Rocket City Half Marathon F15-19: Hurlbutt Runs Away With It

• Erin Hurlbutt won the F15-19 age group in 1:43:40 (7:54/mi), finishing 10th among all women — a commanding margin of nearly five minutes over the field.
• Brooke Bogardus claimed 2nd in 1:48:22 (8:16/mi), holding a comfortable gap of 12:09 over 3rd-place Kristen Hart (2:00:31).
• The tightest battle of the day: Cindy Liao and Katie Hazuga both clocked 2:06:37–2:06:38, separated by a single second at the line.
• Lily Shah (15) and Lucy Zhang (16) finished 8th and 9th in 2:11:17 and 2:11:18 — one second apart after 13.1 miles.

Nineteen-year-old Erin Hurlbutt from Laceys Spring didn't just win the F15-19 age group — she dominated it. Her 7:54/mi average put her 10th among all women in the race, and she backed it up with the 10th-fastest women's split on the 8M-to-Finish stretch. That closing segment matters: it's where races are decided, and Hurlbutt was flying through it while the field behind her was managing miles.

Brooke Bogardus of Madison ran a composed 1:48:22 to lock up 2nd, finishing 28th among women on that same closing segment — solid and controlled. Behind her, Huntsville's Kristen Hart (16 years old) crossed in 2:00:31 to round out the podium, a respectable 9:12/mi effort that kept her clear of the pack chasing her down.

The most gripping moment of the age group came at positions 5 and 6. Cindy Liao and Katie Hazuga — both 17, both from Madison — ran the entire race essentially together, with Liao edging ahead by one second (2:06:37 to 2:06:38). Notably, Liao's gender place actually slipped from 90th to 100th on the closing stretch, suggesting Hazuga was the stronger finisher of the two. One second after 13.1 miles. That's a race within a race.

Then there was the battle for 8th: Lily Shah (15) and Lucy Zhang (16), both Huntsville runners, crossed in 2:11:17 and 2:11:18 — one second apart after more than two hours of running. The F15-19 group may have been 12 finishers deep, but it delivered some of the closest racing of the day.