F70-74: Moore edges Canales in a battle of septuagenarian marathoners

• Elizabeth Moore won the F70-74 age group in 3:09:43 (14:28/mi), finishing ahead of Jacqueline Canales by 2:01.
• Jacqueline Canales clocked 3:11:44 (14:38/mi) for second — just 10 seconds per mile separating the two.
• Both athletes moved up in the women's field over the final 10K-to-finish stretch, with Canales posting the stronger closing split of the two.

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Only two runners toed the line in the F70-74 age group at the Rocket City Marathon Back Half, but they made every minute count on a muggy December morning in Huntsville — 70°F, 76% humidity, and a 17 mph wind that made the air feel anything but December-like in Alabama.

Moore, 72, from Panama City, set the pace that mattered most: she crossed the line in 3:09:43, averaging 14:28 per mile across the half marathon distance. She steadily worked her way up the women's field through the final stretch, gaining six places between the 10K mark and the finish to close at 297th among women.

Canales, 73, from Jackson, gave chase the whole way and wasn't far behind. Her 3:11:44 — a 14:38/mi pace — left just a 2:01 gap between the two. Notably, Canales posted the 287th-fastest women's split on the 10K-to-finish segment, besting Moore's 303rd on that same stretch. She gained 12 places among women over that closing leg, the stronger finisher of the pair — just not quite enough to close the gap that had already opened.

Two athletes, two states, and two gutsy performances in tough conditions. Moore takes the age-group win, but Canales made her earn it right to the end.