April 25, 2025 The James Joyce Ramble, situated in Dedham MA, outside of Boston, has become an annual spring rite for the top Masters runners in the country. The Ramble, with the richest prize purse on the circuit, celebrates its 40th anniversary and the 11th hosting of the USATF Masters 10 km Championships this Sunday, April 27th. Runners from across the country are pointing their compass to the northeast. At the same time the top Masters runners from the New England States are assembling to repel the invaders and earn top stature among their regional rivals! The weather forecast is favorable, with mid-50’s and no rain. Gusting winds may slow runners in exposed areas.
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| Start oof the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships, Hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
RECORD WATCH
Will Jan Holmquist, now 80, break another American Record? In 2015, she set the American 10K Record for Women 70-74. In 2023 she set the record for 75-79 and then broke her own record last year. It seems highly likely there will be a new Women's 80-84 American 10K Record after Sunday's race (pending ratification).
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| Jan Holmquist finishing off another win at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Nora Cary could better her own
recent times, the fastest of which, once ratified, replaces Holmquist's American 70-74
Record for 10K. Cary's time on
this course last year, at age 69, was 45 seconds faster than her new 70-74
record. That record could fall further!
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| Nora Cary rushes toward the finish line and the 65-69 win at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Jessica Smith returns to the site of her 2022 Overall win. Smith is primed for a good race; she claimed the 10K Masters win in 36:39 at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Marathon in February. Karen Bertasso finished just off the podium in the 10K at the WMA Championships in Gainesville FL., while helping Team USA to the Gold Medal. Hughes’s 36:37 time in Florida was two seconds faster than that of Smith in California! Jennifer Lutz finished third last year in 37:02. This April she took top Masters honors at the Frank Nealon Boston Tune Up 15K; her 56:56 shows that she comes into Dedham at top fitness. Neta Ezer's record is not quite as strong as those three. She clocked 38:53 at the Annapolis Striders Fathers Day 10K last June. In November she ran 30:10 at the Rothmann 8K in Philadelphia, suggesting she had the fitness to go sub-38 in a 10K. Smith is the Champ until someone beats her.
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| Jessica Smith approaches the Finish Line and the Overall Women's Win at the 2022 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Bertasso and Lutz will push her all the way! Ezer will not be far back and could work her way onto the podium. Perhaps the most likely 1-2-3 outcome is Smith-Bertasso-Lutz.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Jessica Smith Karen Bertasso Jennifer Lutz
Mario Vazquez, dubbed ‘Super Mario’ after his dominant win in 31:50 two years ago, returns to try for a second 10K gold medal. Last year, Vazquez ran forty-eight seconds faster but was denied a win by the performance of Joseph Gray, the World Class Mountain Runner. Vazquez took top honors at the Masters 12 Km Championships last September. This April, Vazquez was the top Masters Runner at the Tune Up 15K; his 47:25 over that distance suggests he is ready to run close to 31:00 again!
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| Mario Vazquez takes the overall Men's Win at the 2023 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Courtesy of New England Runner magazine |
Justin Freeman and Dan Smith will try to find the magic that has eluded them in the recent past. Freeman finished 2nd to Vazquez in 2023 in 32:17. Like Vazquez, Freeman lowered his time in 2024 by thirteen seconds but found him chasing Vazquez again but finishing third. When Vazquez took top Masters honors at the Boston Tune Up, Smith and Freeman finished three minutes behind. David Angell, who just won the World Masters Athletics (WMA) 45-49 gold medal in 33:31 will try to break them up. Last year he finished fourth here in 33:00. It seems the most likely order of finish is Vazquez-Smith-Freeman
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Justin Freeman Dan Smith Mario Vazquez
AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS
Note: Late breaking news. I was told Saturday evening at 7 pm that none of the Greater Lowell Road Runners who had entered these championships showed up on the entry lists. Assuming that was fixed today at packet pickup, I would add John Barbour to the list of potential contenders for the M70 podium. There might be other changes too. But I have not seen the list of GLRR entries.
