Rocket City M25-29: David Too dominates in a 2:27 stunner

• Too's winning margin: 10 minutes and 23 seconds over runner-up Josh Evans — a commanding gap in a 69-man field.
• The surge that sealed it: Too moved from 2nd among men to 1st between the half and 31K, then held that position to the tape at 5:38/mi avg.
• Evans' closing kick: After running 10th among men at the half, Evans charged to 6th by the finish, posting the 4th-fastest 31K-to-finish split in the men's field.
• Tight mid-pack battle: Lance Moore (2:58:58) and Benjamin Byrd (2:59:12) were separated by just 14 seconds at 8th and 9th — both averaging 6:50/mi on a warm, windy December day.

David Too turned the M25-29 race into a one-man show. The 29-year-old from Tallahassee sat 2nd among men through 10K and the half, then struck between the half and 31K, moving to the front of the men's field and never looking back. His 2:27:40 at 5:38/mi average was a performance that left the rest of the group chasing daylight — and 70°F temperatures with 17 mph winds made that margin all the more striking.

Josh Evans of Calera, AL was the age group's best story beyond the winner. Starting the back half of the race in 10th among men, he steadily reeled in competitors and finished 6th with the 4th-fastest closing split in the field over the final stretch. His 2:38:03 was good enough for a clear 2nd in the M25-29 group, nearly 10 minutes ahead of Austin Pryor (2:47:54), who held a steady 15th-place position among men from start to finish to claim 3rd.

Mark Rabasco provides the cautionary tale of the day. The Greenfield, MA 29-year-old ran well through the half — sitting 13th among men — but faded to 24th by the finish, slipping to 4th in the age group at 2:53:05. Meanwhile, local runner Peter Toland of Huntsville made the opposite move, climbing from 37th among men at 10K all the way to 29th at the finish to claim 5th in 2:56:13. With 69 finishers spread across a wide range of times, the M25-29 group had plenty of racing to watch from front to back.