Kim McCandless Dominates the F65-69 5K in Huntsville

• Kim McCandless won the F65-69 age group in 33:07 (10:40/mi) — more than five minutes clear of the field.
• Linda Wright took 2nd in 38:17, with Beverly Walker and Julie Albright separated by just 29 seconds for 3rd and 4th.
• Julie Naylor-Nolas and Marsha Kennedy finished 5th and 6th just 11 seconds apart — 50:31 vs. 50:42.
• At the back, Cindy Moeller and Ann Marie Bond crossed within 2 seconds of each other to round out all eight finishers.

Kim McCandless made the F65-69 race her own from start to finish. Her 33:07 — a 10:40-per-mile clip — was a commanding performance on a mild December morning in Huntsville, and her margin of victory over Linda Wright was 5 minutes and 10 seconds. In a field of eight, that kind of gap speaks for itself.

Behind McCandless, Linda Wright (38:17) ran a solid 2nd-place effort, but the real drama was the battle for the bronze. Beverly Walker and Julie Albright traded places in what amounted to a sprint finish over the course of the race — Walker clocked 40:19 to Albright's 40:48, a gap of just 29 seconds across 3.1 miles. Albright, also 66, couldn't quite reel her in.

Further back, the race offered another tight subplot. Julie Naylor-Nolas and Marsha Kennedy were virtually inseparable, finishing 5th and 6th in 50:31 and 50:42 respectively — 11 seconds after covering the same 5K course. Then Cindy Moeller and Ann Marie Bond staged their own near-photo-finish, with Moeller's 55:49 edging Bond's 55:51 by just two seconds for 7th and 8th. Eight women, three separate battles — the F65-69 age group delivered plenty to watch.