MEN 40-44 It is exceedingly rare when there is no top overall contender out of the 40-44 division. There are four New England runners in this division who do not seem quite strong enough to contend for the Overall win. They should have a heck of a battle for division honors. All four ran in the 15K Tune Up in April and finished within a minute of each other. Eric Mendoza clocked 51:50, age-grade equivalent to a 34:00 10K. Colin Carroll was 44 seconds back. Twenty-two seconds after Carroll crossed the finish line, Edward Katz outkicked Dan Chruniak by a single second in 52:55. Mendoza also ran the New Bedford Half Marathon in mid-March this year. He registered 1:15:23, a good early half marathon effort. Last year Chruniak finished 6th here in M40 in 34:37; Katz ran in the Open division, with a separate start, clocking 34:46. Chuck Terry, out of New York State, could also make some noise. Last year he was 13th M40 in 36:23. But the year before he ran two minutes faster, finishing fourth in M40 at 34:25. His fifth place 41:24 finish in the 12 Km Championships last September in New jersey suggests the 2024 race here was an anomaly. It will be interesting to watch this 5-way battle. Mendoza looks to be the strongest of these runners right now, with Carroll perhaps second. After that it seems to be a tossup between Chruniak, Katz and Terry. Perhaps Terry can prevent a 1-2-3 New England sweep of the 40-44 podium?
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Colin Carroll Eric Mendoza Chuck Terry
45-49 The top four picks for the overall win come from this division. My view of the likely finishing order here is also: Vazquez-Smith-Freeman, with Angell just off the podium.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Justin Freeman Dan Smith Mario Vazquez
50-54 Mark Andrews, the Overall winner of these championships in 2016, edged Richard Falcone for the 50-54 championships last year by just three seconds, in 34:08. Andrews appears to be coming in with his usual fitness. He clocked 27:38 at the Running of the Green 5 Miler last month.
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| Mark Andrews claims the 50-54 title ahead of Richard Falcone at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
The most recent race I find for Falcone is on the turf at Tacoma last December where he finished 12th in M50. Shawn Powers should be able to race with those two; he ran 34:10 at the New England 10K Championships at Lone Gull last summer. His 53:06 at the Tune Up 15K in early April signaled an ability to be under 35 again for a 10K. Should any of those three be off their best, Joshua Harter, who finished a minute and a half behind Andrews in March, seems most likely to move up. Falcone may find a way this year but until he does, one has to go with a likely order of Andrews-Falcone-Powers.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Mark Andrews Richard Falcone Shawn Powers
55-59 Shane Anthony and Christopher Harris will go head-to-head in this division, perhaps for the first time. Anthony took top 55-59 honors at the Masters 12 Km Championships last September in 42:54. That is age grade equivalent to a 35:27. Anthony may be able to beat that time. Last April he captured the 55-59 title at the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run in 57:04, suggesting Anthony can run under 35.
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| Shane Anthony claims the 55-59 title at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Photo Credit Jason Timochko |
He may have to. Harris ran 35:39 at the Peachtree Run in Atlanta last July. Peachtree is not known for its fast times; he could go faster at Dedham. On the other hand, Harris ran 1:00:28 at the PNC Atlanta Ten Miler in October. That suggests Anthony may have the edge for racers over ten km. It should be an interesting matchup! Kristian Blaich, Jason Cakouros, and Jeff Conston should have quite a dust-up for the final podium spot. It is worth remembering in this context that Blaich won this event overall ten years ago in 33:23! More recently he has focused on being a 'Dad-Coach' to his two kids who are coming into their own in college and high school. Still, his 29:49 recently at the Jerome Scales Southside 5 Miler Run suggests something in the low 37's is possible for Blaich. He ran 36:28 at the Chattahoochee 10K at the end of March. But that course describes itself as flat, fast, with a downhill 0.75-mile finish! Cakouros ran 37:24 here last year, but slipped to 38:46 at Lone Gull a few months later. Conston finished within a half minute of Cakouros and will try to close that gap. Gregory Putnam who is usually on the podium, has been rehabbing in recent months and is a late entrant. I am guessing he is running primarily for his Central Mass Strider's team without individual aspirations. I will go with Anthony for the win, followed closely by Harris, with Blaich emerging from the chase pack to take third.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Shane Anthony Kristian Blaich Christopher Harris
60-64 The last time they held this championship and Nat Larson did not win his age division was 2019. That is remarkable consistency at the top. He will be challenged this year by John Van Danacker who finished 2nd to Larson two years ago, and Rick Lee, third here last year, fresh off the Boston Marathon and a Thursday night 400 Meter leg at the Penn Relays. Larson's winning time last year was 34:59. Following that, however, Larson had some niggling injuries to deal with. By September he was able to win the division at the 12 Km Championships in 44:35. But that was not up to his earlier standard, being roughly equivalent on age grading to a 36:49. Larson was still not up to his usual standards at Club Cross in Tacoma. He was able to finish second to a fine run by Steve Schmidt in those 60-64 championships. Since then, I find no results for Larson, which makes Sunday's race more intriguing. Is Larson running primarily for his team or does he also have the fitness to contest for the individual win?
