Mastandrea Wins Ameris Bank Jacksonville Half Marathon as GTC-ELITE Sweeps Top 4 Places

Jason Weitzel, Jack Mastandrea, Eddie Garcia and Karl Thiessen

---

Jack Mastandrea ran 1:05:04 to win the Ameris Bank Jacksonville Half Marathon on Sunday morning as he led a sweep of the top four places by Greenville Track Club-ELITE. Jack, along with teammates Jason Weitzel, Eddie Garcia and Karl Thiessen took the lead from the 7:05 am start and passed 5K at 15:20. Only eventual fifth placer Sem Sultanov, a recent USA Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier with a 2:17.09, was with them. The GTC-ELITE teammates continued to run together before Mastandrea increased the pace during the eighth mile. His final time averaged 4:58 per mile or 3:05 per kilometer. 

Weitzel followed Mastandrea across the finish with a time of 1:05:36 and Garcia was third in 1:05:54. Thiessen was fourth in 1:06:33 in only his second Half Marathon. Both Mastandrea and Weitzel targeted this race to prepare for the upcoming USA Olympic Trials Marathon scheduled for February 3 in Orlando, FL. The temperature for this race was 65 degrees at the start with 92% humidity, which most likely will be somewhat similar or cooler than the 10:00 am start for the upcoming Marathon Trials. 

Winner Jack Mastandrea

Weitzel, Mastandrea & Garcia

---

Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is in its second decade as a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA, one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase and three qualifiers for the 2024 USA Olympic Trials Marathon. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. GTC-ELITE also produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year. 

​The program is sponsored and supported by the 51-year-old Greenville Track Club, ASICS, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, UCAN energy products, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Movement (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.​