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Photo by Jon Anderson
Sydney Wilson, 5, holds a sign for her father, Sam Wilson, who was running in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Farley Road in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Park Avenue in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A runner rounds the turn from Farley Road to Chapel Road in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Park Avenue in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Farley Road in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Shaun Brady flips pancakes for people to eat after finishing the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Trophies await the top finishers of the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kids take off at the starting line of the Kids 1K Challenge, a .62-mile race held in conjunction with the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Volunteers hand out water to runners during the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Park Avenue in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Alicia Hunsberger encourages runners as they near the finish line of the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Dawn Corley hands out water to runners as they finish the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A runner crosses the finish line of the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Cary Morgan gets some pancakes and bacon after finishing the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Park Avenue in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Park Avenue in front of Bluff Park Elementary School in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Park Avenue in front of Bluff Park Elementary School in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Rockland Drive in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Farley Road in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Onlookers cheer on runners in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, and try to stay warm in freezing temperatures on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
People cheer on runners in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A runner make his way along Chapel Road in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Jason Smith rests with some water after finishing the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kelly Moujoodi crosses the finish line of the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners near the finish line of the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kids prepare to take off at the starting line of the Kids 1K Challenge — a .62-mile race that was held in conjunction with the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kids take off at the starting line of the Kids 1K Challenge, a .62-mile race held in conjunction with the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Will Pearson crosses the finish line of the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kelly Moujoodi crosses the finish line of the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners race toward the finish line of the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Blake McLemore pours some hot chocolate after finishing the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A man and young girl take off at the start of the Kids 1K Challenge, a .62-mile race held in conjunction with the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A woman and young boy take part in the Kids 1K Challenge, a .62-mile race held in conjunction with the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners get some pancakes after finishing the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Small awards await top age group finishers in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kristen Williams, left, captured first place among women in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, while Whitney Woodard placed second among women.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Tyler Cromey, at right, placed second in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, while Billy Rose, left, placed third.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Men eat pancakes after the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. From left are Michael Farley, Tommy Ross and Kristen Zeanah.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Rockland Drive in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Rockland Drive in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Park Avenue in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Runners make their way along Park Avenue in the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kids take off at the starting line of the Kids 1K Challenge, a .62-mile race held in conjunction with the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Kids take off at the starting line of the Kids 1K Challenge, a .62-mile race held in conjunction with the Bluff Park 8K road race in Hoover, Alabama, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.
A 26-year-old from Leeds blazed through the cold streets of Bluff Park Saturday morning to claim first place in the Bluff Park 8K.
Caleb Van Geffen finished the course in 26 minutes, 25 seconds, which is a pace of 5 minutes, 17 seconds per mile.
The top female was Kristen Williams, 34, of Mountain Brook, who ran the 5-mile course in 32:02. She placed 12th overall.
The top male in the masters division (age 40 and older) was Ben Robinson, 41, of Birmingham, with a time of 30:54. Robinson was seventh overall. The top female in the masters division was Carrie Wallace, 46, of Vestavia Hills, with a time of 35:45. Wallace placed 37th overall.
In all, there were 400 people registered in the 8K and 338 who completed the course, according to online race results. There were 61 children registered for the Kids 1K Challenge (about .62 miles), race director Lynsey Tibbs said.
Proceeds from the event will be used to buy a $1,000 rowing exercise machine for the Brother Bryan Mission in Birmingham and to make a $1,000 contribution to the Bluff Park Run Club, Tibbs said.
While the temperatures were below freezing Saturday morning, there was no rain or fog as there has been in past years. Instead, the sun was shining. The race started and ended at Bluff Park United Methodist Church.
