out-and-back course began on Harmon Field Road, made a left onto Highway 108 and then a right onto Clarence Rhodes Road, then to Scriven Road, and down River Road until a marked turn around to follow the course back to turn left onto Highway 108, then right onto Howard Gap Road where it entered Harmon Field via the “tomato fields” trail (Cane Brake) on the left to finish at the Harmon Field track.

Scarlette Bennett Tapp, race director, expressed her appreciation to the runners, the volunteers and the many others who made the race a success.

“I really want to be eloquent here, but there are just two little words that sum up yesterday, thank you.  I said at the awards ceremony something I truly believe, that charity races cannot happen without each of these four components: sponsors to make the event financially possible to put on and then on top of that, enable us to give a significant portion to a chosen charity; runners to sign up, spend months training and then put their own personal athletic dreams on the line when they sign up for your race;  volunteers who are the work horses that give up time from family or work doing crazy jobs at crazy hours; and community partners such as hospitals, police departments, first responders, you name it!  So no matter where you fell on the spectrum yesterday, I want to thank you for choosing the Tryon Half Marathon! Let’s do this again next year!”

– article submitted by Lorin Browning