Rocket City Half Marathon: Patricia Cote-Miles Takes F70-74

• Patricia Cote-Miles, 73, won the F70-74 age group in 3:44:35 — a 17:08/mi average over 13.1 miles.
• Mary Hollingsworth, 70, finished 2nd in 4:03:42, a gap of 19:07 behind Cote-Miles.
• Cote-Miles posted the stronger closing split, recording the 442nd-fastest women's split on the 8M-to-Finish stretch as she moved up one place in the women's field over that final segment.

Just two women lined up in the F70-74 age group at Rocket City, but both earned their finisher's medal on a mild December morning in Huntsville — 59°F and overcast, about as forgiving as Alabama in December gets.

Patricia Cote-Miles of Tyrone, GA set the pace from the start and never relinquished it. The 73-year-old crossed in 3:44:35, sustaining a 17:08/mi average across the full half marathon distance. She even found a gear in the back half, posting the 442nd-fastest women's split on the 8M-to-Finish stretch and ticking up one place in the broader women's field as she came home.

Mary Hollingsworth of Rogers, AR had a tougher second half. The 70-year-old, who was just nine places behind Cote-Miles among the women at the 8-mile mark, fell back one spot over that final stretch, finishing in 4:03:42 at an 18:35/mi average. The 19-minute, 7-second gap between the two tells the story of where the race was decided.

Two finishers, two women in their seventies, completing a half marathon — that's the headline that matters most here.