John Buxton and Virginia Palumbo win First Place in 2025 Knotty Pine 5K!

On the morning of May 3, 2025, runners came to Swainsboro for the 24th running of the Knotty Pine 5K Race as part of the Pine Tree Festival. The 5K was sponsored by the Swainsboro Kiwanis Club, who provided logistics and support for the race. This year the route was changed to begin and end at the parking lot across from First Baptist Church and run out Moring Avenue to the city limits and back. This year as last year, SAR members lead by Dess Smith and Steve Burke assisted Swainsboro Police Chief Ashley Riner who fired the starting cannon. The 1st place overall winner in the 5K male division was 35-year-old John Buxton from Kite, GA with a time of 18 minutes and 3 seconds, while the overall winner in the fe-male division was 11-year-old Virginia Palumbo from Louisville in a time of 26 minutes and 14 seconds. The 1st place master’s male winner was Daniel James Salem from Vidalia, GA, with a time of 20 minutes and 23 seconds and Joni McNeely from Swainsboro was 1st place in the master’s female division with a time of 29 minutes and 35 seconds.

Age group winners in the male division were: age 10 and under, 1st place Kellan McNeely in 25 minutes and 9 seconds and 2nd place Denton Parker in 27 minutes and 51 seconds; age 11 to 19, 1st place Charlie McNeely in 25 minutes and 6 seconds, 2nd place Ryan McKenzie in 26 minutes and 29 seconds, and 3rd place Daniel Aukor in 26 minutes and 33 seconds; age 20 to 29, 1st place Pedro Gonzales, in 24 minutes and 18 seconds, 2nd place Noah Aholelei in 24 minutes and 19 seconds, and 3rd place Branyan Jimenez in 24 minutes and 44 seconds; age 30-39, 1st place Martin Neal in 21 minutes and 39 seconds, 2nd place Logan Brantley in 23 minutes and 54 seconds, and 3rd place Jose Banzzini in 24 minutes and 16 seconds; age 50-59, 1st place Derek Smith in 31 minutes and 5 seconds, 2nd place Andy Coxwell in 41 minutes and 2 seconds, and 3rd place Terry Shriver in 50 minutes and 29 minutes; age 60 to 69, 1st place Kevin Faircloth in 31 minutes and 50 seconds; age 70 and older, 1st place Jose Becerril in 25 minutes and 5 seconds.

Age group winners in the female division were: age 10 and under, 1st place Caroline Lewis in 42 minutes and 33 seconds and 2nd place Aubree Baker in 49 minutes and 18 seconds; age 11 to 19, 1st place Abby Lewis in 27 minutes and 35 seconds, 2nd place Geily Morales 33 minutes and 5 seconds, and 3rd place Rachelle Stoltefus in 46 minutes and 10 seconds; age 20 to 29, 1st place Katia Bonilla in 31 minutes and 45 seconds, 2nd place Hope Tant in 36 minutes and 0 seconds, and 3rd place Blair Baker in 36 minutes and 2 seconds; age 30-39, 1st place Jessica Palumbo in 29 minutes and 12 seconds, 2nd place Mallory Wheeler in 29 minutes and 52 seconds, and 3rd place Ashley Mills in 35 minutes and 13 seconds; Age 40-49, 1st place Angela Landers in 30 minutes and 50 seconds, 2nd place Brooke Lewis in 32 minutes and 30 seconds, and 3rd place Melanie King in 35 minutes and 0 seconds; age 50-59, 1st place Michelle Riner in 41 minutes and 18 seconds, 2nd place Mary Ridgell in 41 minutes and 29 seconds, and 3rd place Peggy Allen in 50 minutes and 21 seconds; age 60-69, 1st place Barbara Ervin in 43 minutes and 44 seconds.

The Swainsboro Kiwanis Club would like to give a special thanks to our sponsors; Domino’s Pizza, Haddock Chiropractic, Harvey’s, Leanna’s, Nordson, Shop Rite, Stitch-N-Print, Statesboro Coca-Cola Bottling, Swainsboro Ford, Swainsboro Raceway, Walmart, and Ware’s Bar-B-Que. A special thanks also to the Swainsboro Police Department for all the assistance as they kept our runners safe even with all the people around for the Pine Tree Festival. Complete results of the runs can be found on the Swainsboro Kiwanis Club website at swainsborokiwanis.org and the Pine Tree Festival page at pinetreefestival.org.

Just Keep Running and Run Fast, Run Hard, and Run Safe!