Distinguished Achievement Award: Michelle Paxton

Michelle Paxton is one of the few.One of the few athletes who has ever competed at an elite level.One of even fewer athletes who has competed at an elite level for twenty years.From her very first Lincoln Track Club race in the 1990s to her recent top five finishes, Michelle has run more than fifty Lincoln Track Club races. Few people can claim to have run more.Fewer still are the number of people who can claim to have beat her in 2016. So few, in fact, that out of nine races, only eight women were successful. Here are those elite performances:

• Michelle started the year at one of Runner’s World top 10 Bucket List races—the John 8Tuff Miles Road Race in Coral Bay, Virgin Islands, where she was the first female finisher.
• Next, she dominated both sexes at the Leprechaun Chase, placing first overall and winning FREE beer for all female finishers.
• On May 1, Michelle had a strong showing in the Lincoln Half Marathon, finishing fourth among females and in a time of 1:22:28.
• In June, Michelle won the Grand Teton Half Marathon, then, just a week later, placed second in the Yellowstone Half Marathon. Later that month, Michelle won the Cornfield to Cornfield 10K road race.
• Michelle posted a win at the 32nd Annual Downtown Runaround in Columbus, Nebraska, then another win in the Bryan Health Capital City Classic 15K.
• Michelle closed out the year as the first Nebraska finisher and fifth overall female finisher in the Good Life Halfsy Half Marathon.

The Lincoln Track Club is honored to recognize Michelle Paxton as the 2016 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award. Few people can claim to have won this award. Fewer people can claim to have had a better year. But, Michelle Paxton is one of the few.