Hunter Nails of Madison and Rachel Strons of Huntsville zoomed to easy wins Saturday morning in the 9th annual Paper Chase 5K presented by EZBO Foundation.
The race was held in downtown Huntsville, starting at Constitution Village and following the familar route through courthouse square and parts of old town. The Paper Chase 5K benefits area school teachers through the Free 2 Teach organization.
Nails finished in 15:22, winning by almost five minutes. Strons won the women’s division and was 7th overall, finishing in 21:09. The field of 321 ranged in age from 5 to 81, about the same number as last year. The weather was perfect, with sun and no wind.
This race supports Free 2 Teach, which serves teachers and children with a free supply store for classrooms. Free 2 Teach is open year-round to teachers in Madison County’s three public school systems. The annual 5K is a nice chunk in the program budget, and Free 2 Teach also accepts donations.
The school challenge this year, presented by FirstBank, was won by Endeavor Elementary. Hazel Green Elementary was second. Other partners include Fleet Feet, Huntsville Police Department, Huntsville Fire Department, HEMSI, the City of Huntsville.
Find all the race photos here from the course and finish line, and see the final results here. Also, check out the age group winners here.
The 10th Paper Chase 5K will be Feb. 22, 2025.
