Victor Kiprop of Tuscaloosa won the 18th annual Freedom Run 10K with a smooth sub-5 minute pace Saturday morning in Rainsville.
Kiprop, 27, finished in 30:44, a pace of 4:57 per mile. He won the Rocket City Marathon 10K last December. Frank Kipruto, 23, of Huntsville, was second in 31:12, and Vladimir Zander-Velloso, 25, of Newnan, Ga., was third. Zander-Velloso won the Rocket City Marathon last December in his marathon debut.
Faith Nyathi won the women’s division, finishing ninth overall in 35:36. Sarah Crouch, 36, of Madison, was second (11th) in 36:09. Savannah Peppenhorst, 28, of Norcross, Ga., was third (13th) in 36:59.
The popular race attracts runners from throughout the Southeast, thanks to cash payouts, prizes and a challenging course. It has raised more than $600,000 for local charities. The 10K had 192 finishers and the 5K had 747.
See all of the Freedom Run 10K results here.
Jacob Lister of Nashville won the 5K race in 14:52, and Annika Gompers of Atlanta took the women’s title. She was 15th overall, in 17:41.
See all of the Freedom Run 5K results here.
Elsewhere around the TVO area and in other races:
Eurocross 5K
Athan O’Neill of Huntsville held off Luke Franklin of London to win the Eurocross 5K on June 6 at UAH.
O’Neill, 17, posted a cumulative time of 20:25 on the 4-lap course to nip Franklin, 20, by one second. Mark Ullom of Huntsville was third in 21:12.
Fanny O’Neill, 15, of Huntsville, won the women’s title. She was 17th overall, in 26:38. Isabelle Allan, 16, of Huntsville, was second (21st) in 27:07. Mary Taylor, 15, of Huntsville was third (22nd), also in 27:07.
River City Pride 5K
DECATUR — Gunter Griffin easily won the River City Pride 5K on June 6.
Griffin, 40, finished in 20:57 to take top honors. Phillip Curtis, 38, of Decatur, was second, in 25:31.
Brittany Sayers, 31, of Athens, was third and won the women’s title. She finished in 26:32. Catherine Lawson, 54, of Madison, was second (5th) in 30:51.
In It for the Long Run
The inaugural In It for the Long Run endurance event was held May 15-16 at John Hunt Park, with multiple time and distance categories for athletes to pursue.
More than 250 runners had a 1.7-mile chipped rubber track to use for everything from 6-hour to 50-mile and 50K. The 5K and 10K runners got a little extra, thanks to the 1.7-mile distance.
Check out all of the results here for the categories, and the details here in case you want to do it next year.
Locomotion
EAST RIDGE, Tenn. — Linda Royce of Merdianville was 5th overall in the 24-hour division at the 9th annual Locomotion Endurance Event on April 25, while Perla Nunez was 10th in the 12-hour event.
The event offered runners 24-, 12-, 6 and 3-hour blocks to compile as many miles as possible. The course is a flat, USATF-certified 2.00-mile loop at Camp Jordan Recreation Area.
Royce, 42, completed 100 miles and was one of only five people to do so. She is tied for second place in the women’s record book with 100 miles, with record-holder Amanda Jenkins. She totaled 108 miles this year to take the top spot.
Nunez, 44, of Madison, completed 50 miles in the 12-hour division. Only 10 runners piled up 50 or more miles in that category.
See all of the results here.
Rockin’ Choccolocco
HEFLIN — Caleb West of Boaz completed the Rockin’ Choccolocco 50K on the Pinhoti Trail on April 25.
West, 21, finished in 6:10 and was 13th overall.
In the 25K, Kari Wever, 46, of Harvest was eighth overall in 3:12. That time puts her in second place in the 25K women’s record list.
The event consists of rolling trails with a smattering of flats and a healthy little hill to climb at the end. It’s part of the popular Pinhoti Trail Series.
See all of the results here.
Run the Bluegrass
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lee Collins of Huntsville completed the Run the Bluegrass half marathon on May 16.
Collins, 65, finished in 2:58. He was among a handful of Alabama runners in the half. The course took runners along a scenic route at Talon Winery and Vineyards, at the southern tip of Lexington near the Kentucky River.
In the 10K, Chrissi Papworth, 47, of Owens Cross Roads, finished in 1:26. She was the only Alabama runner in the field.
See all of the half marathon results here.
Huntsville Half Marathon
Registration is Open
Five months is more than enough time to train for the 48th Huntsville Half Marathon, set for Nov. 14.
It will start and end at Hillwood Baptist Church on Kohler Road, which is just off of Mountain Gap. Aid stations will be provided every two miles, and post-race recovery will be available at the church.
The race is one of the oldest in the city. It’s a great event for a PR, Rocket City Marathon training or to hang with friends for a few hours.
Check out more details or register here.
