Paul Richardson won the Firecracker 5K hosted by Morningside Baptist Church on July 4 with a sizzling time of 17:04.
Kevin Betts was second in 17:14, and Rob Youngren was third in 18:08.
Rose Betts was the women’s winner (7th overall) in 19:44. Clarissa Hell was second (8th) in 19:51, and Autumn Betts was third (10th) in 20:15.
Morningside Baptist Church hosts the Firecracker 5K every year on July 4. The race was started 13 years ago by the late Jared Fleming. The field of 197 runners faced high humidity and heat. The flat Aldridge Creek Greenway course provided smooth sailing.
See all the race results here.
Arguably one of the best little 5Ks in Huntsville, the event has a large group of volunteers from the church who do a super job. The vibe is chill, starting under the Fleet Feet inflatable arch, as everyone slips along Bailey Cove Road to the greenway. From there it’s an easy, flat and fast out-and-back along Aldridge Creek. If you want a PR, or have a jones for sweltering summer morning running, this event (and the Running of the Bulls 5K in August) is for you.
Back at the finish line, runners are greeted with shady tents and mist-blowing fans, ice-cold washrags to knock off the heat, water, lemonade and an array of fruit and cookies inside. I wanted just watermelon and oranges, but doggone if the cookies (some homemade!) looked fabulous. Everyone is cheerful and happy to be there even with the heat and sweltering humidity.
Greg Gelmis with We Run Huntsville has a trove of photos from the event. Find them here.
