The 2025 season has officially come to a close, and it has been a landmark year for the Ocala running community. From the first chilly miles of the Valentine’s Day 5K to the festive finish of the Reindeer Run 5K, our local athletes have shown up with more energy and passion than ever before.
This year’s scoring was based on a stellar lineup of seven premier events that challenged our runners and celebrated the unique spirit of our city:
- Valentine’s Day 5K
- Mother’s Day 5K
- Iggy’s Four on the 4th
- Labor Day 5K
- Race to the Annabelle Lee 5K
- Retro Run 5K
- Reindeer Run 5K
Understanding the Leaderboard: Our 2025 Champions
We want to offer a massive congratulations to those who dominated the standings this year. To ensure fairness and recognize different types of consistency and excellence, we utilized two distinct scoring methods for our top honors:
Series Champions
Based on Points from Top 10 Finishes These titles recognize the elite speedsters who consistently finished at the very front of the pack.
- Female Series Champion: Emma Curtis
- Men’s Series Co-Champions: Christopher Taylor and Asher Inman (Tied)
Runners of the Year
Based on Points from Top 100 Finishes This category rewards broad consistency and high-level performance throughout the entire field across the full season.
- Female Runner of the Year: Livia Lanza
- Male Runner of the Year: Jaime Reyes
Want to learn more about our champions? Check out our runner spotlights to see profiles of local athletes making waves in the community.
A Growing Running Family
The 2025 season saw an incredible surge in group participation. While Marion County Runs and the Ocala Distance Project continue to be the heartbeat of our local scene, we saw massive support this year from The Villages Running Club. Additionally, we are thrilled to see MIMS starting to grow a dedicated community of its own, bringing fresh energy and new faces to every starting line.
It is also inspiring to see both our youngest and oldest age groups so well-represented on the course. To further celebrate this, we have recently committed to expanding our age group categories for our overall race awards.
Learn more about our local running clubs and find the perfect group to join for your 2026 training.
2025 Special Award Winners
Our races wouldn’t be possible without the individuals and businesses that pour their hearts into the local community:
- Volunteer of the Year: Bill Vogenitz. Bill is the unsung hero of our weekends. Whether he is handling the rush of packet pickup or making sure every runner gets their shirt with a smile, his presence ensures our events run seamlessly.
- Running Ambassador of the Year: James Mathis. James defines community leadership. Beyond showing up to help at races, he is a tireless supporter of local group runs and is always working to welcome and encourage others in the sport.
- Running Club of the Year: Marion County Runs. Their members provide overwhelming support for local running, showing up in force to energize and represent the spirit of Ocala.
- Business of the Year: The Running Elements. Marion County’s go-to for running shoes. Their expert fit guarantee and willingness to host packet pickups make them an invaluable partner to our series.
- Vendor of the Year: Calles De Oro Coffee. Keeping us caffeinated and motivated! We are eagerly looking forward to their new coffee shop opening in 2026!
- Race of the Year: Mother’s Day 5K. A standout event that perfectly balanced high-level competition with a fantastic community atmosphere.
Explore local running businesses that support our community all year long.
2025 Age Group Winners
To celebrate as many athletes as possible, we follow a strict “no double-dipping” policy. Because our Series Champions and Runners of the Year (Emma Curtis, Christopher Taylor, Asher Inman, Livia Lanza, and Jaime Reyes) are recognized in the Overall category, their respective age group titles are awarded to the next eligible runner in line.
| Age Group | Male Winner | Female Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 4 | L. Lopez Ayala | G. Maynard |
| 5 - 9 | E. Self | N. Gibson |
| 10 - 14 | D. Madera | Sydney Farris |
| 15 - 19 | Jaylen Blackburn | Ava Curtis |
| 20 - 24 | Matthew Rodriguez | Julia Hodierne |
| 25 - 29 | Daniel Winters Jr | Tristyn Grossi |
| 30 - 34 | Blake Haufler | Christina Shonbeck |
| 35 - 39 | Chris Andaloro | Magda Barcia |
| 40 - 44 | Adam Truesdale | Erica Helms |
| 45 - 49 | Lawton Cox | Michele Moreno |
| 50 - 54 | Artur Rucinski | Melissa Pank |
| 55 - 59 | Jeffrey Morgan | Susan Merolillo |
| 60 - 64 | James Mathis | Cida Wright |
| 65 - 69 | Clark Duerr | Terri Varnadoe |
| 70 - 74 | Peter Magnuson | Lynda Snoddy |
| 75 - 79 | Jack Slifer | Theresa Slifer |
| 80+ | Cuthbert James | Rosemary Rizzo |
Looking Forward: The 2026 Season
Get ready, Ocala! The 2026 season is already in motion, and we are excited to keep the momentum going.
We are thrilled to confirm that the races that defined our 2025 season will return for 2026, with one fresh update: the Tale Tell Trot will be joining the lineup this year in place of the Race to the Annabelle Lee.
Our 2026 Core Races:
- Valentine’s Day 5K
- Iggy’s Four on the 4th
- Mother’s Day 5K
- Retro Run 5K
- Tale Tell Trot (Replacing Annabelle Lee)
- Reindeer Run 5K
- Labor Day 5K
More to Come!
We are currently working to add 2 to 3 more races to the 2026 schedule. We are just waiting on final confirmations from the venues and race directors before we make the official announcement.
Awards Eligibility: For the 2026 season, runners must complete at least 5 races to qualify for end-of-year awards.
View the full 2026 race calendar and mark your calendars for an incredible year of running ahead!
Thank you for being part of the Run Ocala family. Let’s make 2026 our best year yet!
Looking for more race coverage? Check out our other race recaps to relive the best moments from past events.