Rocket City 10K M35-39: Decker Laps the Field in the Cold

• Steven Decker Jr. wins in 38:56 (6:16/mi), nearly 9 minutes and 8 seconds clear of 2nd-place Stephen Greene — the most dominant margin in the M35-39 group.
• Greene (48:04) and Van Wagenen (48:42) are separated by just 38 seconds for the podium, with Zachary Tselis-Jackson a further minute back in 4th at 49:49.
• Jorge Gonzalez and Weston Thomas waged the day's tightest battle: 5th and 6th place, split by just 3 seconds (51:10 vs. 51:13).
• Alex Fruge and Woohyun Park both crossed in 55:59 — the timing system separates them into 11th and 12th, meaning one edged the other by the slimmest of margins.

At 29°F with a 16 mph wind cutting through Huntsville, the M35-39 group sent 27 men to the line — and Steven Decker Jr. made the cold air look like a non-factor. The 35-year-old local ran a 6:16/mi average to finish in 38:56, a time that would be impressive in any conditions. His margin over the rest of the field wasn't a race — it was a statement. By the time Greene crossed in 48:04, Decker had already had time to cool down.

The real racing happened behind him. Stephen Greene (48:04, 7:44/mi) and Kurt Van Wagenen (48:42, 7:50/mi) ran a genuine contest for 2nd, with Van Wagenen unable to close a 38-second gap that Greene had built. Zachary Tselis-Jackson rounded out the top four in 49:49, running 8:01/mi to finish just over a minute behind Greene.

The mid-pack delivered its own drama. Gonzalez and Thomas — both 39 years old, racing as the eldest in the group — were virtually inseparable, finishing 5th and 6th in 51:10 and 51:13 respectively. Three seconds across 6.2 miles in freezing wind is a battle worth remembering. Further back, Fruge and Park both clocked 55:59, with the timing system ultimately settling the 11th/12th split by fractions of a second invisible to the naked eye.