North Carolina Crowns Champions at Fisher Farm

The XTERRA North Carolina Trail Run Series may have come to a close for 2011 last weekend, and at least one fast runner is committed to returning in 2012.

Christopher Patino entered his first XTERRA Trail Run last weekend, and he wound up winning the XTERRA Fisher Farm Trail Run at Davidson, N.C. More than 120 runners participated in the race, which was completed on Sunday, Sept. 4.

Patino completed the 16-kilometer course in 1 hour, 9 minutes, and finished well ahead of the other runners.

"I've been running single track trails for years and years, having grown up in Western North Carolina," said Patino, 21. "To find a gem like that one all the way in Davidson was perfect.

"I came to the race with a goal of running 70 minutes or under, just so I could try and maintain a 7-minute mile pace. I didn't expect that pace to win."

It was more than enough to win, as runner-up Brandon Lerch came in at 1:13:28 - more than a half-mile behind Patino. Jason Adams was third in 1:13:54.

Leigh Wallace placed fourth overall and was the first female with a time of 1:14:35. It was also her first entry in an XTERRA North Carolina race. Ashley Dorough was the second female in 1:15:26.

The course at Fisher Farm Park featured two laps around an 8-kilometer loop. Patino took the lead late in the first lap, and then pushed the pace by himself during the second lap.

Patino is a senior at Appalachian State University, and runs for a club team (not the school's official cross country team). He said he had so much fun at the Fisher Farm race that he will try to bring the entire club to XTERRA races in 2012.

"If not all of us, at least I will be racing," he said.

For complete results from the XTERRA Fisher Farm Trail Run, click HERE.

It was the third - and final - race of the 2011 season for the XTERRA North Carolina Trail Run Series. The age-group champions for the series were announced after the race, and all of them received free entries to represent North Carolina at the 2011 XTERRA Trail Run National Championship at Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah, on Sept. 25.

The XTERRA North Carolina Trail Run Series is expected to return again in the summer of 2012. To learn more about it, please visit www.dirtyspokes.com.

Here is the list of 2011 XTERRA North Carolina Trail Run Series Champions:

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