LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Christian Thompson and Rachel Mason rolled out the barrels in celebration after earning wins in the annual Oak Barrel Half-Marathon on April 6.
Thompson, of Ooltewah, Tenn., won by more than a minute in a sizzling 1:12:21. He clipped Josh Whitehead of Madison, who crossed in 1:13:16. Whitehead won the 2023 race, and Thompson was second. New year, role reversal, eh?
Mason, of Signal Mountain, Tenn., finished 11th overall, winning the women’s title in 1:26:53. Emily Rollins of Franklin, Tenn., was second (30th) in 1:31:33. Mason won the 2023 women’s title, as well.
Eric Waterman, 48, of Nolensville, Tenn., finished third in 1:21:52, and claimed the Men’s Masters title. Jeri Entrekin, 46, of Cullman, Ala., finished 41st in 1:35:10 to win the Women’s Masters title.
The Oak Barrel Half is one of the more popular events in the area. According to the race site, the course starts just off the square in Lynchburg, Tennessee and winds through rural Moore County Tennessee and passes the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. The course finishes the 13.1 mile loop on the Lynchburg town square. Among the rolling hills and scenic views is the famed Whiskey Hill at about mile 4. It’s about a mile long, with a steep finish. Check out the elevation map here.
The event had 1,273 finishers. Of those 722 were female and 748 male. Almost 450 registered entrants did not start. The men’s division average time was 2:18:03, while the women’s was 2:40:52.
See all of the Oak Barrel Half Marathon results here, and see the age-category results here.
Photos were taken by We Run Race Photos and can be found here, free to download courtesy of Mach Tenn Running Club.
MAIN PHOTO: Christian Thompson takes the win at the Oak Barrel Half Marathon. (Photo by We Run Race Photos)
