May 28, 2026.Welcome to my blog! I report on Masters Elite LDR. In addition to this current story recapping the 2026 USATF Masters 10K Championships, I cover most USATF Masters LDR Championships., I report on middle distance events at some USATF Masters Indoor and Outdoor Championships. I reported on the one World Cross Country Championship that included Masters competition, Australia 2022. I regularly cover the Non-Stadia Road Race Events at World Masters Athletics Championships. I cover other road races from time to time. See the sidebar for easy navigation through the archives. [If you are using a mobile phone, please scroll to the bottom and choose 'View web version' to access the sidebar.] While there, please note the coffee cup logo. Clicking on that provides a way for you to express your appreciation for the work that goes into these articles. Shout out here to recent supporters, Matt B-C, John H, Lorilynn B, Bryan H,, Brendan, cush, Gary G, Jan F, Aaron T-L, Ken Y, Peter W, Dan K, Suzanne L B, Michael M, Ed B, Dana H, John B, Bill A, and J&A McMahon. May you have good speed in 2026! and beyond!
Ever since the James Joyce Ramble first hosted the USATF Masters Championships in April 2013, Masters athletes have flocked to Dedham MA for this race on the last Sunday in April. In most years, it is held thirteen days after the Boston Marathon. This year, only six days elapsed between BOSTON and Dedham. Nonetheless, the race regularly attracts well over 200 runners, making it one of the largest Masters national championships each year. As it also provides the largest prize purse it is hardly surprising it attracts so many elite Masters Runners. While there have been years with a small amount of rain, the temperatures have usually been mild, as they were this year. At the 11 am race time, the temperature was 52 F under cloudy skies. The skies would clear during the race and the temperature would rise to 57 before the last athlete finished, but no higher. Winds were moderate throughout at 8 mph with no measurable gusts. Conditions were right for fast times. In past year's generational talents like Sabra Harvey, Jan Holmquist, Nora Cary, and Nat Larson have broken American Records here in the past. But those runners were not present, except for Latrson, who is working his way back from injury. No American Records were broken. What about Course Records? I have kept track of the Course Records from 2013 through 2025. Some of those were American Records when first posted, since surpassed. One Men's American Record and three Women's Course Records set here are still listed as the American Record. These are very fast, set by some of the fastest Masters long distance runners in America! Melody Fairchild dropped down from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in 2014 to set the W40 (and Women Masters Overall Record at 35:15. No one has gotten within a minute of that record since then. A 50-year-old woman could come to Dedham, run 37 minutes flat, and not be within thirteen seconds of the course record set by Marisa Sutera Strange in 2016! On the Men's side, another Mountain Runner of great repute also came to New England from Colorado and set the Men's M40 and Overall Course Record at 30:44! A 60-year-old Man could run 35 minutes flat and not be within a half-minute of Nat Larson's course record, set in 2023 at 34:24! See the complete set of current Course Records at the end of this article. For Masters LDR American Records, please visit Andy Carr's website at http://usatfldrrecords.org/index.html. One runner this year was able to take down a Course Record. Gary Patton bettered Jan Frisby's M80 course record set just two years ago. And so it goes as Masters long distance runners extend the notion of what is possible for Masters athletes. For more on Patton's course record, see Men 80-84 in the Age Division section below.
OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
 |
| Drone Shot of Runners Heading Out from the Start by the Endicott Estate at the at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Facebook by the James Joyce Ramble |
MEN Mario Vazquez's Hartbeat TC; CT appeared to be a string favorite. He enjoyed a dominant win in 2023, running 31:49 in his last year in the M40 Division. He ran forty-seven seconds faster in 2024, but finished second behind former World Mountain Championships winner, Joseph Gray. Last year, Gray, to my surprise, showed up again and took the championship out of M40, Vazquez had to settle for second place overall and 1st M45, still running over a half minute faster than his 2023 winning time. With Gray out of the picture this year, it was not clear anything would keep Vazquez from another win. To be frank, I underestimated Nicholas Kipruto Unaffiliated; CO. I knew of his strong performances at the Army Ten Miler, 53:28 in 2024 and 52:49 in 2025. But his record at Masters Cross Country Championships was not as strong. On an admittedly rainy, windy day in Tacoma WA, Kipruto finished 19th in the Masters 40+ race.at Club Cross. It was much the same at Portland last December when he finished 14th in the Masters Race at the USATF XC Champs. Perhaps I should have put more weight on the Masters 5 Km Championships in San Francisco. With milder weather, Kipruto was in the hunt for the win until late in the race when two very strong runners were able to pull away. At the 1 Mile championships in Des Moines on April 21st, Kipruto had gamely gone with the early leader, the favorite for the win, Justin Finch. Kipruto was glued to Finch for the first three quarters of the race but had then faded a bit and was eventually passed by Brett Anderson for second. It was a gritty effort by Kipruto that did not quite pay off.