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| Nat Larson claims the 60-64 win at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Van Danacker's 2nd place time in 2023 was 35:53. Like Larson the only event that shows up on Athlinks for Van Danacker is Tacoma, where he finished four places behind Larson. Last year Lee finished 3rd behind Larson in 36:32. That was also after running at Boston but in 2024 there were almost two weeks between the events, just 6 days this year. Lee, now in his last year in this division, ran 56:18 at the Gate River Run in March, equivalent to a 36:46 10K. Lee reported that his legs felt good when he ran the third leg at Penn for the winning team. There are several other runners who are likely to break 37 minutes or get close to it. Scott Grandfield finished 4th here in 55-59 in 2023 with a 36:56 effort. He ran 38:03 at the WMA Championships in Gainesville at the end of March but is likely to run faster on Sunday. Mark Hixson finished second here last year in 55-59 in 36:31. His 43:52 at Sandy Hook for the 12 Km Championships in September equates to a 36:14. Like Larson, I find no results since Tacoma, when Hixson ran his last Club Cross in the 10K race. Lester Dragstedt could factor into the podium race; he finished 4th last year in 37:48. Mark Zamek, who finished second last year in 36:08 is entered but almost surely a scratch as he is currently rehabbing an abdominal issue. There seems no compelling reason to suggest a finishing order other than Larson-Van Danacker-Lee.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Nat Larson Rick Lee John Van Danacker
65-69 Colorado’s Roger Sayre and Georgia’s Ken Youngers will renew their rivalry in 65-69 with added competition from local runner, Paul McGovern. Sayre and Youngers have met most often on the turf with fortune favoring one or the other, depending on fitness at the time and how the race unfolds. I believe this is the first time that Sayre has raced at Dedham in the 10 Km Championships. He won the 65-69 division at the Half Marathon championships last year over a challenging Half Marathon at Ft Ben course in 1:24:28, equivalent to a 38:25. He broke his own US 65-69 25K record last year with a 1:39:50 at the Riverbank Run in Grand Rapids. That equates to a 38:12. He also ran Bolder Boulder, clocking 40:08. Allowing for the altitude, that is a comparable run. Youngers finished second to David Westenberg here last year in 40:30. Westenberg is recovering from injury and is not entered this year. Youngers broke 40 though just a few months later at Peachtree in Atlanta, stopping the clock at 39:51. A month later, Youngers was at the top of his game, winning the 12 Km Championships in 47:00, equivalent to a 38:47.
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| Ken Youngers red singlet #174 Pushing for the early Lead, which he held all the way to the finish and his 65-69 Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Photo Credit Jason Timochko |
McGovern ran 40:00 at the Lone Gull 10K last summer but had an off day at the Bobby Doyle 5 Mile Run where he ran 32:58, equivalent to 41+ in a 10K. But this year at the Tune Up 15K, McGovern ran a sparkling 59:27 which equates to a 39:52 10K. Jay Littlepage, who finished right behind Westenberg last year, would be in the mix but suffered a back injury that interrupted his training at just the wrong time. He is a scratch. Norm Larson would, ordinarily, be pushing those three all the way. Last year he finished third in 65-69 in 40:41. That year he ran 1:05 and change at the Tune Up. This year he ran 1:13:09. Unless that was an anomaly it seems less likely he will be seriously challenging this year. Kevin Glenn, Kevin Haas, Ned Kennedy and Nick Persampieri could all crack a low 40's 10K and wind up on the podium if any of the favorites have an off day. Still, I will go with a likely finishing order of Sayre-Youngers-McGovern (although this is a very tough one to parse).
