Rocket City 5K: Wendy Lillystone dominates the F25-29 field

• Lillystone wins by 2:47, finishing in 26:37 at an 8:34/mi clip — the clearest margin at the top of the F25-29 group.
• Podium spread: just 41 seconds separated 2nd through 4th, with Courtney Middle (29:24), Elizabeth Feick (30:05), and Sarah Modlin (30:55) running in a tight cluster.
• Local contingent: six of the top seven finishers called Alabama home — the exception being Lillystone and Middle, both making the trip from Colorado.
• Midpack battle: Emily Mormile and Amber Hammonds both clocked 34:08, with official places separating them by the finest of margins.

Wendy Lillystone of Littleton, CO made the F25-29 race her own from the gun. Her 26:37 finish at 8:34 per mile wasn't just a win — it was a statement, arriving nearly three minutes clear of the field in a 25-woman group. At 29, she was among the older athletes in the age group, and she ran like it mattered.

Behind her, Courtney Middle (Broomfield, CO) claimed 2nd in 29:24, with Huntsville's Elizabeth Feick pressing hard to take 3rd in 30:05 — just 41 seconds back. Sarah Modlin from Morgantown, WV rounded out the podium in 30:55, meaning three women finished within a 1:31 window for positions 2 through 4. Rebecca Mulholland and Bria Huguley, both local to Huntsville, kept it competitive through 6th place, finishing at 31:18 and 31:32 respectively.

Further back, the race offered its own drama. Regular Share and Emily Mormile crossed in 34:02 and 34:08 — and Amber Hammonds matched Mormile's 34:08 to the second, with official timing placing them 10th and 11th. Those three runners covered less than seven seconds across three finishing spots, making that stretch one of the tightest passages of the entire F25-29 race. With mild December conditions in Huntsville — 59°F and a light breeze — there were no excuses and no weather to hide behind. The times are what they are.