In any case, once the horn sounded, Kipruto was able to go out with Vazquez and Ryan Irwin Tracksmith Boston Hares; MA. at the head of the field. Those three went through downtown Dedham, at about the one-mile mark, with separation of over seventy meters on Shaun Donegan ARE Racing; NY, in fourth. There was another smaller gap, 25 meters or so, back to Justin Freeman Tracksmith Bostion Hares; NH and Ben Jarrett Whirlaway Racing, with David Angell Roanoke Valley Elite and Dickson Mercer GRC Tracksmith; MD trying to maintain contact. Eric Blake Tracksmith Boston Hares; CT was apparently starting more conservatively, further back. After surmounting the short, sharp uphill on Highland and turning down into the neighborhoods along Lowder, the leading trio had left Donegan well back. He was running alone, never an easy place to be; he was cranking out a steady pace. Donegan was not pressed at that point, about two miles into the race. Donegan was still followed by Freeman and Jarrett. Mercer sped up at that point to close the gap to those two. Also, t that point, Blake blasted past Angell, also closing with the three in front of Angell. From Mile 2 to the finish, Donegan ran alone in 4th and Angell in 9th. In the final stages, the leading trio broke up; Irwin fell back and then Vazquez. Indeed, as Kipruto sped back up East Street toward the finish at the Endicott Estate, Vazquez was over a hundred meters back. Kipruto took the win, his first as a Masters athlete at a national championship, in 31:26. Vazquez was a comfortable second in 31:51. Irwin, fresh off a fine 50:05 effort at the Tune-Up 15K in early April, wanted to lay down a good result for his Hares team. He could not stay with Kipruto and Vazquez in the last Mile but kept everyone else well back. Irwin nabbed the final podium spot at 32:05. Donegan did a terrific job of navigating 'no-man's-land'! He finished fourth, in 32:44, a good half minute ahead of the pack that had been chasing him for the whole race! The four-runner chase pack had begun to break up on the Noble and Greenough campus, with Freeman dropping back. Angell had hopes of catching him; despite Angell's best efforts, Frreeman stayed strong and maintained his lead. The other three stayed together up East Street. When it was time to kick, Blake, who won here in 2019, showed he can still finish strong, taking fifth in 33:19, with Mercer one second back, and Jarrett two seconds behind him in 7th. Freeman, who has been on the podium here in each of the last three years, finished eighth in 33:31, nineteen seconds ahead of David Angell, who won here in 2017 and 2018. It was a terrific race and a great win for Kipruto. He will be a known favorite at other Masters races, now.
 |
| Nicholas Kipruto near camera On His Way to a Second-Place finish at the 2025 USATF Cross Country Championships in Lubbock TX [with Ayoub Touil who finished 4th] Note: Kipruto won the Overall Masters Race at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Photo Credit: Kierra Eyiuche-Imagun Images |
If Kipruto should run in a couple of more races, he has a good shot at winning the 2026 M40 Grand Prix.
 |
| Mario Vazquez Finishing Second Overall at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships- Vazquez repeated as Silver Medalist at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Vazquez again showed himself to be the top New England runner in the Overall Masters 10 Km race, a runner who cannot be counted out for the win even at the age of 47. Irwin had a splendid USATF Masters debut on the Ramble course in Dedham.
