LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Christian Thompson rolled to the 17th annual Oak Barrel Half championship, his fourth in six years on a sultry, scenic Saturday morning.
Thompson, 37, of Ooltewah, Tenn., dashed to the finish line on the town square in 1:17:20. That’s the slowest of his four wins, but he took this year’s title by about two minutes.
Carson Miller, 37, of Madison, was second, in 1:19:29. Tyler Morring, 17, of Toney, had a fine showing to claim third place, crossing in 1:19:35. Morring was the youngest finisher until Trevor Murphy, also 17, of Flintville, crossed in 89th place.
Tennessee runners swept the women’s podium. Lauren Coile, 32, of Chattanooga, won the title in 1:29:58. She was 14th overall. Rachel Mason, 40, of Signal Mountain, was second (16th) in 1:31:19, and Emily Rollins, 40, of Franklin, third (18th) in 1:32:37.
Thompson won the popular race in 2024 in 1:12, in 2022 in 1:08 and in 2020 in 1:10. He alternated titles for a few years with Josh Whitehead of Madison, who is rehabbing from injury and did not race Saturday.
The course winds through rural Moore County Tennessee and passes the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. It finishes the 13.1 mile loop on the Lynchburg town square. Temperatures were in the low 70s at the 8 a.m. start, climbing during the morning. Several runners were treated for heat-related issues.
See all of the results here and an array of photos by We Run Race Photos here.
