RacesReviewed / Race Intelligence

Cotton Row Run

10K Run2026-05-25

Cotton Row Run's 10K in Huntsville, AL has been a Memorial Day tradition since 1980, drawing about 3,500 runners each year to honor fallen soldiers with a living flag raised by Fire & Rescue. Runners face a notable hill midway through the course, and the crowd‑cheered Rocky theme that blares at the top turns that challenge into an uplifting moment of triumph. The race’s perfect 5‑star rating reflects both its strong community spirit and its heartfelt mission to support families of fallen soldiers.

RegisterOpen signuprunsignup.comLocationHuntsville, ALRace start area

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10K Run1 Mile Run5K Run

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Course format

City course with a big mid-race hill

Road · same start and finish.

Elevation profile

3 ft net down

374 ft up and 377 ft down across the 10K Run. Net flat overall. The biggest climb hits mid-race.

Pressure point

Mid-race climb

The key move builds from about mile 1.3 to 3.5, gaining roughly 220 ft.

Weather bias

Heat risk

Starts around 74F, often heats up, and humidity can make the later miles harder.

Free training plan

Build a free 10K Run plan for this race.

Keep race research first. When you want it, open a quick planner that uses the selected distance, the selected race date, and the course itself.

Course Profile

Cotton Row Run 10K Run course profile

Full course view

This course section is built from a mapped route and elevation profile so you can understand how the race is likely to run.

Synced course focus

10K Run checkpoint 2

Mile 0.7 · 614 ft · Built from the stored course profile in Supabase.

Course trace

The route line and elevation chart reflect the selected distance.

Pressure model

Pressure points highlight where pacing or effort may change during the race.

What comes next

Use the course, weather, logistics, and reviews together to build your race-day plan.

Difficulty Meter

How hard is a 10K?

Course-based read
80/100
Course detail
Detailed
Weather detail
Historical + forecast
Race-day detail
Moderate
Weather view
Live forecast

Weather read

Light tailwind assist

Route-aligned wind gives you a quick feel for how the day may race before you dig into the full weather section.

Jump to weather analysis

Weather Analysis

Cotton Row Run 10K Run weather outlook

Forecast + history

Weather blends the live forecast with the race's historical weather patterns to help you plan.

Route-aligned wind

+1.7 mph

Interpretation

Light tailwind assist

NOAA race-window forecast is live. Wind is scored relative to the course bearing where possible.

Course bearing 238.0 degAverage wind 5.0 mphDominant direction ESE

Estimated weather effect

+3.69%

Heuristic read

Major weather drag

Help score

-66

Historical profile

Historically weather-dragged

Based on 7 years of race-weekend weather in the archive.

Avg start temp 74.0FAvg wind 7.9 mphAligned wind N/A

Tailwind years

0%

Headwind years

0%

Helpful weather

0%

Forecasts use current race-area weather, and history looks at past race-weekend conditions to show what runners have typically faced.

Weather history

2025 race-weekend conditions

Race date

May 26, 2025

Avg temperature

73.6F

Avg wind

2.1 mph

Aligned wind

N/A

Historical weather pending

+2.21% estimated finish-time effect · 14 hourly observations

Start

94F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

5.0 mph · SE

Mid-course

92F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

5.0 mph · ESE

Finish

94F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

5.0 mph · SE

Course Breakdown

Where the race gets tactically interesting

Pacing watchpoints

Active segment

Middle rhythm

This is a deterministic pacing band built from the available course trace and race distance.

Avg grade -1.8 ft/miFocused mile 0.7Pacing watchpoint

Race-Day Logistics

Cotton Row Run 10K Run race-day logistics

Planning basics

Race weekend

8 recorded years

The basic race structure is in place for planning.

Distance options

3 distances

This page can show the event correctly even when some race-day detail is still light.

Race-day planning

More details coming

Packet pickup, parking, support flow, and reunion details may still be limited.

Course Map

Route shape, city context, and key course moments in one view.

Map + course context

Map overview

This map follows the available route for the selected distance and stays in sync with the elevation chart.

Highlighted point

10K Run checkpoint 2

Built from the stored course profile in Supabase.

Mile 0.7614 ftOpening congestion

What to watch

Use this map to spot turns, neighborhoods, and where the race starts to feel different.

Course coverage

Route shape and elevation are available, while aid stations and spectator overlays may still be added over time.

Why it matters

Huntsville, AL should still be easy to plan around, even when some course details are lighter than others.

Planning

Use the 10K Run at Cotton Row Run as a planning target rather than a qualification race.

Open entry

Entry posture

Open entry

There is no qualification signal in the current event record.

Race framing

10K Run planning

The page emphasizes course, logistics, and weather rather than qualification standards.

Registration

Race History

Race history overview

Some history available

Past editions tracked

8

Recorded race years

Archive

Current route view

Available

10K Run

Current

Benchmarks

Growing archive

More historical context will be added here as the archive grows

In progress

Review Radar

Runner signal for Cotton Row Run 10K Run

Runner reviews live
CourseCourseLogisticsLogisticsCrowd supportCrowd supportAid stationsAid stationsFinish areaFinish areaRecommendRecommend

Course

80/100

Logistics

40/100

Crowd support

90/100

Aid stations

70/100

Finish area

100/100

Recommend

100/100

Your draft saves locally as you answer.

Common questions

FAQ

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