Nicholas Kipruto 31:26 Mario Vazquez 31:51 Ryan Irwin 32:05
WOMEN The primary contenders were, in alphabetical order: Fiona Bayly Urban Athletics; NYC; Christina Campbell HFC Striders; Karen Dos Santos Shore Athletic Club; Brett Ely Notch Run Club; Jennifer Lutz Battle Road Track Club; Jessica Minty Battle Road Track Club. The only returning athlete from last year's podium here was Lutz, who finished third in 36:57. Ely finished fifth here in 2022 in 37:27. Shoemaker was fifth in 2024 with a 37:33 effort. In 2023, Bayly finished third in 38:10. In 2024, with one of the deeper fields, Campbell's 38:58 earned an 8th place finish. There is plenty of speed in the group. Based on prior experience in these championships, Lutz would look to be the favorite, but with plenty of competition. Minty, just 41, has no prior Masters Road Championships experience. But she does have course experience. In 2014, when she was 29, Minty was the James Joyce Ramble Open winner in 35:35. At Club Cross in Tallahassee this past January, Minty finished fourth overall, over the 6 Km course, in 22:36. Dos Santos finished 17th in 23:49. Competition at Club Cross is substantial; her fourth place suggests Mi8nty would be a threat for the podium. Minty's 58:04 at the Tune-Up 15K in early April last year is roughly consistent with a 38-minute 10K, reinforcing the notion of her competitiveness. Last September she ran 37:17 at the North Shore Funfest 10K. If we look at Tune-Up results from this year, we have Lutz 57:59, Shoemaker 58:30, and Ely 59:24.
Minty took off at the gun and quickly opened up a gap, which grew over 1he first mile. Ely and :utz were in hot pursuit with Lutz moving ahead of Ely by the time they went through downtown Dedham after the first mile. Lutz got no closer to Minty but did open up a gap of about 50 meters on Ely, with Shoemaker tracking Ely about 15 meters back. They were followed by Campbell and Dos Santos, with a small gap to Bayly. Things continued largely that way until the final kilometer. M9inty was well away by that time; no one was within 150 meters of her as she claimed the win. Ely, however, worked hard to close the gap to Lutz, up that final hill, she pulled even. It looked like she would take second, but Lutz responded with all she had left, to claim second, in 37:56, with a single second to spare! Thrilling competition! Ely was third. Ely's mad dash for the finish left Peacock a bit further back at the end of the race. Peacock, at the very tail end of the 50-54 division, cruised to an impressive fourth place finish overall in 38:10. Campbell and Dos Santos had a great battle of their own from about 4.5 miles to 5.25 miles before Campbell moved decisively ahead. Campbell finished 5th at 38:24, with Dos Santos 6th at 38:37, and Bayly, out of the 55-59 division, sped to 7th at 39:09. Minty enjoyed a tour de force win! But Ely and Lutz got to enjoy the best battle to the finish! Bayly and Shoemaker enjoyed impressive outings, finishing 7th and 4th overall and 1st and 3rd in age grading. Campbell and Dos Santos enjoyed a good battle within the race. In their Strava posts, Shoemaker noted that the event was well run and good fun! Pleased with her performance, Shoemaker will make a run at the top age grading prize and possibly an American Record in her new age division, 55-59 in Peoria at the Four Mile Masters Championships. In her Strava post, Ely gave kudos to Lutz for gutsy finish retaking the lead. But she also regretted that she had not been able to run with Lutz for the middle part of the race.
 |
| The Overall Women's Podium-L to R: Brett Ely, Jessica Minty and Jennifer Lutz at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships. Hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Photo complimentary of USATF |
Campbell ran a good half minute faster than she had in 2024; her sixth-place finish was two places higher than in 2024. Dos Santos, in her Strava post, indicated that she was quite happy with her performance. She felt she had gone out too strong but had been able to handle the pace. It was more about racing than time but the time was almost as fast as Dos Santos had run two weeks earlier on a much flatter course. Imagining her big dog, Earl, pulling her up the hills like he does on some of her training runs, helped Dos Santos handle the hills.
