Josh Whitehead won his 10th title, Nina Sillivant claimed top women’s honors and two speedsters tied for second Saturday at the 47th Huntsville Half Marathon presented by Fleet Feet.
Whitehead, 47, of Madison, won by more than a minute on an unseasonably hot morning, finishing in 1:17:42. He won last year in record fashion while training for the Rocket City Marathon in December.
Runners start and finish at Hillwood Baptist Church, weaving through neighborhood streets to an uphill finish in the final tenth of a mile. The race is one of the oldest in the city, along with the Rocket City Marathon and Huntsville Sprint Triathlon.
Sillivant, 31, of Huntsville, posted a fine 1:34:04 to win the women’s title. She finished 16th overall. Samantha Whitehead, 41, of Madison, was second (19th) in 1:34:42. Bekah Weigand, 24, of Huntsville, was third (38th) in 1:42:13.
Huntsville speedsters Erick Kigen, 36, and Nathaniel Pierce, 39, raced to the finish and crossed in a tie for second. Their times were 1:18:58. Pierce was second last year. Christian Schrandt, 37, of Madison, was fourth again in 1:22:17, about a minute off his time last year.
Erin Phillips, 41, of Hartselle, won Female Masters honors in 1:43:05. She was 43rd overall. James Fletcher, 41, of Huntsville, was Male Masters winner in 1:26:14 and was fifth overall.
The race had 465 official finishers.
Race History
The Huntsville Half Marathon has an illustrious history, started as a prep event for the Rocket City Marathon a month later. That link still exists, with the RCM slated for Dec. 12-14 along with a half, 10K and 5K at the Von Braun Center downtown.
Kim Hanson is the current race director for the Huntsville Half Marathon. Levine’s excellent promotion, coordination and race-day enthusiasm has resulted in increased entries the past two years.
Harold Tinsley, one of the HTC founding members, compiled a fantastic “History of Huntsville Track Club Races” updated through 2017. As with any event or organization lasting more than five decades, event names and directors have changed. Here is Tinsley’s report about the race and its background through 2017.
(Race directors) Gary Gee 1978-79, Norm Harris 1980-84, John Gregg 1985-87, Shelby Edwards 1988-89, Donna Cancel 1990, George Franklin 1991-93, Ray Moses 1994-96, Ken and Ovella Jessee 1997-2001, Mark and Sheryl Dummer 2002-04, Lee Boutwell 2005-06, Dick & Wanda Franklin 2007-09, Suzanne & Dink Taylor 2010, Marty & Carol Eaton 2011-17.
This race began as the Rocket City 20K Road Race as a November race for runners to get ready for the Rocket City Marathon. It was run on the marathon course until 1991, first coming down Bankhead Parkway the same as the marathon did but finishing in Big Spring International Park downtown. It moved to Grissom High School in 1979 with the marathon and was run on the first 20K of the marathon course. It became the American Heart Association Rocket City 20K Road Race the second year as a fund raiser. It reverted to the Rocket City 20K Road Race in 1984. It was changed to a half-marathon in 1989.
It separated from the Rocket City Marathon and found its own home at Research Park in 1991 as the McDonnell Douglas Rocket City Half Marathon. It remained there until it moved to its present location in south Huntsville at Hillwood Baptist Church in 1998. It became the Rocket City Half Marathon in 1997, the Rocket City Half Marathon & 5K in 1999, the Huntsville Half Marathon & 5K in 2004, the Huntsville Half Marathon & Heroes 5K in 2008, and the current name Huntsville Half Marathon in 2011.
Results, Photos
For overall results click here, and for age group results, click here.
To see all photos from Spencer Cox Photography, click here.
