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Controversy at the Zoo Run!
For a third consecutive year, the Nashville Kangaroos participated in the Nashville Zoo Run Run 5K on Saturday, January 23. Five runners represented the Nashville Kangaroos, including several members of the footy team testing their pre-season fitness. The weather was absolutely perfect at about sixty degrees with light clouds and a slight breeze; a far cry from the frigid conditions of the 2009 race.
Evan "Colonel" Ling looked very light in his special short shorts and racing flats. The self-proclaimed "Fastest Roo" had engaged in heated pre-race smack talk with Matt "Wheats" Wheatley and predicted a finish time of 23 minutes. After working his way through the crowd of slower runners in the first yards after the start, the Colonel was on-track for his prediction with a first mile of 7:30. The seconds ticked by as he passed the two-mile marker at about 15:10. At the finish line, the "Roo Racing Pit Crew" of Jeff "Peeps" Persson, Terry and Becky Wheatley, Meredith Quigley, Rachel Charlize and Bridget Galvin watched the 23rd minute tick by, with several false sightings before the big Roo on the Colonel's shirt at last became visible. The result was an official chip-timed 23:34.
However, hot in pursuit and only 10 seconds after the Colonel finished, Wheats crossed over the finish line. Lacking a chip to record an official time, Wheats claimed a self-timed 23:15, based on the timing device he had just received as a Christmas present. With both runners claiming victory, the controversy was on! Those of you who followed Roo Football in 2009 know that controversy tends to shadow Roo competitions, but who would have thought it could happen at the Zoo Run! As we go to press, the controversy rages as to who was the 2010 Zoo Run Fastest Roo. A second race may be necessary before next year's installment, so watch out for our announcement of your next chance to race with the Roos!
The "Blue Flyer" award his year goes to Raechel "Woozy" Bowersox, who defied photography as she sprinted through the finish line and succeeding last year's champion Debbie Warner. Woozy will wear the tiara for the next 12 months with pride and looks forward to defending her title against all comers.
Other finishers included Travis "Quigs" Quigley, who managed an impressively quick time on his first run since September, and Mike "Goon" Guinsburg, who finished with the best War Face as he crossed the finish line to a rousing chant of "GOOOOOOOOOON" from the Pit Crew.
All proceeds from the Zoo Run Run help fund Zoo operations. Nashville Zoo is accredited by the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums, assuring the highest standards of animal care and husbandry. The Zoo is a non-profit organization located at 3777 Nolensville Road and is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The mission of the Nashville Zoo is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. For more information about Nashville Zoo, call 615-833-1534 or visit www.nashvillezoo.org.