Jessica Minty 37:17 Jennifer Lutz 37:56 Brett Ely 37:57
AGE GRADING CHAMPIONSHIPS
NOTE: The Age Grading Performance Level Percentage PLP indicates how closely an athlete's performance at a given distance compares to the best possible performance at that distance by a person of the same age and sex. A projected 'World Best' is constructed for every single age, in years, based on data collected not only in the US but in other countries also. This is done for the main anchor distances, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon; the world bests for other distances are interpolated from those four. If an athlete matches that world best, their PLP is 100. For every extra second it takes beyond that time, the athlete's PLP drops. These Age Grading tables are recalibrated every five years, taking into account the improvements in World Bests during that time. Top scores at Masters LDR national road championships are typically in the 90's. The Masters LDR Committee employs a rough designation that PLP's at %90% or above are 'World Class', PLP's at 80% or above are 'National Class.' The James Joyce Ramble provides the largest prize purse on the Masters National Grand Prix circuit. In addition to the usual Championships medals awarded to the top three in Age Grading, the race provides cash prizes that go seven deep, ranging from $500 down to $100, with equal prizes for Women and Men. That helps to attract some of the strongest Masters runners across all age divisions.
WOMEN Fiona Bayly 58, who finished 7th overall and won the 55-59 division in 39:09 earned the top PLP. Her net time (chip time) of 39:06 left her less than a minute off her course record set three years ago; he PLP was 91.66. Whenever she runs, Bayly is on or close to the age grading0 podium. Her last win was three years ago in April at the Masters Half Marathon Championships. Suzanne La Burt 62 Shore AC; NY finished second in Age Grading. Her 41:35 net time scored a 90.68 PLP. Since her most recent overall age grading win in February 2024 at the Masters 5 Km Championships, La Burt has been on the age grading podium three more times, at the Ten Mile and 12 Km Championships in 2024 and at these championships last year. Third place went to Perry Shoemaker 54 (and 11 months) , fourth overall. Shoemaker has not competed as regularly at USATF Masters National Championships as Bayly. She ran in three championships between 2017 and 2023, finishing between 8th and 10th in age grading. She has had better outcomes since then. In 2024 at these 10 Km championships, Shoemaker finished fourth. To the best of my knowledge, this was her first Age Grading podium. But she won Age Grading prize money in both years. Shoemaker's net time of 38:09 gave her a PLP of 89.50. Winning prize money for finishing 4th through 7th in age grading were: Lesley Hinz 68 Atlanta TC; GA at 46:25 for 88.12 and 4th place; Amanda Zarle 67 Tracksmith Boston Hares;MA at 46:27 for 86.83; Mary Cass 64 Liberty AC; MA at 44:48 for an 84.61 PLP; and Staci Blanket 61 Elite Feats; NY at 43:28 for an 85.63 PLP.
Fiona Bayly 58 39:06 91.66% Suzanne La Burt 62 41:35 90.68 Perry Shoemaker 54 38:09 89.50
MEN Nat Larson 62 Greater Springfield Harriers; MA broke every American Record for Men 60-64 between the distances of 1 Mile and the Half marathon. He did that between November 2022 and early January 2024. During that period, he was unbeatable at Masters LDR National Championships and, typically won Overall age grading, whether on the roads or the Cross Country turf. Since then Larson's fitness has been up and down due to various injuries and a skiing accident. As a result, Larson has run a few times for team points while not being fully fit to compete for individual age grading wins. He won age grading at these championships in April 2024 but then did not compete again until September. He finished 3rd in that championship but followed that up with an 8th place and a 4th place in two Cross Country Championships. He seemed to be back all the way when he finished second in age grading at the 5 Km Cross Country Championships in November of last year. But he did not appear in a national championship again until this one. Would he just be running for team points? Or would Larson also be ready to run for the age grading win. Although not as dominant as he was in his first two years in the division, Larson had enough to win the overall age grading with a good margin of victory. Larson's net time of 36:23 earned a 91.72% PLP. Larson had the win by 0.7 percentage points. Mario Vazquez 47, who finished second overall, also finished second in age grading. It is a rare podium double in road race championships. Vazquez's 31:50 net time earned a 91.02 PLP. He was a good percentage point higher last year when he won the overall age grading here. Third place went to John Barbour 72 Greater Lowell Road Runners; MA. This is his first age grading podium finish in a long time. He typically only runs this race and Club Cross Country in a given year, although he occasionally will compete in another national championship. In 2023, for example, he finished 20th age grading at the 5 km Championships. He then finished 27th and 48th at these championsh5ips in 2023 and 2024.
