LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — The fourteenth annual Oak Barrel Half Marathon enjoyed another successful race on Saturday welcoming over 1,200 runners and their families into historic, downtown Lynchburg. The race attracted people from Tennessee and numerous other states including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Josh Whitehead of Madison, Alabama had the fastest overall time in 2023 — finishing at the 1:12:46 mark. Whitehead finished second overall last year. Christian Thompson of Ooltewah finished second this year with a 1:15:25 time. Michael Haschel of had the third overall best time at 1:17:17. Those three runners were also the top male finishers. Rachel Mason snagged the best time in the women’s division at 1:28:23 followed by Paige Thompson at 1:31:28 and Emily Rollins at 1:37:03.

Around 1240 folks started the race and 1238 finished it. The fastest male time was 1:12:46 and the average male time was 2:24:02. The fastest female time was 1:28:23 and the average female time was 2:45:31.

For complete 2023 race results, click here. Registration for the 2024 race generally opens in October. You can get updates at their Facebook page or on their website. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalism. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}.