Under leaden skies hucking chilly winds, more than 150 hearty souls took off Saturday morning from Greenwyche Pool to assault the Pill Hill 10K course. Winding through the Thornblade neighborhood on the west side of Huntsville Mountain, runners within a half-mile were climbing the first of more than a dozen hills.
It’s a doozy of a 10K, arguably the toughest road course in the area, and yet finds a soft spot for many runners who enjoy a good challenge. They get it, with more than 1,000 feet of elevation at the highest point, going up Trevor Drive, which has a 16.9 percent grade.
This was the third Pill Hill 10K in the 2.0 version. It returned in 2022 when race director Kelly Clary brought it back after a 19-year layoff. The original was a fundraiser for the Huntsville Hospital cardiac unit. The Pill Hill reboot races have benefitted the Huntsville Police Department Citizens Foundation Fund.
Josh Whitehead of Madison claimed the win, in 36:36. He was the only runner to crack 40 minutes, and also won the 2022 race in 36:24.
“I really like this course,” he said, “I like hills, and this one’s a good challenge.”
Megan Allan of Huntsville was second in 40:58, taking the women’s title. She also won in 2022, albeit in 51:50, and was 13th then. Rob Youngren of Owens Cross Roads was third, in 42:06.
The Citizens Foundation Fund supports families of fallen officers, officers in need of medical or mental health issues, and the HPD Memorial. The goal of the Pill Hill 10K is to raise awareness of issues officers face in the line of duty and impacts on their mental health.
The field of 153 finishers ranged in age from 10 to 82. The race was facilitated by Running Lane, and sponsored by Window World of Huntsville.
See all of the results here, and photos from Spencer Cox Photography here.
PHOTOS: Josh Whitehead captures the win (top photo), while Megan Allan wins the women’s title and second overall (below). Photos of Whitehead and Allan by Spencer Cox Photography.
