Thirteen runners posted Top 10 finishes in scorching performances Saturday morning at the third annual Smoke Rise half-marathon and 10K at Blevins Gap Nature Preserve.
The top four men’s finishers in the half and 10K put their names in the Top 10 list, as did the first four women in the half. The 10K women’s winner also was among the record-setters on a humid morning that saw temps climbing quickly. This was the first year for a 5K event, too, with 38 runners finishing.
Cole Robinson, 17, of Madison, defended his Smoke Rise championship in a fine time of 2:02. He’s fourth on the record list, and holds the top position with his 2022 win in 1:55.
Ronan Barnes, 17, of Madison, was second in 2:04, good for sixth on the record list. Dylan Glass, 31, of Gurley, was third in 2:07.
Makenna Ash, 26, of Decatur, Ga., won the women’s title in 2:39, fourth-best on the record list. She was 12th overall. Abby Wilson, 27, of Atlanta, was second (15th) in 2:42, and Grace Drown, 14, of Huntsville, was third in 2:53. She was 18th overall.
Thirty-five runners competed in the half-marathon.
Smoke Rise 10K Results
Will Chaplow, 31, of Gurley, smacked the 10K course in the chops with a super time of 51:19 to take the win. That’s second-best on the Top 10 list, just two seconds behind the top spot set two years ago by Andrew Bustos.
Chaplow was pushed by a couple of teens, with Charlie Lehr, 12, of Huntsville, finishing second in 52:52. Lehr is no stranger among local trail runners. He won the Oak Park Challenge last year and has placed in several other events. Wispy and fast, he’ll be around for a while on the trail scene.
Right behind him in third was JD Shattuck, 14, of Huntsville, who crossed in 53:53. Shattuck is another to keep an eye on among the local young trail smashers. He won the 3-day Grand Viduta Mini title in April and also has top finishes in other events.
Nine runners finished in less than an hour among the field of 99 who finished.
Caroline Ayers, 16, of Huntsville, won the women’s title, finishing 17th in a time of 1:07:23. She’s No. 2 on the Top 10 list with that finish, just seven seconds off the record.
Rachel Evans, 35, of Meridianville, was second (28th) in 1:17:17, and Laura Uribe, 36, of Huntsville, was third (37th) in 1:20:42.
See all of the Smoke Rise 10K results here.
Smoke Rise 5K Results
A deliciously fun taste of the trails awaited the 5K runners for the first time this year, with Hayden Luyk, 32, of Athens, claiming the top spot in 27:59:26.
Lukasz Ciesla, 40, of Northport, was second in 28:44:18, and Vince Rivera, 51, of Huntsville, was third in 30:22:28.
Perla Nunez, 41, of Huntsville, won the women’s title in 33:33:20. She was sixth overall. Amanda Lemons, 45, of Gurley, was second (12th) in 41:47, and Christel Kennedy, 35, of Athens, was third (15th) in 46:21.
Forty-two runners finished the event. After making the initial lung-burning climb to the top on the Certain Trail, the 5K crew made a right at the power line cut to get to the West Bluff Trail. There, it was back to the Certain Trail and downhill to the finish line. Scenic vistas of Hampton Cove and south Huntsville on the easy route made for a fun 5K.
See all the results of the Smoke Rise 5K here.
Watch
Watch the start of the Smoke Rise Half-Marathon on Saturday at Blevins Gap Nature Preserve in Huntsville.
