DECATUR — Dylan Glass and Cynthia Mitchell established course and personal records at the 20th annual Delano Park 50-mile solo race on Saturday.
Glass, 34, of Gurley, bolted out at the horn, taking a solid 7-ish minute pace from the 6 a.m. start to about the halfway point. He finished in 6:07:55 to win, with Drew Whitworth, 27, of Ashland City, Tenn., second in 6:42:14. Glass now sits third on the 50-mile record list. Whitworth is sixth. Their times among just three making the Top 10 since 2016.
The 50-mile race was concurrent with the 12-hour event, both held on the Delano Park track. After about an hour the field began spreading, offering easier maneuvering around the certified 1-mile course.
Runners were keeping up with Glass, as best as possible, guessing about his laps as they ticked off one by one.
“Man, he’s fast.”
“I can tell he’s coming because there’s a breeze.”
“He lapped me twice on one loop!”
“That was tough,” Glass said. “I started with about a 7-minute pace and then slowed to about 8 minutes a little more than halfway through. I felt pretty good all the way, even with it getting hotter at midmorning. But I’m glad it’s done.”
Glass is a Huntsville Slam winner, among other honors, and owner of Return2Sport performance physical therapy in Jones Valley. He may need a bit of PT today after chewing up the track.
Mitchell’s Debut
Mitchell, 48, of Athens, had 50 miles on her agenda and a mindset to get this landmark checked off her to-do list.
She’s a member of the Team Rocket Tri Club (TRTC), finished the Florida Ironman last October and is a Huntsville Slam finisher. She also is a working mother of two young, non-stop boys who began ball practice this week. No big deal, y’know. Just work and kids’ sports and 50 miles on the agenda.
Mitchell finished in 9:30:19 and was fifth overall. Pretty darn good for a debut, especially with the mental battle of the 1-mile track repetition. She’s completed several 50Ks along with other road, trail and tri events. On Saturday, she ran strongly and consistently throughout the day.
“After completing Mountain Mist this year (in January), some friends talked about trying for a 50-miler,” Mitchell said. “I put it on the back burner, and then signed up on a whim for Delano as potentially my first. I knew I could push through the 50k, and since it’s a lap course, could always bow out or swap to the 12-hour.
“After around mile 35, I was still running (mostly) and feeling strong. Around 45, I knew I could do at least 50! I was so grateful for all the support, from friends, our group’s spouses and my husband and kids, even if they barely made it quarter mile running with me! TRTC people show up for one another! It was a great day. River City Runners put on a great event and race director Jon Elmore planned a great day for us.”
Both events are put on by the River City Runners of Decatur. Registration for the 2027 Delano Park events opens Oct. 1.
Check out all of the 50-mile standings here.
