Men's 5K: Josh Martinez Leads a Youth Takeover in Huntsville

• Josh Martinez, 16, wins in 19:34 (6:18/mi), with his 14-year-old brother Willie 36 seconds back in 2nd at 20:10.
• Three of the top four finishers were teenagers or younger — 13-year-old Aidan Ennis took 3rd in 20:21, and 24-year-old Justin Blankenhorn was the first adult to cross in 4th at 20:30.
• Gerard Tamez, 62, clocked 20:53 for 6th — 14 seconds slower than his 6th-place finish here in 2022 (20:39), but a commanding result in warm, windy conditions.
• Grayson Williams, age 10, finished 12th in 23:49 (7:40/mi), the youngest finisher in the listed field.

Warm December air — 70°F, 76% humidity, and a 17 mph wind — greeted the 119 men who toed the line in Huntsville, and the story that emerged was unmistakably one of youth. Josh Martinez, just 16 years old and making the trip from Knoxville, Tennessee, set the pace from the front and never let go, crossing in 19:34 at a 6:18/mi clip. Right behind him was his 14-year-old brother Willie, who pushed all the way to 20:10 — a 36-second gap that tells you Josh had real separation, but Willie was no passenger.

Athens, Alabama's Aidan Ennis, 13, slotted in 3rd at 20:21, keeping the podium entirely in the hands of teenagers. Justin Blankenhorn of Huntsville was the first man over 18 to finish, taking 4th in 20:30 — a strong run, but he had to watch three kids cross the line ahead of him. Christopher Braun, 44, rounded out the top five in 20:45, a performance all the more notable given he also raced the men's 10K at this same event, finishing 8th there.

Gerard Tamez deserves his own moment. At 62, the New Market, Alabama resident ran 20:53 for 6th — and that wasn't a fluke. He finished 6th here in 2022 as well, running 20:39 that day. Fourteen seconds slower this time around, but in these conditions, holding that same position in a competitive field is a genuine achievement. Tamez also raced the Half Marathon Front Half at this event, finishing 10th there — a busy weekend by any measure. The back half of the top 20 saw the pace settle into the 7:26–8:10 range, with 10-year-old Grayson Williams (12th, 23:49) and 11-year-old Bryant Bowen (20th, 25:23) adding even more youth to a men's field that clearly had no shortage of young legs.