Men’s and Women’s Course records broken
SPANISH FORT, AL. – A heroes’ welcome awaited legions of runners as they crossed the finish line in front of the U.S.S. Alabama for the 7th Annual Publix Battleship 12K. Chilly morning temps resulted in fast times with numerous personal records and both course records being set.
Defending his 2021 win as the Overall Male Winner, 17-year-old Winston McGhee from Spanish Fort, AL set a new course record with a time of 41:32.09, besting his time of 42:18.69 from last year. The Overall Female Winner was 42-year-old Kristin Wenstrom from Covington, LA, setting a new women’s course record with a time of 46:25.31.
A crowd of cheering supporters doled out hugs and high fives to the waves of runners as they neared the end of the 7.5-mile course, and the phrase “thank you for your service” echoed throughout Battleship Memorial Park. The Veterans Day celebration began in 2015 to pay tribute to those who defend our freedom and may not have received the heroes’ welcome those returning from WWII did. Red bibs made it easy to distinguish current and former service members from the rest of the runners, who wore blue bibs.
“My father served in Vietnam and earned a Purple Heart during his service,” said Michael Wattigny, Marketing Director for FRESHJUNKIE Racing. “He didn’t receive a heroes’ welcome when he returned. He was spit on and called names. I founded this race as a way to say ‘Thank You’ in a loud and vocal way to all of the men and women who have served our country.”
In addition to thanking our military community, the event raised awareness and funds for three military charities: Team Red, White & Blue, America’s Warrior Partnership, and Mission 22.
For more information about the Publix Battleship 12K or to view the complete race results, please visit https://www.battleship12k.com/.
ABOUT PUBLIX:
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 230,000 associates, currently operates 1,297 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 24 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com.
ABOUT FRESHJUNKIE RACING:
FRESHJUNKIE Racing is an event production company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Producing events since 2010, FJR manages, markets, and produces 24 events annually across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Missouri. Creating memorable experiences for 50,000 participants annually, the events produce over $15 Million in economic impact in the communities and $2.7 Million in charitable impact.
For more info visit: https://freshjunkieracing.com/ .
