Rocket City Masters Women: Sullivan Wins It with a Closing Kick

• Naomi Sullivan took the Masters Women title in 1:38:54 (7:33/mi), posting the 3rd-fastest women's closing split from 10K to the finish.
• Ginny Patterson ran her way onto the podium in 2nd, finishing 1:41:50 — nearly three minutes back but armed with the 4th-fastest women's closing split in the field.
• Meredith Eyler delivered the most aggressive late charge in the top five, climbing from 14th to 9th among women on the closing stretch with the 6th-fastest women's 10K-to-finish split.
• Mary Marshall, age 65, claimed 8th in 1:50:59 — one of the most remarkable results in a field of 258.

Naomi Sullivan of Tallassee, AL, owned the Masters Women race from wire to wire — or nearly so. She moved from 1st to 2nd among women through the early going before reasserting herself, and when it mattered most, she was flying. Her 3rd-fastest women's closing split sealed the win at 1:38:54, a 7:33/mi average that stood well clear of the field. Lebanon, TN's Ginny Patterson ran a smart, controlled race of her own, climbing from 4th to 3rd among women in the back half and finishing 2nd in the Masters field at 1:41:50 — her 4th-fastest women's closing split making her the closest challenger on a day when Sullivan was simply better.

The battle for 3rd was decided by Ami Weems of Hoover, AL, who crossed in 1:46:52 at 8:09/mi. Behind her, the racing got interesting: Meredith Eyler of Charlotte, NC ran the most eye-catching second half in the top five, surging from 14th to 9th among women on the closing segment — good enough for 4th in the Masters field at 1:48:38. Dawn Evans of Nashville, TN held 5th in 1:48:55, just 17 seconds behind Eyler despite a more measured closing pace.

And then there was Mary Marshall. The 65-year-old from Franklin, TN finished 8th in 1:50:59 at 8:28/mi — splitting the field between athletes half her age and doing it on a damp, humid December morning in Huntsville. In a 258-finisher Masters Women field full of strong performances, Marshall's result was the one that deserved a second look.