M80-99 at the Rocket City Marathon 10K: Gallemore Owns It

• Solo champion: Graham Gallemore, 81, was the only finisher in the M80-99 age group — and finished it.
• Final time: 1:37:11 at a 15:38/mile average across the full 10K distance.
• Conditions: A mild 59°F December morning in Huntsville with light 9 mph winds — about as cooperative as Alabama gets in mid-December.

Graham Gallemore didn't need competition to make his morning meaningful. The 81-year-old Huntsville local stepped to the line at the Rocket City Marathon 10K on December 14th and did what most people his age simply don't do: he ran a 10K race, from start to finish, in 1:37:11.

At 15:38 per mile, Gallemore moved with the steady, deliberate purpose that a distance like this demands at 81. There's no drafting off a rival, no one to chase down in the final stretch — just the road, the clock, and the will to keep moving. He crossed the line as the sole finisher in the M80-99 age group, which means he also took the win.

On a mild overcast morning with temperatures sitting at a comfortable 59°F, conditions gave him no excuses and no obstacles. He needed neither. Completing a 10K at 81 years old is its own headline, and Gallemore wrote it without any fanfare — just a finish line and a time on the clock.