Note: Late breaking news, I have been told that Youngers will not run because of injury. Move up whoever is your favorite among [Glenn, Haas, Kennedy, Persampieri].
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Paul McGovern Roger Sayre Ken Youngers
70-74 In what has become one of the most hotly contested divisions, 70-74, the first nine finishers last year were separated by less than a minute! Jim Linn and Jack Pottle seem most likely to lead the pack this year, but it will be another tight contest! Linn had a good season on the turf, winning the 70-74 division at Boulder over 5 Km and finishing third at Tacoma. Pottle, 69 at the time, was able to beat Linn at altitude in Boulder but not at sea level in Tacoma. Linn won the 5 Km Championships in Atlanta last year in 19:43. He won the M70 title at Garden State Ten Miler in 1:10:28, equivalent to a 42:41.
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| Jim Linn wins the 70-74 gold medal at the 2023 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Photo Credit Jason Timochko |
Pottle's fine 21:22 at the 5 Km XC Championships showed he is a force to be reckoned with at altitude on the turf. Even though he was not able to beat Linn at Tacoma, he beat a number of other strong 70-74 runners, including several entered here in Dedham. His 27:22 at a 4 Mile Turkey Trot last November, at altitude, was equivalent to a 43:16. Pottle should be faster at sea level. Others in the mix include some of those nine from last year. Doug Bell and Doug Chesnut finished 3rd and 4th last year in 43:40 and 43:43. Reno Stirrat was 6th in 43:56, with Kirk Larson 7th in 44:02. Several other potential contenders are entered. Denny Kurtis won the 10 Mile Championships in 1:11:39, a time that equates to a 43:25. Kurtis finished 6th at the 5K Championships, behind Bell but ahead of Larson. Brian Cummins ran a 1:05:46 15K at Gate River in March, equating to a 42:53. Scott Lucking ran 42:16 here in 2022 and ran 43:45 at the WMA Championships at the end of March. This is a rich age division. Harold Leddy just joined it. He finished just a few seconds behind Larson last year. Fernando Moura finished 2nd M70 at the 12 K Championships last year in 54:24. I will go with a likely order of Linn-Pottle-Bell but if it all comes down to the last half mile again, the final order is anyone's guess.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Doug Bell James Linn Jack Pottle
75-79 Jerry Learned finished third here last year in 46:35. But neither of the athletes who came in ahead of him are entered. Allan Bates and Gordon MacFarland, who finished fourth and fifth in 47:59 and 48:41 will give chase. Learned's 38:28 at the Jerome Scales 5 Miler in February and his 52:53 at the members 10K in mid-April present a puzzle. The former equates to a 47:58 which is consistent with where Learned was last year; the latter suggests a substantial fall off.
In December, I thought the favorite would be Don Morrison who, as a 69-year-old last year, ran 44:11. But then he had a cross country skiing accident in January with a punctured lung and bruised ribs. At that point I thought he would be a scratch. Little did I know. By early April, he had recovered enough to run a 38:23 at the Valley Forge 5 Miler; that equates in age grading to a 47:56. That is not where he would have been, but it suggests he will factor in the race for the win. Terry McCluskey is probably the favorite. He won the 75-79 10 Mile Championships in 1:23:14 in August and the Half Marathon Championships in 1:46:29 at the beginning of November, both on challenging courses. The first was equivalent to a 50:22 10K; the second to a 48:11. At the end of March, he finished third at the WMA Championships in 46:35!
