Josh Whitehead and Dink Taylor again made the cities of Huntsville and Madison proud and displayed their talents for the folks in Birmingham to see. On February 16th, the 34-year-old Whitehead showed competitors in the annual Birmingham Mercedes Half Marathon why he’s one of the top runners in the South.

He ran a time of 1 hour, 6 minutes and 37 seconds to finish fourth overall. That’s a blistering 5:06 pace and was only a minute or so behind winner Fernando Cabada of Boulder, Colorado, who ran a 1:04:55, a sub-5-minute pace. The time was good for first in the 30-34 year old male category.

An Impressive Comeback

While Whitehead may have an impressive time, the fact that Dink is running at all is nothing short of amazing. In August 2012, the 47-year-old had just returned home from a 7-mile run when he became very sick. His wife, Suzanne, rushed him to Huntsville Hospital, where he remained for 10 days after suffering what turned out to be a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a brain bleed.

Now, just a few months later, Taylor, co-owner of Fleet Feet running store with Suzanne, ran a time of 1:21:40 in the Mercedes Half Marathon, good for third place in the 45-49 year old male age group. That was a 6:14 pace, not too shabby for somebody pushing the big 5-0.

You can always tell Dink gets a thrill out of showing those young bucks he’s still got a lot of gas in his tank. It’s even more amazing he continues to do it after his stroke.

Upcoming Runs

If you want to try out running Huntsville, there are plenty of local races in Huntsville, Alabama.

St. Patty’s Day Fun Run

The St. Patty’s Day Fun Run will be a 3-5 mile fun run with food and refreshments to directly follow the run! This event is open to the community so bring all of your friends and family to enjoy a good time!

Date: Monday, March 11th
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Location: Fleet Feet
Address: 2722 Carl T Jones Dr SE
Huntsville, AL 35802

Rocket Run Ten Miler

Looking for a little distance? Then join in the Rocket Run 10 miler.

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Date: Saturday, March 16th
Time: 8 – 11am
Location: Historic Mooresville

4th Annual Dogwoods & Dog Trot

The Fourth Annual Dogwoods and Dog Trot is a 5K and .5 Mile Run/Walk. Proceeds to benefit Therapy Partners, Inc., a non-profit whose teams of therapy animals visit local schools, hospice, hospitals, rehab centers, and assisted living facilities. The 5K is for people only. The Half Mile is for people to walk with their dog.

Date: Saturday, March 16th
Time: 8am – 12pm
Location: John Hunt Park & Cross Country Running Trail
Cost:  Register thru 8 March: $25 + $5 for extra dog – Register 9-15 March: $30 + $5 for extra dog

Roadrunner 5k

The Roadrunner 5K start/ finish line will be at Weatherly Elementary. The 5K course will be a fairly easy out and back on a road with a few minor inclines, perfect for a first race. All proceeds benefit Weatherly Elementary. The course is ASTF certified!

Date: Saturday, March 16th
Time: 9 – 11am
Location: Weatherly Elementary School
Address: 1307 Canstatt Dr
Huntsville, AL 35803
Register: To register for the race, visit the Roadrunner 5 K website

McKay Hollow Madness 25K Trail Run

Want to run in beautiful surroundings? Try the McKay Madness 25K Trail Run.

Date: Saturday, March 23rd
Time: 7 – 10am
Location: Monte Sano State Park
Address: 5105 Nolen Avenue
Huntsville, AL 35801

Double Helix Dash

Run the 2nd annual Double Helix Dash 5K (3.1 miles) or the 1-mile route through the distinctive double-helix running path of McMillian Park, as well as points through Cummings Research Park.

Date: Tuesday, April 2nd
Time: 5:30 – 7:30pm
Location: HudsonAlpha- McMillian Park
Address: 601 Genome Way
Huntsville, AL 35806