Whooooeeee, the holidays have arrived with turkey and sides, 5Ks and 10Ks, marathons, ultras, fun runs and other news making this week’s TVO Roundup.
Are you ready for Aunt Joanie’s foamy gel surprise “dessert,” Cousin Joe’s abstract vegan tofurkey creation and the 11-year-old twins who don’t have inside voices or parents with discipline? How about the relative who you can’t really remember and see once a year? Yes? Yes! Traditions are great, of course. Brownies, cookies, a nicely prepared casserole or cornbread dressing will be a treat. Get the turkey leg before Uncle Joe grabs it. But keep a bottle of hooch stowed away for a slug or two in case the twins get on your nerves (right?).
Or, instead of downing half a flask of Ol’ Ironsides, head out for a stimulating run or ride in the brisk autumn air. Greenways and trails may be busy, so plan accordingly. Run at 11:30 p.m. if need be. Ride the city streets at 5 a.m. Bundle up. Work off that stress and foamy gel surprise. Happy Thanksgiving!
Still looking for a fun turkey trot? Check out our trot calendar here for specific events.
On to the TVO Roundup:
Dam-Bridge Run 10K
FLORENCE — Caleb Guthery used a smooth performance to win the Dam-Bridge Run 10K on Nov. 23.
Guthery, 23, of Cleveland, Tenn., paced at 5:04 per mile to finish in 31:26:34 and take top honors. Josh Whitehead, 46, of Madison, was second in 32:56:24, which was a state age record.
Cadience Rivera, 17, of Haleyville, won the women’s division and was ninth overall. She finished in 44:15.
The field of 176 official finishers hailed from five states, including Florida and Texas.
Thankful 4 … 5K
SNEAD — Jonatan Diaz, 18, of Baileyton won the Thankful 4 … 5K on Nov. 23 with a time of 19:22.
Ellie Gehri, 14, of Oneonta, won the women’s division and was sixth overall. She finished in 21:49.
Turkey Trot 5K
SCOTTSBORO — Bailey Kendrick, 17, of Grant, won the Turkey Trot 5K on Nov. 16.
Kendrick finished in 14:50 to win by more than a minute.
Rachel Rackler, 47, of Scottsboro, won the women’s division and was seventh overall. She finished in 19:53.
Tupelo Shuffle
TUPELO, Miss. — Derek Berry of Trinity was the top runner from North Alabama in the Tupelo Trail Shuffle 20K on Nov. 23.
Berry, 53, crossed in 2:00:42 and was 32nd overall. Tom Krajna, 66, of Huntsville, finished in 2:06 and was 38th. Susan Johnson, 60, of Decatur, finished in 3:20 and was 98th.
In the 10K event, John Alderman, 67, of Decatur, finished 56th with a time of 1:11:17.
See all of the 20K results here and 10K results here.
Death by 5K
PELHAM — Clay Hawthorne and Alicia Cole took top honors in the Death by 5K ultra Nov. 23-24 at Oak Mountain State Park.
Hawthorne, 32, won overall honors with a 50K time of 4:58:52. Cole, 39, took the women’s top honor with a 50K time of 5:33:28.
The event saw 44 women and 110 men officially finish, along with a handful of DNF and DNS.
2025 Pinhoti Series
Pinhoti Trail Races has expanded for 2025, with a 25K option added along with the annual Oak Mountain 50K in March.
The 25K is new, giving runners an option for a shorter bit of fun. The Oak Mountain 50K is the second-oldest 50K in the state.
The Oak Mountain 50K will be a part of the new 2025 50K Grand Slam series and 50K Buckle Challenge. Runners who finish the first three 50Ks on the Pinhoti Trail Races calendar will receive a special buckle.
Those are the:
— 20th Mount Cheaha 50K on Feb. 22,
— 24th Oak Mountain 50K on March 29,
— 13th Rockin’ Choccolocco 50K on April 26
Find out more here about the series and registration.
CTC New Board Members
The Chattanooga Track Club has six new members on its board of directors, as voted on by members in November.
The new members are Latisha Simmons, Patrick O’Hagan, Jeff Martindale, Ryan Shrum, Jimmy McGuinness and Jason Hartman.
They will begin their two-year terms in January.
Fleet Feet Fun Runs
Need a little kickstart this weekend after gorging on all the delicious Thanksgiving vittles?
Fleet Feet has two fun runs to help burn off a few of those calories. Yes, you ate that third piece of pie and snuck in some extra smashed taters. Big deal. It’s not going to kill you to do that a couple of times a year at the holidays.
But on Friday, head to Fleet Feet Huntsville in Jones Valley or Madison on Hughes Road for the “Run It Off” fun run at 9 a.m.
Saturday, wear your orange-and-blue or crimson-and-white togs to celebrate during the Iron Bowl Fun Run, also at 9 a.m. at both stores.
Run, walk, jog, mix it up, whatever … just get moving. There’s still more pie and it’s a long weekend.
