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

• Solo champion: Graham Gallemore, 81, claimed the M80-99 title in 1:37:11 — the only man in the age group to toe the line.
• Pace: Gallemore averaged 15:38 per mile across the full 10K distance.
• Conditions: Race day in Huntsville brought 59°F temperatures and overcast skies — about as cooperative as December in Alabama gets.

Graham Gallemore didn't need competition to make his morning meaningful. The 81-year-old Huntsville native stepped to the start line of the Rocket City Marathon 10K and did what most people his age simply don't: he ran a 10K. In December. Outside.

Crossing in 1:37:11 at a 15:38-per-mile clip, Gallemore covered every meter of the course and walked away the undisputed M80-99 champion — because he showed up and they didn't. There's no asterisk on that. Finishing a 10K at 81 is the whole story, and the clock confirms he did it.