Josh Whitehead won the Rocket City Marathon two years ago. He finished second last year. As one of the local favorites to keep an eye on Sunday, he’s merely thankful for another day to run.
Whitehead, 46, of Madison, has two RCM titles to his credit and several other Top 15 finishes. He went a decade between his two wins, the second coming after his recovery from a still unsolved hit-and-run while he was biking on Zierdt Road. This year he’s claimed several wins, set a gaggle of state age records and has been training for today’s 48th Rocket City Marathon.
“Training has gone well this fall getting ready,” he said. “There’s a capstone workout I’ve included the last few years in my buildup that’s usually a good fitness indicator. It went really well in November. Now it comes down to adjusting pacing for the conditions Sunday and staying on top of hydration and calories during the race, plus a dash of mental toughness as the conditions may not be ideal.”
Today’s forecast calls for lingering rain this morning from overnight showers. Temperatures should be in the 40s at the 7 a.m. start of the marathon and Front Half-Marathon, climbing into the 50s by noon. It was chilly and windy last year, too, but runners didn’t have any rain to deal with.
Who’s Hot
Huntsville Track Club officials don’t seed runners for the marathon. Several local stalwarts to keep an eye on, though, include Brandon York of Madison, Daniel Sillivant of Huntsville and Peter Toland of Owens Cross Roads. Emma Hardman of Huntsville should be tough in the women’s division, along with Maura Lemon of Dayton, Ohio, 2022 RCM runner-up Purity Munene of Columbia, S.C., and Melissa Miller of Huntsville, winner of the Huntsville Half-Marathon last month.
“We have so many talented runners in the Huntsville community (and, moreover, across all of north Alabama) so to be considered a local favorite again is really a blessing,” Whitehead said. “Seems like I keep getting older and the competition keeps getting younger! I don’t feel pressure per se, but do find motivation from it. I’m hoping to challenge the Alabama state age record. So, I have that as one goal, and also a time goal, and as always would like to be in the mix for the top placings.”
Whitehead owns the state age marathon records for 40-, 43-, 44- and 45-year-olds, along with records in other distances. Each of those have been in the 2:30s, so the current mark of 2:46 set 40 years ago likely will fall.
The Final Miles
Unless something weird happens, the lead runners usually stick together until the final miles of a marathon. It could be two or three of them, or a bigger pack. They feed off each other, making little moves, waiting for the right time to see who’s going to make the kick and try to separate.
Other times there’s a dash to the finish line with, perhaps, maybe seconds separating the top runners. Each race is different. Last year, RCM winner David Too separated with a small group at about mile 15. Whitehead watched, biding his time, believing he was in good shape for a run at the end.
“We had a group together as we ran through the UAH campus (go Chargers!) around miles 15-16,” he said. “The group all just surged and pulled away from me as we headed to Wynn Drive. I just kept my pace. As the miles clicked by, one by one I passed all the folks that had been in that group. The marathon is tricky, and a surge at the wrong time can really cause the wheels to fall off later. I also had great success with my nutrition (calories) during last year’s race and felt strong all the way to the finish (no bonking at all), which helped a bunch.”
Stay Focused
A couple of spots on the course offer challenges, he said, including the hill at about mile 14 going over I-565 and two more on Bradford Drive just past UAH. The Botanical Garden, at about mile 20, also has a raft of hills “that can make or break your race. They’re not long or super steep but really make you focus on keeping effort consistent and not focus so much on pace.
“I love hills but to run your best marathon, you can’t expect to run the same pace on those uphills that you’re cruising on the flats. Also, one of my absolute favorite parts of the race is when you turn onto 9th Avenue just past mile 22. The road gently rolls downhill all the way to Lowe Mill and just feels fast closing out those late miles. I look forward to that right turn every year!”
This year, who knows what will happen. It could be Whitehead surging to the finish in the VBC South Hall, or another runner breaking the tape. Whatever happens, when the runners hit Big Spring Park and see the VBC, they know it’s almost over.
“It’s a rush!” Whitehead said. “The tight turns around the lakes in Big Spring Park slow you down a bit but you know you’re getting close and it’s exhilarating. And that feeling making that last turn into the VBC South Hall and seeing the finish line is tough to describe. It’s a unique combo of joy, accomplishment, thankfulness and maybe just a little dash of relief.”
The Huntsville Track Club puts on the Rocket City Marathon race weekend. The events are presented by the Huntsville Sports Commission along with 15 other sponsors.
MAIN PHOTO: 2022 Rocket City Marathon champ and two-time winner Josh Whitehead of Madison is a favorite for this year’s race. (Photo courtesy Will Crisp)
