Rocket City 5K — M75-79: Kiser Dominates in the Cold

• Ernie Kiser, 77, wins in 24:13 (7:48/mi), more than 7½ minutes clear of the field.
• James Johnson, 75, finishes 2nd in 32:05 (10:20/mi), holding off a wide gap to 3rd.
• Edward Soule, 77, completes the M75-79 field in 52:46 (16:59/mi), more than 20 minutes behind Johnson.
• Three men aged 75–77 raced through 29°F temperatures and 16 mph winds in Huntsville — no small feat.

With temperatures locked at 29°F and a stiff 16 mph wind cutting across the course, the M75-79 group at the Rocket City 5K was a study in grit before a single mile was run. Ernie Kiser of Madison, AL made it look straightforward — his 24:13 finish at a 7:48/mi clip was the kind of performance that commands respect in any age group. He crossed the line more than seven and a half minutes ahead of the next finisher, making his win as decisive as it was impressive.

James Johnson, 75, out of Chickamauga, GA, secured 2nd place in 32:05 — a 10:20/mi pace through the same biting cold — and held a commanding buffer over 3rd. Edward Soule, 77, of Owens Cross Roads, AL, rounded out the three-man group with a 52:46 finish at 16:59/mi, completing the race and earning every second of it in those conditions.

With only three men on the line, each finisher owned his place outright, and all three navigated a genuinely tough morning. Running a 5K past 75 in sub-freezing wind is its own kind of statement — Kiser just happened to make his the loudest.