An afternoon run on a flat course, packed with happy kids and tables of delicious cookies at the end? That’s a recipe for record times, which the annual Cookie Dash 5K is known for, and Brandon York didn’t pass up the opportunity.
York, 37, of Madison, pushed a zippy 4:43 pace to finish in 14:43 and take the Cookie Dash win. That meant he got to peruse the table of cookies before anyone else, which is cool. York also established a state age-group record, crushing the mark by 23 seconds. His wasn’t the only age-group record set Saturday, either.
Kyler Bush, 26, of Huntsville, finished second in 17:21, and Jason Betts, 41, of Owens Cross Roads, was third in 17:50.
Julia Donovan, 38, of Huntsville, was the women’s champ, finishing in 20:29. She was 13th overall. Isabelle Allan, 13, of Huntsville, was second (15th) in 21:10, and Holly Sillivant, 20, of Huntsville, was third (17th) in 21:13.
Cookie Dash 1-Mile
Riley Burris, 8, of Arab, sped to the 1-Mile fun run title in a blistering time of 5:39, winning by 56 seconds.
The 1-mile course was certified and bibs were chipped. Burris’ time easily demolished the Alabama female age-group record (7:01) that was set in 2004. Huntsville Track Club officials are checking other records to determine if others were set Saturday.
Malachy Deloach, 8 , of Owens Cross Roads, was second in 6:35, and Beckham Shepard, 8, of Madison, was third in 6:52.
TVO is awaiting confirmation about any other records and will update accordingly.
For all the results of the Cookie Dash 1-Mile event, click here.
About the Cookie Dash 5K
Almost 600 people signed up for the 5K and 1-mile fun run, with 401 finishing the 5K including a truckload of kids. Conditions were comfortable, with a bit of wind kicking up toward the end of the 5K as clouds moved in from the northwest.
The run started at 4 p.m. at Hampton Cove Middle School. It was a morning event until a conflicting event popped up a few years ago. The Cookie Dash moved to its afternoon time slot. However, runners responded to the change with a strong turnout, and it’s been an afternoon event since then.
The certified route is pancake-flat, winding through Deford Mill in Hampton Cove before returning to the finish line on the Big Cove Creek Greenway. Homeowners along the route cheer, and Huntsville Police Department helps with traffic control. It’s a perfect route for a personal or state age-group record.
Proceeds benefit the Huntsville Community Drumline and the Hampton Cove elementary and middle schools. The drumline sends off runners at the start and welcomes them at the finish with loud, precise drumming.
See all of the Cookie Dash 5K results here.
The event is part of the Huntsville Track Club’s annual schedule. The 5K and 1-mile runs were sponsored by Fleet Feet, Tortora’s of Hampton Cove and Cookie Fix.