 |
| John Barbour Left and Nat Larson Right who finished third and first, respectively in the Overall Age Grading competition at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Facebook |
At the Tacoma WA Club Cross Championships in December, Barbour finished 15th. He hit his high point in recent years with his 6th place age grading finish at these championships last year. Then he finished 38th at the 2026 Tallahassee Club Cross championships. So it was a great pleasure for his many fans to cheer for him as he mounted the age grading podium at these championships. His 40:51 merited an 89.47 PLP, good for third place. Cash Awards were made for 4th through 7th place. Those went to: Shane Anthony 57 Shore AC;PA; Nicholas Kipruto; Gregry Putnam 56 Central Massachusetts Striders;MA; and Scott Grandfield 61 Greater Springfield Harriers; MA.
Nat Larson 62 36:23 91.72% Mario Vazquez 47 31:50 91.02 John Barbour 72 40:51 89.47
AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEN 40-44 Kipruto, Irwin, Donegan, and Mercer went 1-3-4-6 in the Overall Championship and went 1-2-3-4 here. See above for discussion.
Nicholas Kipruto 31:26 Ryan Irwin 32:05 Shaun Donegan 32:44
45-49 Vazquez, Blake, Jarret, Freeman and Angell went 2-5-7-8-9 in the Overall Championship and went 1-2-3-4-5 here. See above for discussion.
50-54 The main contenders were: Steve Bell Atlanta TC; GA; Gareth Buckley Greater Springfield Harriers; MA; David DeChellis Whirlaway Racing; MA; and Brian Sydow Atlanta TC; GA. Bell and Sydow finished 5th and 8th here in 2024 with 35:25 and 38:34, respectively. The field in 2025 was deeper; DeChellis finished 5th with 36:06. Sydow ran ten seconds faster than in 2024 but finished 10th. Buckley has not competed recently here at Dedham but he ran 36:58 at the fast Lone Gull 10K last year and 38:28 at the Holyoke St Pat’s 10K this March. DeChellis posted on Strava, after the race that he had "raced tactically the first four miles, then hammered the last two." It appears that strategy worked well; he pulled away to win by twenty-five seconds in 36:15. Bell and Sydow may well have raced together for much of the race with Bell finishing a bit stronger to take the Silver Medal. Sydow finished six seconds behind Bell in 36:46.
DeChellis--"Raced tactically first 4 miles then hammered the last two
David Dechellis 36:15 Steve Bell 36:40 Brian Sydow 36:46
55-59 Shane Anthony Shore AC; PA finished third last year in 35:57. He trailed Gregory Putnam Central Mass Striders; MA, who finished second in 35:27. Joseph Shairs Central Mass Striders; MA did not compete here last year but won the 55-59 division in 2024, clocking 36:07. Brett Stoeffler Manchester Runing Co; CT finished third here in 2024 with a 36:33 outing. Stoeffler did not compete here last year; in the fall he ran 37:33 at the Simsbury 10K and enjoyed a 17:58 5K outing at a Veterans Day 5K. Putnam provided a synopsis of his race with Anthony. Putnam noted that he started way too fast. With the first mile mostly downhill, he found he had covered the first mile in 5:29, way too fast. But he settled in then and was soon joined by Anthony. They raced together, side by side, for miles two through four, neither able to gain an advantage. Finally as they exited the Noble and Greenough campus, Gregory was able to get a small gap on Anthony but could still hear footsteps. He tried to keep his pace going and put in a small surge whenever he turned a corner. In the end, Putnam did not need a kick; he enjoyed a good forty meters on Anthony by the time he crossed the finish line.
 | |
David Angell Left, 9th overall and Gregory Putnam, 1st M55 and 15th overall at the
|
They had enjoyed a terrific battle and agreed that they both looked forward to future encounters at upcoming Masters Championships. Shairs ran another solid time; he kept all other competitors behind him to claim third in 36:23. According to his post-race Strava post, this was his first race in a while. Happy with a consistent pace but recognizing that it got harder to maintain in the second half of the race, Loeffler finished fourth, forty-five seconds behind Shairs.
