Rocket City 10K: Andy Choi Dominates M50-54

• Andy Choi won the M50-54 group in 46:50 (7:32/mi), finishing nearly 3 minutes clear of runner-up Yukio Ito.
• Ito, Sleasman, and Cope were separated by just 30 seconds across 2nd through 4th place.
• 4th and 5th — Mark Cope (52:18) and Rodger Lebedz (52:22) — were separated by just 4 seconds.
• The 18-finisher field spanned more than 53 minutes from first to last, with Daniel McMillan closing in 1:40:42.

Andy Choi, 50, from Madison, AL, put on a commanding performance in the M50-54 group, crossing in 46:50 at a 7:32/mi clip. That's a 2:50 margin over Yukio Ito — a gap that speaks for itself on a 10K course. Mild December conditions in Huntsville, with temperatures at 59°F and a light 9 mph breeze, made for reasonable racing weather, and Choi clearly took full advantage.

Behind Choi, the race for the podium was tight. Ito (49:40) held second comfortably enough, but Robert Sleasman (51:48) and Mark Cope (52:18) were locked in a genuine battle for 3rd. Sleasman edged it by 30 seconds, while Cope had almost no room to breathe — Rodger Lebedz sat just 4 seconds back in 5th at 52:22. Three men within half a minute across three positions made that stretch the most competitive patch of the entire field.

The middle of the M50-54 group saw Luis Garcia (54:11) and David Dixon (55:44) running their own race, with Dixon and Brandt Estes nearly inseparable — Estes crossed just 4 seconds later at 55:48. Beyond 10th place, the field spread out considerably, with the final five finishers ranging from 1:09 to 1:40, reflecting a wide range of paces across this 18-man group. Every finisher who toed the line in Huntsville on a December Saturday earned their result.