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| Terry McCluskey pushing over the middle portion of the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships-where he won the 75-79 Championship Photo Credit: Pam Fales |
Three other athletes need to be mentioned. Jim May and Keith Yeates have skipped a few championships, but the GVH teammates are always dangerous. They ran in the Running of the Green 5 Miler in New York last month, with Yeates clocking 38:52 and May 39:29. Yeates's time equates to a 48:30 10K and May's to a 49:15. Two years ago, May finished third here in 47:22. Apart from Club Cross, Doug Winn does not compete in many national championships. But when he does he is always a con tender for the win. At Tacoma last year, the time he turned in as a 74-year-old, 40:10, was only slower than the times turned in by Gary Ostwald and David Dunbar, who are not entered. Gene Dykes, who finished second to Ostwald last year is dealing with a painful knee that prevents him from training much. He is not entered. This is another tough one with lots of imponderables. My best guess is: McCluskey-Morrison-Winn.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Terry McCluskey Don Morrison Doug Winn
80-84 Based on recent outings it appears that Przemyslaw 'Przemek' Nowicki and Jack Frame, Shore AC teammates, are the favorites. After an up and down spring and summer, Nowicki got things organized for the fall. He ran 53:55 at the Giralda Farms 10K in November and then this April turned in a 54:45 at the Cherry Blossom 10K in New Jersey. His teammate, Jack Frame, ran 1:24:55 at the Spring Distance Classic 15K in March, equivalent to a 55:10. He reinforced that by finishing just 18 seconds behind Nowicki at the Cherry Blossom 10K, 55:03. It looks like Stavros Kanarakus is the only other division entrant likely to break an hour. He ran 56:35 at the Lone Gull 10K last summer and turned in a 1:28:36 at the Tune Up 15K this April, equivalent to a 57:33 10K. Depending on how the day goes, Robert Knight and Clayton 'Zeke' Zucker could also play a role. Knight clocked 1:01:57 at Lone Gull last summer, and Zucker finished second in this division last year in 1:02:19. It seems like the most likely outcome is Nowicki-Frame-Kanarakus.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Jack Frame Stavros Kanarakus Przemek Nowicki
85-89 Roland Cormier has not been active recently on the Masters National Grand Prix circuit. But he did compete at the WMA Indoor Championships in Gainesville this March on the track. He claimed the Silver Medal in the 800M, the 1500M and the 3000M. None are directly comparable to a 10K road racer. Had he run his 18:09 3000 meters on the road, one could argue that it would be roughly equivalent to something like a 1:04 10K. In 2022, Cormier won the 80-84 bronze medal at these championships in 58:51. That same year, Ram Satyaprasad finished 6th in the division in 1:17:59. Last year he ran 1:31:33. Cormier should win with Satyaprasad second.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Roland Cormier Ram Satyaprasad
90-94 Lawrence Cole won the division last year in 1:37:35. He races regularly. His most recent race result is for the Paddy Kelly 10K at the end of march; he ran 1:49:49. He only needs to finish the race on Sunday to win.
Top Podium Contender:
Lawrence Cole
WOMEN 40-44 The top four women in the overall preview above are all from the 40-44 division.
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| Karen Bertasso heading for the Finish Line and her 2nd place overall and first place 40-44 at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Photo Credit Jason Timochko |
Read that for the analysis but the expected order for this division must mirror that one: Smith-Bertasso-Lutz, with Neta Ezer off the podium in fourth.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Jessica Smith Karen Bertasso Jennifer Lutz
45-49 Katie Famous last ran here in 2022 when she finished 9th in 40-44 with a 39:18 time. At the beginning of this year, Famous ran a 41:09 10K at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco HM. Heather Capello finished 12th W40 here last year in 42:28. She ran 43 seconds faster at lone Gull last summer. This year she ran 26:44 at the Super Sunday 4 Miler, equivalent roughly to a 41:56 10K.
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| Heather Capello finishes up with important points for her B.A.A. Team at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Erin McVeigh finished 5th here last year in 43:46, following that up with a 42:53 at the BAA 10K. Her 1:06:43 15K equates to a 43:42 10K. Jessica Bozek ran 43:04 at the Lone Gull 10K last summer; she reinforced that with a 1:07:13 Tune Up 15K, equivalent to a 44:03 10K. It seems the most likely order of finish is Famous-Capello-McVeigh, with Bozek just off the podium in fourth. The top three are close though so the order could shift.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Heather Capello Katie Famous Erin McVeigh
50-54 Hortencia Aliaga has been running very strong over the past year and a half. She won the 50-54 12K Championship in 48:36 and repeated that victory a year later in 47:48, equivalent to a 39:31 10K. This April, Aliaga clocked 41:04 at the Cherry Bossom 10K. Jennifer Rodriguez's 39:43 took gold to Abby Dean’s silver medal at the WMA’s last month; Dean was twelve seconds back. Prior to her recent marriage, Rodriguez competed as Jennifer Malavolta. She won the 50-54 division at the Half Marathon championships last fall, on a challenging course, in 1:26:45, equivalent to a 39:22.
