M75-79: Magargee Owns the Field

• Sole finisher and winner: Madison Magargee, 75, crossed in 5:27:48 at a 12:30/mi average on a frigid 29°F morning in Huntsville.
• Strong finish: Magargee moved from 848th to 807th among men over the final stretch, gaining 41 places in the closing miles.
• Late kick: The 20M-to-Finish segment was Magargee's sharpest stretch, posting the 726th-fastest closing split among men in the field.

Madison Magargee came to Rocket City as the only entrant in the M75-79 group, and he made it count. Running through a sharp 29°F morning with 16 mph winds cutting across Huntsville, he covered 26.2 miles at a steady 12:30 per mile to finish in 5:27:48 — a composed, determined effort in conditions that would test runners half his age.

What stands out beyond the finish time is how Magargee ran the back half. His position among men drifted slightly through the middle miles — 839th at one checkpoint, up to 848th — but he found another gear in the closing stretch. From mile 20 to the finish, he reeled in runners steadily, moving from 848th all the way up to 807th among men. That 20M-to-Finish split ranked 726th among all male finishers in the field — a meaningful show of strength when it matters most.

At 75, finishing a marathon in sub-freezing wind is its own achievement. Magargee didn't just finish — he closed.