Brian Mitchell and Janie Mena sped to top honors Saturday morning in the First Solar Heroes 5K at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Mitchell, 34, of Madison, got the close win with a time of 21:48, nipping Antonio Pena, 25, of Lacey’s Spring, who crossed in 22:06. Michael Wildman, 48, of Chicago, was third in 22:21.
Mena, 42, of Gurley, finished ninth and won the women’s division in 25:51. Mayela Bartolo, 25, of Decatur, was second (12th) in 26:38, and Candace Blackwood, 32, of Trinity, was third in 27:11.
The race had 91 official finishers, about double from 2025, and took runners around the Space & Rocket Center past the Pathfinder and Apollo exhibits. Proceeds help benefit Still Serving Veterans, a local non-profit military support organization.
John Alderman, 69, captured the Ruck Division in 33:50. Erica Reeves, 46, of Madison, was third and won the women’s title. She finished in 34:07.
Male ruck weight was 30 pounds, and 20 for females. Runners had to bring their own ruck with the dry weight (before adding consumables) that met the weight requirement. Rucks were weighed before the race.
The race was facilitated by River City Runners.
See all of the 5K results here and Ruck results here.