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| Jennifer Rodriguez races in the second 5K of the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships on Her Way to the 50-54 Win Photo Credit: Pam Fales |
Dean won the 50-54 division here in 2023 with a 38:17 effort. Sarah Trigg could also shake things up. She clocked 1:27:52 in the Proj 13.1 HM this March. Last June she ran 41:10 at he Citizen Queens 10K.It should be quite a tussle between those three. Katherine Huggins appears to be a bit slower than those four and is coming off the Boston Marathon last Monday. Next year she will be in a new age division and it may be a different story. This is a tough one to call. It would be fair to call it for Rodriguez and a toss up among Aliaga, Dean, and Trigg. For a likely order, I need to put Rodriguez ahead of Dean, but if Dean is coming on strong this year, it could go either way. For the sake of having a likely order, I go for Rodriguez-Dean-Aliaga-Trigg but recognizing other permutations are certainly possible.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Hortencia Aliaga Abby Dean Jennifer Rodriguez
55-59 The top contenders appear to be Kimberly Aspholm, Jody Dushay, Mimi Fallon, Kathleen Shaw, and Marcy Whittington. Aspholm finished 3rd in this division in the 12 K Championships in September with a 52:12, equivalent to a 43:08 effort over 10K. She clocked 44:22 at the recent Cherry Blossom 10K in NJ. Dushay finished third in this division last year in 42:00. She recently clocked 21:20 at the St Paddy's 5K.
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| Jody Dushay finishing of her 55-59 Bronze Medal Run at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Fallon finished 28 seconds behind Dushay last year in 4th place. She finished 2nd in 55-59 at the Boston 10K for Women in October, with a 43:27. Shaw finished fifth here last year, a half minute behind Fallon. She finished 3rd at the Manchester Road Race (4.737 miles) in 33:12 and took 2nd in the division at the NYC Half this year with a 1:35:19. Those suggest she is ready to run in the low 43-minute range again this year. Whittington won the 50-54 division at the Faxon Law 20K last Labor Day, suggesting she might well have broken 43 minutes had it been a 10K. A month later, Whittington again ran well but finished a good minute behind Fallon at the 10K for Women. Without any compelling evidence otherwise, it makes sense to suggest that the likely order among Dushay, Fallon, and Shaw is alphabetical as it was last year. Either Aspholm or Whittington could break up that trio, but for now I will go with Dushay-Fallon-Shaw as the most likely finishing order.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Jody Dushay Mimi Fallon Kathryn Shaw
60-64 Suzanne La Burt looks to extend her mastery of the 60-64 division. Last year La Burt took wins at the 5K, 10K, 12K and 10 Mile Road Championships. Mary Cass finished second to La Burt at the first three listed. Here at Dedham, it was La Burt in 40:58, with Cass second in 42:03.
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| Suzanne La Burt surges to the Finish Line and the 60--64 Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
After those two the crystal ball is a bit murkier. Victoria Bok, Judy Jungels, Jane Pauley and Pamela Ricker all possess results suggesting sub-48' times. Leslie has the strongest result with her 43:59 Lone Gull 10K time, but that was from 2023. Her 1:13:14 at the Tune Up 15K this April equates to something more like 47:40. Bok's time here last year was 47:25. Pauley finished 19 seconds behind Bok last year. Ricker ran 48:19 at a 10K last November in New Jersey. It looks like a tight race between teammates Bok and Leslie. A toss of the coin favors Bok. We will find out tomorrow. A likely order of La Burt-Cass-Bok is my best guess.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Victoria Bok Mary Cass Suzanne La Burt
65-69 Nora Cary has moved up to 70-74 and none of the other top finishers from last year are entered. Patrice Combs may be the strongest of those entered this year. Combs claimed the 65-69 silver medal in Atlanta last year with a 22:01. She ran a 45:21 at Peachtree. This March she clocked 1:42:07 at the PNC Atlanta Half. [It is Atlanta, so we know it is hilly.] That equates to a 45:49 10K. Julie Menosky is the top returning finisher from last year; she claimed 7th in 46:23. Her 30:22 at the Frosty 4 this New Year's Day suggests she is ready to run around 47 minutes again.
