Rocket City 10K: Connie Defazio Owns the F70-74 Field

• Connie Defazio (72, New Albany, MS) wins the F70-74 age group in 1:25:51, averaging 13:49 per mile.
• Vickie Valentine (70, Mason, OH) finishes 2nd in 1:41:13, averaging 16:17 per mile.
• The gap between the two finishers: 15 minutes, 22 seconds.

On a biting 29°F morning in Huntsville — with a 16 mph wind making it feel even colder — only two women toed the line in the F70-74 age group, and both of them finished. That alone deserves recognition.

Connie Defazio, 72, was the clear force of the day. She covered the 10K at a 13:49-per-mile clip, crossing in 1:25:51 to take the age group win with authority. Running a sub-90-minute 10K in freezing temperatures at 72 years old is no small thing, and Defazio made it look measured and purposeful.

Vickie Valentine, 70, came in 2nd at 1:41:13 — a 16:17-per-mile pace that, in those conditions, represents genuine grit. The 15-minute, 22-second gap between the two women was significant, but Valentine's finish was its own accomplishment on a day when the wind chill alone was enough to keep most people indoors.

Two starters, two finishers. In a field this small, every finisher counts double.