M60-64: Gerard Tamez Dominates the Rocket City 10K

• Gerard Tamez won M60-64 in 45:22 (7:18/mi), more than two minutes clear of runner-up Jeronimo Nisa Luna's 47:35.
• Nisa Luna was the only other finisher under 50 minutes, with a 7:39/mi effort that secured a comfortable second place.
• Marvin Nichols and Sungho Lee ran the tightest battle of the day, separated by just 31 seconds (1:02:17 vs. 1:02:48) for 4th and 5th.
• The M60-64 field spanned more than 54 minutes from first to last — Tamez's 45:22 to Tony Peters' 1:40:01.

On a mild December morning in Huntsville — 59°F and a light 9 mph breeze — Gerard Tamez made the M60-64 race look straightforward. The 63-year-old from New Market ran 7:18/mi to finish in 45:22, a margin that left no doubt at the front. Jeronimo Nisa Luna, the hometown runner from Huntsville, gave chase and held firm at 47:35, but the gap between them was 2:13 — enough that this one was never really in question.

Behind the top two, a significant gap opened before Vincent Halterman crossed in 56:47 to claim third, running 9:08/mi. Then came the most competitive stretch of the race: Marvin Nichols of Winston, GA, and Huntsville's Sungho Lee ran nearly in lockstep, finishing 4th and 5th in 1:02:17 and 1:02:48 respectively — just 31 seconds apart after more than an hour of racing. Amir Mobasher and Lester Burrow were similarly matched a few minutes back, separated by only 35 seconds for 6th and 7th.

The back half of the field told a different story of the same course. Alan Johnston, Mike McCammon, Will Wright, Bruce Kenney, and Tony Peters spread across a wide range of finishing times, with Peters completing the 10K in 1:40:01 at 16:06/mi. Twelve men from 60 to 64 years old finished the race on a December Saturday — and Tamez made sure the M60-64 story had a clear headline.