Gregory Putnam 35:20 Shane Anthony 35:30 Joseph Shairs 36:23
60-64 Teammates, Scott Grandfield Greater Springfield Harriers; MA, Mark Hixson Greater Springfield Harriers; CT, and Nat Larson Greater Springfield Harriers hoped to run the table. The biggest threats to that plan were Lester Dragstedt Atlanta Track Club and Mike Nier Genesee Valley Harriers. Larson has been the acknowledged leader of the 60-64 division since he turned 60 in 2022. In his firtst two years in the division, Larson set American M60 Records at every record eligible distance from the 1 Mile to the Half Marathon. Since then he has had challenges staying at the top of his game. He ran well, for example at Club Cross in Tacoma in December 2024. A =winter skiing accident kept him away from racing until August 2025. Larson had another good effort at the Masters 5 Km Championships in San Francisco at the beginning of November. But again was not racing again until mid-March of 2026. That race was a 10K, the Holyoke St Pa's un. His 37:25 at that race showed he was not yet at the top of his game but was moving in that direction. Grandfield finished 3rd here last year in 37:14 and ran 37:38 at the Rotary 10K in early April. Hixson, who finished second here last year in 37:00, ran well through the fall and into Cross Country season. He finished 4th M60 at Cross Nationals in Portland and 7th at Club Cross in Tallahassee. The last result would be fine for the vast majority of nationally competitive runners but was a little off what Hixson has usually been able to manage. When one also factors in a lack of race results since January, it definitely raised questions about his current fitness. Dragstedt's 38:12 left him in 5th place M60 here last year. He finished third at the Four Mile Championships in Peoria in June and sixth M60 at the 5 Km Championships in Atlanta. Dragstedt ran a fine 5:28.0 Mile in Des Moines the Tuesday before this event. He finished 7th in a stacked field. The only one who finished ahead of him who would also run this event was Nier. Last year, Nier finished a bit behind Dragstedt here in Dedham, taking 6th M55 in 39:01. His 5:20.0 might suggest he is in better condition now than Dragstedt. But it is also true that Nier is a strong middle-distance runner and Dragstedt's strength is at the longer distances. As =it turned out, Larson's fitness had continued to improve after his 10K outing in March. =He won by a good half minute in 36:24. As noted above, Larson was also atop the age grading contest, a sign that he was truly back at the top. Hixson was a little off his best, but Grandfield ran as expected, finishing second in 37:07. Hixson was 45 seconds back in third place. GSH had their sweep!
 |
| The M60 Podium -- L to R Scott Grandfield 2nd, Nat Larson 1st, and Mark Hixson 3rd -- at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Strava by S Grandfield |
Nier went out hard and stayed with his rivals through the first 5K; after that, it became more difficult. Nier finished fourth in 38:24. Dragstedt went out at a more moderate pace, keeping the leaders in sight. But he could not keep them close. Dragstedt came on in the last kilometer, but it was too late. Dragstedt finished a fine fifth in 38:59.
