Clint Thompson
THOMASVILLE — Matt Blackburn saved his best for last in the Heritage 5K Walk. The Thomas County Central senior won his fourth straight race Saturday in a time of 27:38, two minutes better than second-place Nancy Herring, who was the top female finisher.
“It was my last one,” Blackburn said, “I go to college next year, I got to go out with a bang.
“It’s a race, so you try to do your best every time you come out. I don’t want to slack up any, that’s for sure.”
Blackburn didn’t slack up at all. He burst from the starting line on Crawford Street in front of Commercial Bank and was never challenged. Blackburn’s time was his best yet.
“I felt a little stiff in the first mile. Once I started loosening up, I felt better,” Blackburn said. “(The conditions) felt good to me. You get your body warmed up, everything starts flowing pretty good.”
Saturday’s race was a tuneup for the Rose City Walk, an event Blackburn has won the last two years. It is will take place on April 17.
“I try to get a good time and know what I need to do in the Rose City, that way I can finish strong there,” Blackburn said. “It lets me know how much I need to practice.”
Herring, a regular participant at the Heritage Walk and Rose City Walk, was pleased with her time of 29:38, despite stumbling at about the first quarter of a mile.
“I walk year-round so it’s just one of the two events I get to walk in,” Herring said. “I’ll be at the Rose City Walk if health prevails."
The Heritage Walk is a co-sponsored event between Commercial Bank and the YMCA.
