Nate Pudner of Mobile won the Rocket City Marathon “Front Half-Marathon” by more than four minutes to claim the first of six top trophies given Sunday at the Von Braun Center.
Pudner, 24, clipped along at a 5:20 pace to win in 1:09.52. Pudner ran outdoor and indoor track for the University of South Alabama track team, accumulating numerous honors.
Matt Lemon, 33, of Dayton, Ohio, finished second in 1:14:16. Holt Ingalls, 28, of Brookhaven, Ga., was third (fourth overall) in 1:29:25.
Maura Lemon, 33, of Dayton, Ohio, easily claimed the overall third-place spot and women’s division championship. She crossed in 1:21:29, taking the bronze by about eight minutes. Patricia Coppel, 39, of Roswell, Ga., was second (8th overall) in 1:32:59, and Julia Donovan, 35, of Huntsville, was third (10th) in 1:35:44.
Race organizers decided this year to offer two half-marathons, one for the front part of the course and one for the back half. Each had its special quirks along the route. The Rocket City Marathon Front Half-Marathon started with the marathon runners at the Von Braun Center downtown. The route gradually inclined to peak at about the 4.5-mile mark at Echols Hill by Maple Hill Cemetery. From there it gradually declined to the finish at Campus 805. Drop bags taken there allowed runners to change and then enjoy food, music and cheering on other finishers as the marathoners continued.
See all the results of the Rocket City Marathon “Front Half Marathon” here.
The RCM Mural 5K and RCM 10K events were held Saturday morning.
All of the marathon weekend races and activites are a Huntsville Track Club event. Sponsors include Huntsville Sports Commission, The City of Huntsville, Fleet Feet, U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden, SportsMed, Mission DRiven Research, Progress Bank, Publix, Ray Pearman Lincoln, Therapy South, Costco, Straight to Ale, Hops ‘n Guac, Marco’s Pizza, Panera Bread, Nomadic Roots Nutrition, Axient, McCluskey Construction, Mobile Communications America and Avion.
FOR MORE PHOTOS – Visit the TVO gallery and check out the marathon and miscellaneous images from Sunday’s action.