Nat Larson 36:24 Scott Grandfield 37:07 Mark Hixson 37:52
65-69 The primary contenders for the podium were: Kevin Glenn Manchester Running Co; CT, Nick Persampieri Green Mountain Athletic Association; VT, and Lawrence Sak Ann Arbor Track Club. Mark Assini Genesee Valley Harriers; NY, might also make some noise if any of those three should have an off day. Glenn finished sixth last year in 41:15. He ran 1:29:46 at the Ion Bank Cheshire Half marathon in mid-April. He comes in with good fitness. Persampieri did not compete here last year, but he ran a fine 41:22 at the Northshore 10K this spring. Sak has also not raced here in recent years. But he also had a fine outing, clocking 42:17 at the Martian Meteor 10K in early April. Assini ran 45:46 at the Wegmann's Grocery 10K last November and demonstrated roughly equivalent fitness with his 36:45 at the Runing of the Green 5 Miler in mid-March. Glenn did not disappoint! He came in with a strong time from last year and knowledge of the course. No one was able to stay with him as he cruised to the win in 40:48, improving his time from last year by almost half a minute. Based on their Strava posts, Persampieri and Sak enjoyed a good tussle for the silver medal. It was back and forth over the first portions of the race. At the 5 Km mark, Persampieri enjoyed a narrow lead. Sak poured it on over the next two kilometers to retake the lead. But then Persampieri roared back, covering the finsl three kilometers just a little faster than Sak. Persampieri nabbed the silver medal with his 41:57. Sak was eight seconds back in third place. Assini ran a strong race, taking fourth in 42:59.
Kevin Glenn 40:48 Nick Persampieri 41:57 Lawrence Sak 42:05
70-74 John Barbour Greater Lowell Road Runners; MA, known more for his stirring battles for M60+ wins at Club Cross, is also a pretty fair road runner. He returned as the defending champion. He won M70 here last year in 40:13. Whether Barbour could match that this year was an open question but his 1:05:29 at the Tune-Up 15K in early April suggested he had good fitness. Jack Pottle Boulder Road Runners; CO finished third here last year in 42:27. Fresh off a 5:41 M70 win in the 1 Mile Championships in Des Moines, Pottle was looking to move up! To do so, he would have to move ahead of the triumvirate of teammates, Kevin Dollard Shore AC; NY, Harold Leddy Shore AC; NJ, and James Linn Shore AC; PA. Linn finished second M70 here last year in 41:56. Dollard finished 10th M65 in 43:18 and Leddy was seventh M70 in 43:47. The threesome got everyone's attention at the 5K Championships in Atlanta last October when they finished in a tight pack, 2-3-4. with just five seconds between them. They were not quite as tight at the 1 Mile Championships right before the 10K, at 6:05, 6:08, and 6:19. They are, arguably, tougher at the longer distances. Barbour could not match his time of last year, but his 40:55 kept everyone else over a half minute back. Pottle was able to move past all three of the Shore AC runners. Linn took it out hard, as he tends to do. He then cruised through the 2nd through 5th kilometers at a good pace. But right after the halfway point, Linn ran into some kind of trouble, whether a cramp or something else, I do not know. It probably cost him 15 seconds or so. He recovered but did not enjoy his usual fast finish. Pottle claimed second with over a minute to spare. It seems unlikely that Linn could have pressed Pottle had he not run into that difficulty. The main difference was probab2ly in the order of finish of the three teammates. Last year it was Linn-Dollard-Leddy. This year it was Dollard at 43:00, Leddy at 43:09, and Linn at 43:13. They again enjoyed a very tight pack!
John Barbour 40:55 Jack Pottle 41:37 Kevin Dollard 43:00
75-79 Don Morrison Greater Philadelphia Track Club; PA was a strong favorite. Morrison finished second M75 here last year, in 46:41, despite having just emerged from a case of Lyme Disease earlier in the spring. He was coming in on a high note; he won the M75 1 Mile championship in Des Moines earlier in the week with a 6:35. Those chasing him included Jerry Learned Atlanta Track Club, Gordon MacFarland Cambridge Sports Union, and Keith Yeates Genesee Valley Harriers. Learned's 47:48 here last year earned the 4th spot in M75. Learned finished twelve seconds behind Morrison at Des Moines, earning the bronze medal. MacFarland finished fifth in M75 here last year in 48:54, a minute behind Learned. He ran 1:18:35 at the Tune-Up 15K earlier in the month of April. That could suggest his conditioning was a little off relative to last year, as it equates, via age grading, to a 51:07. Or it could be that his conditioning for 10K is similar to last year but he was relatively underprepared for the 15K distance. Yeates finished 6th M75 last year, twenty-two seconds behind MacFarland. Yeates was fit; he ran 39:46 at the Running of the Green 5 Miler, roughly equivalent to a 49:24 10K. Morrison wasted no time; he took it out hard and had a clear gap on the field by the time they went through the downtown are a mile in. Morrison was never challenged after that; he sped to the win in 46:02. Learned and MacFarland were close for most of the race. When they turned onto the High Street to go back through downtown, there was over a mile left. MacFarland moved past Learned and opened up a gap as they raced up East Street toward the finish. MacFarland built the gap to 36 seconds by the time he crossed the finish line in second place. Yeates closed with Learned on the rolling uphill to the finish. When they crested the final rise and found themselves on the flat with a hundred meters to go, Yeates tried to go past Learned. But Learned is very tough to beat at the finish. This time, too, Learned had the answer! Learned claimed third in 49:45, with Yeates four seconds back.