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| Julie Menosky contributes Valuable Points for her Liberty AC Team at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Last year, Jacqueline Shakar finished 9th in W60; she finished about a minute behind Menosky in 47:18. Her 48:25 at the Aquidneck 10K in Rhode Island this March indicates she is ready to roll again. Suzanne Cordes shows up for many national Cross Country championships, less often on the roads. It is likely she is here this year primarily to help her Impala Racing team score some Grand Prix points. Nonetheless, she should be competitive for the podium. At Tallahassee in December 2023, Cordes finished 4th in W60 in 27:39 over 6 km. This past November she won the 5 Km XC 65-69 championships in Boulder in 23:43. It seems the most likely order might be Combs-Menosky-Cordes.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Patrice Combs Suzanne Cordes Julie Menosky
70-74 This is one of the easiest races to forecast a winner. Nora Cary has broken the 70-74 10K American Record the two times this year she has run the distance. She ran 43:41 to break the American Record (pending ratification) at the 10 Km Road Race at the WMA Championships in Gainesville at the end of March. A week later she ran under the record again with a 43:45. Jessica Wheeler won this division in 2023 with a 54:06. On December 29th of this past year, she ran 55:23 in the Boston Build up series 10K. This March she ran 1:31:57 at the Black Cat 10 Miler, equating to a 54:49. Cynthia Lucking will be pushing her all the way for second. Lucking ran 56:27 to claim the bronze medal in the 10 Km Road Race at the WMA world championships in Gainesville at the end of March.
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| Cindy Lucking on Her Way to the 70-74 Silver Medal at the 2023 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
The most likely order seems to be Cary-Wheeler-Lucking finishing 1-2-3 head of Alice Miller and 2024 Masters National Grand Prix champion, Helene Myers.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Nora Cary Cynthia Lucking Jessica Wheeler
75-79 Kathleen 'Kathy' Allen clocked a 1:06:59 10K at the AJC Peachtree Run this past July. This February she ran 51:12 at the Jerome Scales 5 Mile Run, equating roughly to a 1:03:43. Her teammate, Nora Renzulli ran 1:26:09 in the Open section of this race last year. She followed that up with a 1:26:31 at Peachtree. Allen and Renzulli, while helping Atlanta's 70+ team, should go 1-2 in this division.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Kathleen Allen Nora Renzulli
80-84 In a class by herself in more ways than one is Jan Holmquist. As noted in the records section, Holmquist owned the 70-74 American 10K Record before Nora Cary came along, and the 75-79 American 10K Record before Jeannie Rice came along. This weekend she should, once again, be listed as an American 10K Record holder, this time for the 80-84 division. Holmquist won here last year in 49:46. Libby James owns the 80-84 record at 55:10. Holmquist does still have the 75-79 American 5-Mile/8K Record, set in 2022 with a 39:24 at the Bobby Doyle 5 Miler. Last year she won the 5 Miler in 40:27, equating to a 50:16 10K. At the 15K Tune Up this April, Holmquist clocked 1:22:31, equivalent to a 53:12. As it turns out, she will be unchallenged this year, not that it would make any difference to the outcome!
Top Podium Contender and Likely New American record holder:
Jan Holmquist
85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite goes for her fourth consecutive Masters Grand Prix win in the 85-89 division. There is little doubt that she will win the 85-89 Grand Prix title again this year. Unchallenged, Hodges-Hite wins if she finishes and she always finishes what she starts!
Top Podium Contender:
Joyce Hodges-Hite
AGE GRADING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Age Grading score identifies the best performance adjusted for age.
