M25-29: Ben Garner Runs Away With It in Huntsville Heat

• Ben Garner won the M25-29 group in 1:10:35 (5:23/mi), finishing 19 minutes ahead of runner-up Anthony Parameswaran — the largest margin on the podium by far.
• Garner also posted the fastest 10K→Finish split among all men, a dominant close that underscored just how complete his performance was.
• Kyle Walker (5th, 1:55:17) was the group's biggest mover in the men's field, climbing from 42nd to 38th over the second half of the race.
• The gap from 1st to 17th spanned 1:46:38 — from Garner's 5:23/mi down to John Carnagey's 13:31/mi — reflecting a wide range of effort and ability across the 17-man field.

At 70°F with 17 mph winds and 76% humidity on a December morning in Huntsville, conditions were far from ideal for fast times — which makes Ben Garner's 1:10:35 all the more striking. The 25-year-old from Boulder ran 5:23 per mile from start to finish and didn't just win the M25-29 group — he led the men's field wire to wire, holding 1st among men from the opening checkpoint through the tape.

The battle for the podium behind Garner was far less dramatic in terms of closeness but still worth noting. Anthony Parameswaran (27, Gurley, AL) held 5th among men at the 10K mark before settling into 2nd in the age group at 1:29:37. Alex Allen (26, Madison, AL) rounded out the podium in 1:40:45, running a steady 7:41/mi. Neither threatened Garner, but both were consistent through the second half.

The most interesting movement in the back half came from Kyle Walker of Northport. Running 8:48/mi, Walker picked up four places among men between the 10K mark and the finish — the sharpest positional climb in the group. Meanwhile, the race's final finisher, John Carnagey (25, Warrior, AL), crossed in 2:57:13, a reminder that this field stretched across nearly three hours of racing on a warm, windy Alabama morning.