M65-69 5K: Dawson Dominates in Huntsville

• David Dawson won the M65-69 group in 24:51 — more than 5 minutes clear of runner-up Bob Nicholson (30:11).
• Nicholson and Parker Bond were the closest battle of the day, separated by just 1:23 for 2nd and 3rd.
• Ekkehard Bonatz, the oldest finisher at 69, placed 4th in 34:55 — running every one of those years hard.
• Eight men finished in the M65-69 group on a mild December morning in Huntsville.

---

David Dawson made the trip from Cincinnati count. His 24:51 — a 7:60/mi clip — wasn't just a win; it was a statement. The next finisher, Huntsville local Bob Nicholson, crossed in 30:11, meaning Dawson had already been standing at the finish line for over five minutes before the race for 2nd place was even settled. At 65, Dawson was among the youngest in the group and ran like it.

Behind Nicholson, Parker Bond of Alabaster gave chase and made it interesting. Bond's 31:34 put him just 1:23 back of Nicholson — the tightest gap of the entire field and the one race-within-a-race that played out down the stretch. Ekkehard Bonatz, at 69 the oldest man in the group, came home 4th in 34:55, a solid 11:14/mi effort that held off the back half of the field with room to spare.

Jack Mulqueen and Tim Albright, both 66, rounded out the competitive middle of the pack in 39:05 and 40:48 respectively — separated by under two minutes and both finishing before the 41-minute mark. Billy Nolas of Tallahassee crossed 8th in 50:31. Thomas Devine recorded a time of 9:46:29, suggesting he encountered some kind of interruption along the way; whatever the circumstances, he made it to the finish line, and that counts.