The highlight of the 21st annual Governor’s Land Dash for CASA 5K on Nov. 22 was a race win by Dana Hayden, 49, of Powhatan. Although it was the only age group record in Saturday’s race, it also was an all-time Colonial Road Runners age group record for women 45-49, and a state 5K record for women 45-49.

The Governor’s Land course is considered the fastest 5K course on the Peninsula and for good reason. More CRR all-time records (and four current state records) have been set on this course. Starting in 1993, there have been a number of organizers/beneficiaries for Governor’s Land through the years, but this is the second year for CASA (Colonial Court Appointed Special Advocate), a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for abused and neglected children in the community.

CASA’s involvement with the CRR Grand Prix started in 2023, with a race on the Virginia Capital Trail 5K course, before switching over to the popular Governor’s Land course for 2024. The race directors are CASA board president Pat Dent and Colonial CASA executive director Victoria Canady. Dent is also the current vice-mayor of Williamsburg, as well as one of the four race directors for the Virginia Fire Chiefs 5K held annually in March (he was a past Fire Chief for Williamsburg).

Besides being the 18th of 21 CRR Grand Prix races this year (with only the Christmas Town Dash 8K, the Sleighbell 5K and the Jingle Jog 5K remaining), the race was one of seven CRR races in the Hampton Roads Super Grand Prix, in conjunction with the Peninsula Track Club and the Tidewater Striders. Between the 5K and the one mile fun run, there were 103 finishers this year.

Hayden and 2025 CRR Grand Prix champion Emily Honeycutt, 34, of Newport News, helped each other throughout the race before Hayden pulled away towards the end, in pursuit of her second state road race record. At the Sept. 27 Democracy Dash 10K at Jamestown Island, she ran a 38:25 to smash the previous state record for women 45-49 (39:02).

Three weeks later Hayden won the Grove Trotter Chickahominy Bridge 10K in 38:36 on a much tougher course, and was just two seconds ahead of Honeycutt (who PRd with a 38:38). One week before the Democracy Dash, Hayden was instrumental in the CRR’s close victory over the Tidewater Striders for the Elizabeth River Run 10K Challenge Cup, as she had the second-best age grade for the CRR, trailing only CRR vice president Adam Otstot.

The previous official state 5K record for women 45-49 was 18:41 by Leisa Ensle, 45, of Virginia Beach on July 4, 2003, but Hayden bettered that time at the Oct. 4 Crawlin’ Crab 5K in Hampton with an 18:34. The paperwork necessary for state record ratification has yet to be completed. Hayden made that academic on Saturday by breaking her own best time with an 18:33. Ensle also had the 10K state record for women 45-49 that Hayden broke at Jamestown Island. Ensle set the state 5K record for women 50-54 (19:19 in 2008 at the Governor’s Land 5K), which could be broken by Hayden next year.

After Hayden’s 18:33, Honeycutt was next in 18:47, followed by Isabella Strumke, 12, of Toano (19:41), Laura Bonsmann, 39, of Williamsburg (20:39), Olivia Killeen, 15, of Richmond (21:40) and Tricia Murphy, 44, of Williamsburg (22:01).

For the men, nine-time CRR Grand Prix champion (2015-24) Roger Hopper, 34, of Chesapeake returned from a series of injuries this year to win in 17:58, followed by Jack Strumke, 15, of Toano (18:30), Jonathan Scheerer, 47, of Williamsburg (19:13), Jackson Schulze, 15, of Yorktown (19:27), Chris Novakoski, 44, of Virginia Beach (19:35), Joe Calkins, 54, of Lanexa (20:06), Alexey Popov, 42, of Newport News (20:10) and Robert Whitaker, 67, of Yorktown (20:30).

Pictured from left are Jack Strumke and Jonathan Scheerer. Jack was second among all men and Jonathan was third. Courtesy of Todd Strumke

Hopper still holds the race age group record for men 30-34, a 15:34 from 2021. The overall records are 15:05 by Patrick Phillips, 23, of Richmond in 1995 and 16:37 by Aurora Scott, 16, of Chesapeake in 2006.

On an age graded basis, as compiled by CRR statistician Jim Gullo, Hayden was far ahead of all with her 86.24%. Also above the national-class 80% level were Whitaker (82.42%), Jim Bates, 69, of Hampton (21:05, 81.75%) and Isabella Strumke (80.00%).

Above 75% were Deelyn Robinson, 60, of Williamsburg (23:14, 78.50%), Jim Duffy, 73, of Poquoson (23:52, 75.98%), Honeycutt (75.24%) and Calkins (75.06%). Among the 12 runners above the regional-class 70% level were Steve Menzies, 62, of Williamsburg (21:43, 74.37%), Scheerer (74.23%), Sean Killeen, 60, of Richmond (21:34, 73.59%), Hopper (72.16%) and Jack Strumke (70.98%).

Pictured from left are Jonathan Scheerer, Tricia Murphy, Dana Hayden, Tony Perez, Jack Strumke, Isabella Strumke, Joe Calkins, Rob Whitaker and Brian Fries. Courtesy of Todd Strumke

Hayden emailed, “Governor’s Land was kind and didn’t throw any difficulty at you. It’s certainly up there in terms of one of the fastest courses I’ve run. The weather, although a bit humid, didn’t bother me. Emily and I pretty much ran the entire race together, so that was helpful. Splits could’ve been more even, but I did manage to go negative (5:53, 6:07, 5:56 miles). Although I was a bit worried about my knee going into the race (due to a fall earlier in the week), I didn’t notice it at all during the race, thankfully. My actual goal for the race was therefore to stay injury-free!”

Honeycutt emailed, “Dana and I worked together making it a good race. The humidity was pretty bad, but. I managed it well my first 2 miles, hitting 5:51 and 5:59, but it got to me a little in the 2rd mile and I slowed to 6:05.”

Whitaker, second in the age grading, emailed, “Governor’s Land is a goal race because it’s such a fast course—we really enjoy running there! The weather was good. I didn’t feel warm until about the 2nd mile, but overall it wasn’t a factor. I ran with Joe Calkins and Jim Bates along with a group for the first mile. Joe started pulling away and I pulled away from the group and ran the last 2 miles alone. My splits were 6:35, 6:34 and 6:33. How about those even / negative splits! I’ve managed to stay healthy while training hard for the upcoming indoor track season. I hit my goal dead on with the 20:30 and back to 82% age graded.”

Bates, third age graded, emailed, “Governor’s Land has always been an important race for me; I set my personal record for the 5K on this course many years ago. So, my goal for 2025 was to attain an age-graded score above 80% once more. But frankly my confidence in being able to do so was greatly diminished the week before when I had a lousy Richmond Marathon. I did set a new PR there though: Nine-bathroom breaks! Leading up to the Governor’s Land race I consciously told myself that I was going to run hard, but I wasn’t going to kill myself (or more likely, pass out.) But my subconscious mind had other ideas. Before I knew it, I shot out at the start and was running full tilt, teeth clenched, and abandoning any thoughts of settling in. I wound up having a very good race—for me that is—and I have to thank my subconscious self.”

Rick Platt is president of Colonial Road Runners.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/11/28/state-record-falls-at-governors-land-5k/