The annual Strolling Jim shindig will return to its roots this year, with a standalone 40-mile ultra on the first Saturday in May.
Runners for the last 12 years have had a handful of choices for Strolling Jim race distances including 10K, 13.2, 20-mile and marathon. These all were held concurrently with the 40-miler, which was the sole race from 1979-2013.
Runners in all events toodled through the Tennessee countryside, starting and finishing in Wartrace. The tiny town has been home to the Strolling Jim race for decades, along with a tribute to the world champion horse that gave the event its name. Weather conditions could be hot, humid, chilly, rainy or maybe all of the above. Hills challenged all, but especially the 40-milers.
In 2014, Strolling Jim organizers added a 20-mile and 10K. None of the shorter distances were easy. Race creator Gary Cantrell and his team devised routes that included some “OMG” hills, long stretches of open road and other fun challenges.
This year, it’s back to the roots of the race. For 31 years, the Strolling Jim was a 40-mile event. Now, in its 47th running, it returns to that lone distance to test the hearty.
Run the Cove Half
Ready for a new half-marathon?
The Run the Cove Half is set for March 8 in Hampton Cove, with a flat and fast course that could be perfect for a PR. It starts at the Hays Nature Preserve Greenway and runs through it to Cherrytree, up by the Hampton Cove sports fields, under the road, and into Hampton Cove around the lakes and greenways. Runners circle back through the ‘hood, encountering a few hills, and finish at the starting line.
Pros? Flat, fast, minimal traffic to deal with on the majority of the route. It’s a mix of concrete and asphalt surfaces. The hills are runnable. The last one shoots you off into the ‘hood before flattening out for the run to the finish line. Cons? Possibly some neighborhood walkers and bike-riders around the lake, and maybe slickery sidewalks if it’s been raining.
The course is solid and used by a lot of youth athletes for training, along with Cove residents. It’ll be a cool event.
The Run the Cove Half is sponsored by Karhu and Swift Recovery, and facilitated by Fleet Feet Huntsville.
Paper Chase 5K is Set
The annual Paper Chase 5K is Feb. 22 in downtown Huntsville starting at Franklin and Gates streets at 8 a.m., one of the most popular short races of the year. The race supports Free 2 Teach, which helps teachers and children at 88 area public schools fulfill classroom needs with supplies and other necessities. Among the sponsors are the EZBO Foundation and Fleet Feet.
The school with the most runners — including family, friends, staff and students — will win the School Challenge. That comes with $1,500 from FirstBank for the school library or technology needs.
Last autumn, Free 2 Teach received a $150,000 donation from Meta. In 14 years, Free 2 Teach has provided almost 14 million in resources to Madison County public school teachers. These include copy paper, pencils, STEM lesson kits, specialty art supplies, books, classroom furniture and more. In the last six years, Meta has given more than $4 million in direct funding to area schools and nonprofits. It also has continually expanded its Huntsville Data Center.
“This historic gift is not only an investment in our organization but in our entire community,” shares Alison Kling, Free 2 Teach CEO. “It signals the commitment of Meta to education and to our focused model at Free 2 Teach that to reach children, we must reach their teachers. This gift will strengthen our efforts to achieve both equity and excellence in our public school classrooms. I, along with the teachers we serve and the entire Free 2 Teach family of staff, volunteers, and supporters, am incredibly thankful and immensely grateful.”
Click here to register for the Paper Chase 5K.
Pinhoti 50K Slam
Area dirt-pounders who enjoy the Pinhoti Trail Series in central Alabama have a new goal to strive for: the 50K Grand Slam buckle.
Pinhoti race director Todd Henderson recently turned on a new website and announced the Slam. Runners must:
- Finish the Mt. Cheaha 50K on Feb 22, a point-to-point single track of the Pinhoti Trail and connector trails to Blue Hell and Cheaha State Park at 2,407 feet, the highest point in Alabama.
- Finish the Oak Mountain 50K on March 29, the second-oldest 50K in Alabama at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, south of Birmingham.
- Finish the Rockin Choccolocco 50K on April 26, a point-to-point race on the Pinhoti Trail until connecting to the Heflin Spur. About 95 percent of the course is single-track on the Pinhoti Trail, throughout the Talladega National Forest.
Pill Hill 10K Locks In
The annual Pill Hill 10K has moved to February after two years in May, and will continue to support the Huntsville Police Department’s HPD Citizens Foundation Fund.
Kelly Clary brought back the popular run in 2023 for the first time in 20 years, hosting it in May just before the Cotton Row runs. Some folks got cranky about that date, but in last year’s second go’round the field doubled in size. Obviously it was a big hit in May even with one of the city’s iconic races on the schedule just a week later.
This year, however, the Pill Hill 10K moves to February 15, still based at Greenwyche Pool. Runners will enjoy a litany of hills that will provide a solid test of ability (and perhaps patience).
The HPD Citizens Foundation Fund was created to support the families of fallen officers, and officers in need of medical or mental health support. The race helps raise community awareness of the daily issues officers face in the line of duty and in particular the impact on their mental health. All proceeds from the race, and donations, help this foundation.
Click here for more info on the race or to register.
Heel & Crank Duathlon Moves
The annual Heel & Crank Duathlon shifts to early June this year after its prior run as an April event.
This year’s event is scheduled for June 7, according to the Team Rocket Tri Club site. It says more details will be coming soon about the event, but no news of a location. The 2024 event had 142 competitors.
Heel & Crank offers a fun 3-mile run, 16-mile bike ride and 3-mile run. It has been held in April in Mooresville at the Old Brick Church. Runners went onto the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge gravel roads for the runs, and on the rural roads of southeast Limestone County for the ride.
The duathlon and 45th annual Huntsville Sprint Triathlon, one of the oldest competitive events in the city, are the only two club events with announced 2025 dates. The sprint tri is scheduled for Aug. 9.
Four other club events do not have announced 2025 dates yet.
