Weitzel & Garcia Place 2nd & 3rd at GTC 44th Run Downtown 5K

GTC-ELITE'S Eddie Garcia (left) and Jason Weitzel (right) with winner James Quattlebaum (center)

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Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Jason Weitzel and Eddie Garcia placed second and third in the 44th GTC Run Downtown on a cold and brisk Saturday morning. The race was won by Greenville's James Quattlebaum, who is currently ranked first in the USATF South Carolina Road Race Rankings. Quattlebaum's time of 14:14 equals the record for the 5K event, which was set by former GTC-ELITE Austin Steagall in 2017 on a different course. 

Weitzel, the 2022 Run Downtown champion, who is ranked second in the SC Road Race Rankings, improved his time from 14:37 last year to 14:29. That is now the third fastest performance in race history. Garcia ran 14:40, which now ranks equal fifth in race history, equaling former GTC-ELITE's Adam Freudenthal's time from 2013. 

All Time Fastest Performances at GTC Run Downtown 5K

 1. Austin Steagall, GTC-ELITE - 14:14 (2017)
 1. James Quattlebaum, Run In - 14:14 (2023) new course
 3. Jason Weitzel, GTC-ELITE - 14:29 (2023) new course
 4. Jason Weitzel, GTC-ELITE - 14:37 (2022)
 5. Adam Freudenthal, GTC-ELITE -  14:40 (2013)
 5. Eddie Garcia, GTC-ELITE - 14:40 (2023) new course
 7. Walter Bugler, Run In - 14:41 (2020)
 8. Cole Atkins - 14:41 (2020)
 9. Adam Freudenthal, GTC-ELITE - 14:52 (2014)
10. Joe Niemiec, GTC-ELITE - 14:53 (2019)
11. Austin Steagall, GTC-ELITE - 14:54 (2018)
12. Eddie Garcia, GTC-ELITE - 14:56 (2020)

Jason Weitzel

Eddie Garcia

Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is entering 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 and one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. 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.​