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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take off from the starting line at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take off from the starting line at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Teal ribbons are planted in the ground on The Preserve Town Square in honor of people who died from gynecologic cancer at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Photos of people who died from gynecologic cancer are put on display at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Medals await top finishers in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 10K run in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A crowd assembles before the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A crowd assembles before the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Medals await top finisher in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K run in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners and walkers take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Tiles await top finishers in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
People cheer on runners as they near the finish line at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Some had already completed the race.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A volunteer hands out a drink to a woman as she finishes the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
The Old Fashioned Rhythm Method band entertains the crowd at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. From left are Carlos Pino on banjo, Chuck King singing and Tom Dameron on tuba.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Elaine Tindill-Rohr paints the face of Nori Cruz of Alabaster, Alabama, at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kealy Deason spray paints the hair of Coco Lacerenza of Hoover, Alabama, at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Debbie Glasgow of Helena, Alabama, fifth from left in teal jacket, poses for a photo with people supporting her at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Glasgow has been an ovarian cancer survivor for almost 18 years.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners pose for a photo after the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. From left are Kelly Collins, Danielle Brown and Erin Fisher.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
People at the snack table at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Edwards Burkett, at left in red, has a balloon sword fight with Jack DeMarco at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners sprint toward the finish line at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take off from the starting line at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners take off from the starting line at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
Despite drizzling rain, more than 400 people took part in the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K Saturday morning in The Preserve community in Hoover.
The rain may have deterred some of the more than 700 people who registered for the runs, which raised money for early detection research, awareness education and support services for gynecologic cancer patients and families.
But spirits were high among those who came, many of whom were there in honor of loved ones who died from gynecologic cancer, survived it or are currently battling it.
“Based on the rain and weather conditions, I think we’ve got a great day,” said Jim Crandall, who founded the Laura Crandall Brown Foundation in honor of his daughter who died of ovarian cancer in 2009 at the age of 25. “This is the first year we’ve had rain. It could have been a lot worse. We were considering a hurricane earlier a couple of days ago and thought we might have to cancel. However, everything’s turned out great, so I’m real pleased. We’re hoping to raise around $60,000 to $70,000 with sponsors and racers.”
Some people formed teams in honor of loved ones. The largest team at Saturday’s race was the Ovary Achievers, a team formed in honor of Dr. Mack Barnes, a gynecologist with Alabama Oncology who died in June of last year at the age of 60.
Debbie Glasgow of Helena, who has been an ovarian cancer survivor for almost 18 years, had 17 people show up for her Saturday, 10 of whom were running in the races. Her niece started putting teams together around the time the Head Over Teal race started, she said. She stood near the finish line and hugged her supporters as they completed the race and had tears in her eyes as she described how she felt.
“It means everything to me,” Glasgow said. “It’s just so sweet to have all this support for this long. A lot of them have been the whole time.”
Photo by Jon Anderson
Debbie Glasgow of Helena, Alabama, fifth from left in teal jacket, poses for a photo with people supporting her at the 15th annual Head Over Teal 5K and 10K runs in The Preserve community in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Glasgow has been an ovarian cancer survivor for almost 18 years.
Her group was called Team Sweet Time, which comes from the lyrics of the Tim McGraw song “Live Like You Were Dying,” which is about a man who was diagnosed with a life-changing illness and changed his perspective on life.
“That just resonated with me because after I went through all that, time is just so sweeter now,” Glasgow said. “It’s just so different.”
Krisi Weeks and her 11-year-old daughter, Claire, were among those on Glasgow’s team. “We just wanted to honor her and let her know we care for her,” Weeks said after they finished the 5K. “We’re proud that she beat cancer.”
According to online race results, 346 people completed the Head Over Teal 5K (3.1 miles) this year, while 63 finished the 10K (6.2 miles).
John Rait of Birmingham was the winner of the 10K with a time of 42 minutes, 42 seconds. Whitney Woodard of Pelham was the top female finisher with a time of 44:40.
Zack Ridgway of Birmingham won the 5K with a time of 17:09, more than 2 ½ minutes faster than the second-place finisher. Annie May of Helena was the top female with a time of 20:20.