If you happened to be on the Land Trust or Monte Sano State Park trails Sunday morning, those weren’t superheroes, woodland fairies or otherworldly figures zipping through the woods. It was a handful of fast trail runners, including Gunnar Carter, flying along the paths in the annual Oak Park Challenge.
The 34-year-old Carter, of Golden, Col., shaved almost five minutes from the record time en route to his win. He finished in 54:41, leading the top three finishers who posted sub-hour times for podium spots. Christopher Kitson, 29, and Ryan Donovan, 41, both of Huntsville, were second and third, in 56:30 and 59:08.
The trio now are 1-2-3 in the records list, joining two-time Oak Park champion Dylan Glass of Gurley as the only sub-hour finishers of the 7-mile race. Glass is No. 4 on the record list; he set the record last year in his second win. His bid for a three-peat ended Sunday morning after a too-fast start on naggy legs and a DNF.
Julia Donovan, 41, of Huntsville, was 16th and won the women’s title. She finished in 1:15:22 and was the only woman in the Top 20. Donovan’s time is second on the records list, just behind 2024 winner Laurel Beversdorf.
Karen Rudolph, 39, of Madison, was second (21st) in 1:20:14. Mary Ann Koch, 55, of Huntsville, was third (24th) in 1:20:46, just nipping Ashley Guin, 40, of Huntsville, by a hair. Guin crossed in 1:20:52.
Along with Donovan, the times for Rudolph, Koch, Guin, Vivian Zou (26th, 1:21:33) and Angela Tieri (31st, 1:23:28) now sit among the Oak Park Challenge T10 records.
Solid Morning
Cool temps and dry conditions provided runners with swift trails. The race begins at the Oak Park city ballfields. Runners dash up the Land Trust trails to closed Bankhead to the Monte Sano State Park overlook. From there it’s back down to the finish, about 3.5 miles each way.
The race had 77 official finishers out of a registered field of more than 80. It was put on by Fleet Feet and
See all of the Oak Park Challenge results here and the We Run Race Photos galleries here.
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