It was a busy weekend for Team Paragon. Our athletes spread across the country to compete, from New York to Florida and back here in Texas.
Ildar Mannapov and Michael Chiang raced the NYCRUNS Central Park Half Marathon. They finished within 1 second of each other at 1:49:34, placing 64th and 65th in their age group. Over 1000 athletes competed.
Also running a half marathon this weekend was Emi Nix, who traveled to Orlando with a friend to race the Disney Princess Half. This year marked the 10th Anniversary of the women's race, which takes runners through Disney's Magic Kingdom® and Epcot® Theme Parks. It's 13.1 miles of fun, magic, and all of your favorite Disney characters. Running doesn't always have to be about meeting certain times or places--sometimes who you are with and where you go is what matters most and keeps us loving the sport.
Sometimes it is chocolate that keeps us loving the sport. Back in TX, Kelly McConie ran the Chocoholic Frolic. Recently coming off an injury and out of her boot, McConie raced herself to a third place finish in her age group. Chocolate is a good welcome back!
Team Paragon raced the Diploma Dash 5k, an event put on by the UTSA Alumni that circles around campus. Mark Saroni, Kacey McQuiston, Kris Ryan, Kenny Carraway, and William Nix formed the Paragon team. Their combined performances earned the team third place in the City Championship. Individually, Saroni won his age group and Ryan placed second in his age group.
Enough with running. Let's hear about some cycling! Anna Kurz raced the rolling hills around Lake Travis at the Pace Bend Road Race. In a field of over 40 starters, Kurz placed 9th in the Cat 4/5 race.
And last but not least, Armando and Sawyer of Paragon's USA Swim Club raced the South Texas Age Group Swimming Championships at the Palo Alto Natatorium. Sawyer qualified and competed in five events, and Armando raced the 50 Freestyle.
Make sure to send your pictures from training and racing to: racing@paragontraining.org so we can showcase all the rad stuff you guys do.