WOMEN
Last year Holmquist and Cary went 1-2 at 101.57 and 99.81, and there is no reason to expect a different outcome this time. Others with a podium shot include Cass and La Burt, Dean, Rodriguez, Combs and Smith. Last year La Burt finished 5th here at 92.68, with Cass right behind her at 92.63. Dean finished sixth in age grading here two years ago. Combs's 45:21 at Peachtree last year age graded at nearly 88%, suggesting she is in the mix for top five at least. Probably the most likely order is Holmquist-Cary- La Burt.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Nora Cary Jan Holmquist Suzanne La Burt
MEN
Larson, Lee, Sayre, Youngers and Vazquez are favored among the men, with Andrews, Falcone, Linn and Van Danacker possibly breaking into the top three. Last year it was Larson 93.62, Vazquez 91.84 and Lee 91.33, on the podium, with Zamek, Freeman, Andrews and Falcone rounding out the top seven. Linn finished 7th at the 5 Km Championships at 89.52%. Sayre finished 2nd in age grading at the Half Marathon Championships in 89.46; a challenging course resulted in lower age grading scores generally. Youngers claimed the age grading crown at the 12 K Championships with a 90.50%. If Larson is off his best, it is not impossible that Vazquez might win both Overall and Age Grading this year. But until that happens in reality, I will go with a likely order of Larson, Vazquez, and Lee.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Nat Larson Rick Lee Mario Vazquez
Teams. Team contests in every ten-year age division from 40+ through 70+ will be tightly contested. Due to some glitches with the registration system in the early months of registrations, not everyone was able to declare which team they would be on. Based on what one can guess, and allowing for many uncertainties, it appears that the team races will shake out something like the following.
MEN
40+ The Tracksmith Boston Hares who won last year do not appear to have a complete team entered. The 40+ championship will be contested primarily by the Boston Athletic Association, the HFC Striders and the Notch Run Club. HFC looks to be the strongest with the BAA and Notch pretty closely matched.
50+ The Shore AC looks to be strongest in this division. They should be able to score under 1:10 from their top three. After that it should be pretty tight between the Genesee Valley Harriers and the Central Mass Striders. Putnam is a big uncertainty for CMS. In 2023, Putnam broke 35 in winning the 50-54 division. He probably cannot approach that, but the closer he gets to running a 35-minute 10K, the more likely CMS is to edge GVH for second. The BAA is right there should any of those three run into difficulty.
60+ Now that the Greater Springfield Harriers have aged up into the 60's they will once again be a major force at championships. Even if Larson is slightly off his game, GSH should come in under 1:15. Atlanta, GVH, and Shore should battle for 2nd through fourth, all probably under an hour and 20 minutes. The TC Running Company entered with higher hopes, but the absence of Mark Zamek means it will be tough for them to make the podium.
70+ With a new 70-year-old, Jack Pottle, adding to their strength, the Boulder Road Runners should claim this title with a total time around 2:05 or so. After that, Shore AC looks good for second place, with a likely score just a bit over 2:10. Atlanta looks to come in a bit under 2:20 and that should be low enough to edge Ann Arbor TC for third place. The Genesee Valley Harriers could also figure into that battle for third.
80-84 The Shore Athletic Club is favored for the win. Their two 80–84-year-olds, based on recent performances should give them a good start. If Roland Cormier, out of the 85-59 division, can stay under 1:10, their team total should be under three hours and that should be low enough to take the gold medals ahead of the New England 65+ Runners Club.
WOMEN
40+ It looks like the B.A.A. will claim the gold medals with a total score under 2:10. The Impala Racing, out of the San Francisco Bay area, has cobbled together a team with one runner from 45-49, a second runner form 50-54 and a third runner from 65-69. Nonetheless, they should earn the silver medals with a total score under 2:20.
50+ This division will feature a battle between two New Jersey rivals, the Garden State TC and the Shore AC. Although it should be close, it looks like GSTC has a slight edge. They should come in well under 2:10, while Shore might be just over 2:10. The Manchester Road Running team looks likely to manage a total score around 2:30 or a bit over. That should be low enough to edge the B.A.A. and the Greater Springfield Harriers for third place.
60+ As long as Nora Cary runs with the Shore AC 60+ team, aloongside Suzanne La Burt, Shore will be the team to beat. They should manage a score well under 2:15. Liberty AC brings their usual strong team but will be hard pressed to break 2:15. The Atlanta TC and GVH should enjoy a tight battle for the bronze medals. Both teams seem capable of a score around 2:30.
70+ With one athlete from 70-74 and two from 75-79, everyone needs to finish. Atlanta is the only club that will be able to field a complete 70+ team. They win if they have three scoring athletes at the end of the day.
That does it for the preview! May everyone enjoy a great day of running and the tremendous camaraderie mingling with rivals and friends and friendly rivals!
