I ran this marathon in December 2003. This race was first held in 1977 and has run yearly, missing 2020 and 2021 because of COVID. The Huntsville Track Club manages the race, formed in 1971 as an RRCA Club.
Huntsville, Alabama, was the home of Redstone Arsenal during World War II. After the war, the German rocket scientists worked in the area, managing the Army’s missile program.
In the late 50s, the German designers were moved to the newly formed NASA to enter the space race. The Saturn IV rocket used for the Apollo missions was developed in Huntsville.
Huntsville is near the Tennessee River and is the largest city in Alabama.
The race is usually held during the second full weekend in December. The weather at that time of year is ideal for a marathon with average temperatures in the 40s.
My run was on a Saturday. I don’t recall any additional races in 2003. Now, races extend over two days with a 5km and 10km on Saturday, and a marathon and half-marathon on Sunday.
The marathon has a 7 am start in downtown Huntsville. The first half of the race is east of US 231. The half-marathon starts at 9 am and merges with the marathon course at mile 16, running the same course for the final 10 miles. The second half of the marathon is west of US 231 until finishing downtown.
When I ran, there were about 900 finishers. The race was manually timed, using pull tags and time machines. The finish line was in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn with an inside expo.
Currently, the marathon has about 1500 finishers and the half-marathon an additional 1500 finishers. I doubt they are still finishing in a parking lot with manual timing.
I don’t recall any significant hills. I remember long stretches of straight flat roads, mainly in the race’s second half. It appears that the current race has the same feel.
The marathon has a six-hour time limit but also allows for a one-hour early-on-your-own start to extend the limit to seven hours.
There are direct flights from Washington to Huntsville. We left Saturday night after the race to avoid a Sunday snowstorm in DC. The planes were smaller regional jets. On the return flight, there were three passengers.
While in Huntsville, visit the US Space and Rocket Center, which has some good exhibits on our space program and looks at the future of warfare being developed at Redstone.
Hotels and restaurants are plentiful in the area.
Looking at their 2025 webpage, the current price for the marathon is $85 and the half is $75. That’s a deal for a second half at $10.
Knowing RRCA race standards, the race was and should be a good running experience.
——-
Vic Culp is a co-founder of the Fredericksburg Area Running Club in 1994. He has managed a few races and run a few miles.
You can follow his blog at slowoldrunner.com and subscribe to receive notification emails from that site.
Check out his book “Go for 25” on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094YFRJ7G.
