Joshua Thompson, 19, of Lake City won the race outright in 16 minutes, 54 seconds, a 5:27-per-mile pace. Thompson, a Columbia High School graduate who now runs track and cross country at Florida Gateway, said his running career began almost by accident.
Leonardo Canete, 47, of Tallahassee finished second overall in 17:01. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a family of Italian origin, Canete said he searches the internet each week for weekend races that let him explore new towns — and that Saturday marked his first visit to Lake Butler.
