Josh Whitehead lost his marbles for a moment Saturday morning in the Fleet Feet Monte Sano 15K and followed the pace car, adding an extra quarter-mile or so to his run. Then he did it a second time near the finish line.
Didn’t matter.
Whitehead, 46, of Madison, finished in 52:03.9 for his third straight win in the event as he smashed a 22-year-old Alabama age group record. He won by almost five minutes. His time was a smidge more than in 2023 and 2022, but those two wins along with Saturday’s all are Alabama age group records. Whitehead’s record Saturday for 46-year-olds was 4:35 faster than the one set by Joe Francica of Huntsville in 2002.
Emma Hardman, 28, of Huntsville, finished second and also set the Alabama age record with her time of 56:51.4. Hardman smoked the previous mark, set in 2008 by Candace Jacobs of Huntsville, by almost two minutes. Hardman won the Tiny Toes 5K last week and is no stranger to the podium.
Peter Toland, 26, of Huntsville, was third in 56:57. Tay Cavett, 26, of Huntsville, was second in the women’s division and 10th overall.
The annual Monte Sano 15K is put on by the Huntsville Track Club and is certified by the USATF. This year’s field had 330 official finishers. Runners begin at the Monte Sano United Methodist Church and wind along through several neighborhood streets before finishing at the church. It’s mix of flats and gentle inclines.
In other state age records, Paul Baswell of Loxley set the 75-year-old mark with his time of 1:16:06. He smashed the record by almost five minutes. Kathy Harper of Athens claimed the 73-year-old division record with her time of 1:34:43. She obliterated the existing record by almost 24 minutes.
See all of the Fleet Feet Monte Sano 15K results here.
