Rocket City 5K: Cynthia Mitchell Tops the F45-49 Field

• Cynthia Mitchell won the F45-49 age group in 24:24 (7:51/mi), edging Kerriann Martin by 34 seconds.
• Kerriann Martin held on for 2nd in 24:58 (8:02/mi), with Farrah Coley taking 3rd in 26:38 (8:34/mi) — a 1:40 gap back to the podium's final step.
• Erin Stewart rounded out the top five in 28:00 (9:01/mi), finishing nearly 1:22 behind Farrah Coley in 3rd.
• 18 women finished in F45-49, with times ranging from Mitchell's 24:24 to Tara Hicks' 58:01.

Cynthia Mitchell of Athens, AL delivered the sharpest performance in the F45-49 age group on a mild December morning in Huntsville — 59°F, a light 9 mph breeze, and overcast skies that kept conditions honest. Her 7:51/mi pace held firm across the 5K, and the 34-second margin over Kerriann Martin tells a story of a race that was competitive at the front without ever being surrendered. Martin (Opelika, AL) ran a solid 8:02/mi to claim 2nd, and Farrah Coley (Riverside, AL) completed the podium in 26:38 — a clean, sub-9:00 effort at 8:34/mi.

The gap widened meaningfully behind the top three. Erin Stewart crossed in 28:00 for 4th, a full 1:22 back of Coley, and Chandra Palanichamy (Madison, AL) came in 5th at 32:26 — pushing the spread between 4th and 5th to over four minutes. Note: Amy Cosgrove's listed time of 9:26:49 at 4th place appears to reflect a data anomaly and stands in the results as recorded.

The back half of the field showed a wide range of paces, from Molly Jones' 11:02/mi through to Tara Hicks closing out the group in 58:01 at 18:40/mi — nearly double Mitchell's winning time. Lori Jewell and Claire Gongon finished 11th and 12th within six seconds of each other (42:36 and 42:42), the tightest battle of the day outside the top two. All 18 finishers got it done on a solid late-season morning in Huntsville.