Runners test their mettle in Great Scorpion Trail Run
Published 11:01 am Monday, January 9, 2023
- Photos by Thomas Howard / The Meridian StarGreat Scorpion Trail Run 12.5K second place finisher Landry Maxwell, of Collinsville, from left, first place finisher Evan Hallford, of Union, and third place finisher Ryan Thompson, of Meridian, pose for a photo with their medals and plaques Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023 at Bonita Lakes.
More than a hundred runners gathered at Bonita Lakes early Saturday to participate in the 2023 Great Scorpion Trail Run.
The annual event is named after the scorpions that call Bonita Lakes home and offers a 50k, 25K and 12.5K distances to allow runners of all experience levels test their mettle against the park’s punishing elevation and deceptive trails.
Novice runner Peter Vincelli participated in Saturday’s 12.5K — about eight miles — to measure his progress as he trains for his first half marathon in March. Vincelli, who came from Marion, Alabama to participate in the race, said Bonita’s trails offered just the right mixture of beautiful scenery and technical trails.
“It’s got a little bit of treachery areas, which I like,” he said. “It challenges you.”
Great Scorpion Trail Run, now in its sixth year, benefits the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. To date, the race has raised more than $18,500 in the fight against the autoimmune disease.
