Melissa Miller crossed the Huntsville Half Marathon finish line and toodled away to cool down, gathering her thoughts and congratulations from others.
Miller was in a great mood. She won the women’s title with a time of 1:34:53, enjoying the morning route in south Huntsville. She finished in the top 20, the only woman to do so. And she was thrilled to be getting on track after returning to running.
“It was great, fantastic,” Miller said. This was my first half marathon back. I had a baby seven months ago, so this is a great way to come back. I’m very happy.”
Angela Lopez, 37, of Harvest, wasn’t far behind, finishing second (21st) in 1:36:41. Kiana Hope, 28, of Huntsville, was third (28th) in 1:39:35. Claire Peter, 25, of Huntsville was fourth (35th) in 1:43:19, and Rachel Joffrion, 28, of Huntsville was fifth (37th) in 1:44:30.
Josh Whitehead of Madison won the half marathon in 1:13:16. The field had 339 official finishers from 10 states including Arizona, Texas, North Dakota and Maryland.
Miller is no stranger to the Huntsville Half. She finished second last year in the women’s division and 12th overall in 1:35:21. She said the toughest part this year was overcoming the little screamers in her head that all runners get at some point.
“I took six weeks off and then started jumping back into running and training,” she said. “But then I had a couple of small injuries. So it was a little harder, and also mentally harder to come back. But this is a really great race. This is my third time doing it. It’s a great time.
“Everything was great. The volunteers were great and the course is well marked, which is fantastic. There’s nothing more frustrating than taking a wrong turn. I’ve done that before, but not on this course, though. Everything today was great.”
The event is put on by the Huntsville Track Club. See all of the results from the Huntsville Half Marathon here.
PHOTOS: See all of the half marathon photos by Spencer Cox here.
