Shreveport natives capture 2023 Firecracker 5K titles as 2,015-plus participate
A former Captain Shreve Gator and a former Loyola Flyer claimed titles Tuesday morning in the 39th running of Sportspectrum’s Firecracker 5K for Research.
First-time winner Brandon Lewis-Graham, 27, who competed for Shreve and at Northwestern State, won the men’s side in 15:45.4. On the women’s side, Taylor Dare, 31, an ex-Flyer distance runner who attended TCU, captured the women’s crown in a race she’s run since her freshman year of high school.
“The race today was tough. I had some young guys out in front of me for most of the race, and they paced it,” Lewis-Graham said. “At the end, I knew I was stronger due to my training leading up to this race. I pushed ahead with about 400 meters to go.”
Dare, who has been working to overcome injuries, won in 17:16.09, well ahead of second-place Alexandria Hall of Monroe, who crossed in 18:04.08. Dare holds the Firecracker women’s record of 16:43 set in 2020.
“I had a stress fracture, but I’ve been building up mileage. I wouldn’t miss this race, because this is the race that got me into running,” said Dare, who now lives in Fort Worth. “I’ll be here no matter what, and I’ll run my hardest. It really hurts, but it’s really fun.”
The annual run, which begins and ends in the St. Vincent Mall’s parking lot while winding 3.1 miles through the South Highlands neighborhood, attracted 2,015 participants after seeing 2,018 in 2022.
Dare and Lewis-Graham won $500 apiece, while the second-place finishers took home $250. William Ellender of Mer Rouge finished second for the men in 15:47.34. The top 100 women and top 101 men were presented commemorative mugs.
The men’s record is 14:38, set in 2014 by Ben Chesars in a controversial run.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
Firecracker 5K Top 10 men
Brandon Lewis-Graham, Shreveport, 15:45.40
2. William Ellender, Mer Rouge, 15:47.34
3. Evan Johnson, Shreveport, 15:50.10
4. Trace Green, Center, Texas, 16:11.46
5. Tripp Roemer, Shreveport, 16:19.28
6. Gabe Falting, Bossier City, 16:19.62
7. Landon Spears, West Monroe, 16:25.37
8. Michael Bertsch, Bossier City, 16:41.91
9. Michael Sanders, Shreveport, 16:45.89
10. Gary Smith, Bossier City, 16:48.28
Firecracker 5K Top 10 women
Taylor Dare, Fort Worth, 17:16.09
2. Alexandria Hall, Monroe, 18:04.08
3. Caitlyn McClure, Ruston, 18:26.14
4. Isabelle Russell, Benton, 19:06.39
5. Alissa Lander, Minden, 19:19.65
6. Linnae Magyar, Shreveport, 19:35.77
7. Shelley Armstrong, Shreveport, 19:55.33
8. Anna Moore, Shreveport, 20:39.17
9. Rachel Cating, Conway, 20:48.27
10. Anna Lake Watts, Shreveport, 20:52.15
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport natives capture 2023 Sportspectrum Firecracker 5K titles
