M35-39: Brian Lewis Owns Rocket City's Back Half

• Brian Lewis won the M35-39 group in 1:23:32 (6:22/mi), one of the sharpest finishes in the men's field.
• Chris Brewer was right behind at 1:24:57 — a gap of just 1:25 separating the top two.
• Nathaniel Lind claimed third in 1:35:36, moving up five spots in the men's field over the final 10K-to-finish stretch.
• Luis Rosario ran the opposite arc — sliding back three places in the men's field over that same closing segment — but still held fourth in 1:39:34.

Brian Lewis, 36, out of Birmingham, set the tone from the gun and never let go. Running 6:22 per mile across 13.1 miles in near-saturating humidity — 98% and a damp 56°F — his 1:23:32 was a performance that held up against the whole men's field, where he moved from first to second overall among men before the finish. His closing 10K-to-finish split ranked third among all men in the race, a sign that he wasn't just banking time early; he was still moving through the field late.

Chris Brewer, also out of Birmingham and one year older at 38, gave Lewis the closest thing to a chase this group had. His 1:24:57 and a 6:29 average pace put him 85 seconds back — real daylight, but not a runaway. Brewer's closing split ranked fifth among the men, meaning both of the top two in M35-39 were among the sharpest finishers in the entire men's race down the stretch. That's a Birmingham one-two worth noting.

Third place went to Nathaniel Lind, 39, making the trip from Austin, Texas. His 1:35:36 left a significant gap to Brewer but came with a strong closing effort — he gained five positions in the men's field over the final segment, posting the 10th-fastest closing split among men. Rosario, meanwhile, ran a solid 1:39:34 but faded slightly over those final miles, slipping back in the broader men's standings even as he locked up fourth in M35-39.

Behind the top four, Russ Day (1:44:38) and Brad Cupp (1:46:08) rounded out a competitive top six, with a field of 33 that stretched all the way past the two-hour mark. Paul Whitehead and Jason Bosworth were separated by just 38 seconds for seventh and eighth — tight racing deep into the results on a morning that made every minute earned.