Multiple state and personal records were set Saturday in the 47th Fleet Feet Monte Sano 15K, one of Huntsville’s oldest races and the Road Runners Club of America Alabama championship.
Dr. Erick Kigen, 36, of Huntsville, took top honors with a solid time of 55:40. Runner-up Emma Hardman, 29, of Huntsville, was right there with him, crossing in 56:12. She was second last year, also with a record, but trimmed about 50 seconds off that finish. Hardman was the only woman in the Top 20. Anthony Parameswaran, 29, of Gurley, was third in 58:08.
More notable, Hardman also smashed a 38-year-old state age record. She chopped more than four minutes from Katye Kelley’s 1:01:41 from October 1987.
Other Records
Other 15K state age group records, and overall for men and women:
— Paul Baswell of Loxley bludgeoned the record for 76-year-old men with his 1:17:55. That cut almost 10 minutes off the 1:26:50 (2012, Al Klimatis of Scottsboro).
— Kathy Harper of Athens established the record for 74-year-olds with her 1:33:16. Harper owns numerous state age records for multiple distances.
— Jay Hillis of Florence pipped the record for 66-year-old men with his 1:06:02. The previous mark was 1:07:19, set in 2010 by Jim Upton of Albertville.
Only Alabama residents are eligible for the RCCA titles. Awards were for overall male-female and ages 40+ m/f, 50+ m/f and 60+ m/f. The field of 359 finishers mostly came from Alabama but included runners from California, Georgia, Colorado and Tennessee.
Runners enjoyed cool, comfortable conditions for the 7:30 a.m. start on Monte Sano. The field headed north, turning on Nolan Avenue toward the state park before looping through neighborhood streets and heading back. A jaunt on Old Chimney Road went past the site of the old Monte Sano Hotel. Then it was back to the main road and south, before toodling around Panorama Drive in the Mountain Heights ‘hood.
Glimpses of the city, and south toward foggy Big Cove and Hampton Cove, helped some runners ignore the rolling hills. Ah, yes, the hills … miles 5-8 were not exactly flat nor welcomed at that stage of the 9-mile event. But it’s what helps make the event more fun.
About the Race
The Huntsville Track Club was formed in 1971 and the Monte Sano 15K came into existence in 1979.
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. Brett Addington is the current race director.
Here is Tinsley’s report about the race and its background through 2017.
Clark Gates & Tom Bolt 1979, Clark Gates 1980, Tom Bolt 1981-82, Denny Coyle 1983-87, Cele Coyle 1988-91, Betsy Gunn 1992-93, Craig Armstrong 1994-97 and 2004 (David and Clare Purinton helped with the 1996 race when Craig had to be out-of-town on race day), Bonnie Robertson 1998-99, Randy McFarland 2000-03, James Reid 2005-06, Randy McFarland 2007, Mike O’Melia 2008-17.
This race began as the American Cancer Society 15K Race as a fundraiser; participants got pledges for each mile they ran. It was held in July in the early years. Also in the early years the race started and finished at the Monte Sano Elementary School. One year prior to the Olympics a number of Kenyans training in Atlanta showed up on race day and ran, producing some really fast times.
The name changed to The Mill 15K & 2 Mile Bun Run in 1983 and moved to October in 1985. It was the Monte Sano 15K & 2 Mile Fun Run in 1998 and the Eyes on Prize 15K & 1 Mile Fun Run in 1999. From 2000-04 it was the New York Life Monte Sano 15K Road Race. It became the Monte Sano 15K Road Race in 2005. In 2008 it became the Fleet Feet Monte Sano 15K Road Race. The death of race director Denny Coyle in a race in Cullman in 1988 resulted in his wife, Cele, directing the race that year and the next three years in his memory.
See all of the Monte Sano 15K results here.
See all of the RRCA Alabama 15K state champions here.
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Watch the start of the 2025 Monte Sano 15K:
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