Don Morrison 46:02 Gordon MacFarland 49:09 Jerry Learned 49:45
80-84 The competitors included teammates, Jack Frame Shore AC; NJ, Przemyslaw 'Przemek' Nowicki Shore AC; NJ, and Gary Patton So Cal Track Club; FL. Your author, Paul Carlin Ann Arbor TC; MI, was also in the field. Patton was the favorite. Right now the only runner in the 80-84 group that can stay with Patton over 10K is Gary Ostwald and he was not entered. In fact, Patton was coming in with the satisfaction of a hard-earned win over Ostwald in the 1 Mile championships in Des Moines. He edged Ostwald for the M80 win by two seconds in 6:28.4. In 2022, Patton ran 47:16 here in Dedham to finish second in M75. I ran 50:08 that day and Nowicki 56:47. A Masters Hall of Famer for his middle-distance exploits on the track, Patton is not a regular at Road Championships. But whenever he enters a new age division, Patton tends to try his luck at some Masters LDR Road and/or Cross Country championships. This is one of those years. In 2022, I was ahead of Nowicki, but not in 2025. Last year, Frame won M80 in 54:51, with Nowicki second in 55:09. I finished ninth in M75 at 56:05. I have not beaten either of them in the few races since where we have met. It played out as expected. Patton flew of with the gun. None of us could stay with him. As we went down East Street for the first kilometer, Frame and Nowicki were running in tandem a few meters ahead of me. But as we turned to head into the downtown area, I could no longer stay with them. I hoped they would come back to me, perhaps in the final two miles. That has happened before in some of my battles with Nowicki. But, if either runner struggled at all, it was not enough. Patton enjoyed the win in 49:52. No one finished within six minutes of Patton! Frame has beaten Nowicki the last few times out. This time, Nowicki had the pleasure of coming in ahead of his teammate, finishing second in 55:54. Frame was third in 57:18. I was thirty-five seconds back, fourth in 57:53. Richard Paulsen New England 65+ Runners Club; MA finished seventeen minutes back in fifth place.
Gary Patton 49:52 Przemek Nowicki 55:54 Jack Frame 57:18
85-89 Four years ago, George Gilder Unaffiliated; MA won M80 here in 58:03. A typical aging pattern would suggest Gilder's 58:03 would be around 1:04 to 1:05 in 2026. Because he arrived late for the race last year and could not do a proper warmup, Roland Cormier Shore AC; NJ ran very conservatively to take the win in 1:34:29. A couple of months later, Cormier claimed the M85 win at the Four Mile Championships in Peoria with a 43:23 effort. That is a shorter race but in terms of age grading it is equivalent to a 1:07:45 10K. While that may be too generous it suggests the 1:34: 29 is not a good measure of Cormier's fitness. The indicators proved to be right. Gilder claimed thew in with over six minutes of cushion. Gilder won in 1:11:34; Cormier finished second in 1:18:03.
George Gilder 1:11:34 Roland Cormier 1:18:03
WOMEN 40-44 Minty, Lutz, Campbell, and Dos Santos finished 1-2-5-6. Hence Minty, Lutz and Campbell go 1-2-3 in W40, with Dos Santos just off the podium in fourth. See coverage of overall race above for details.
Jessica Minty 37:17 Jennifer Lutz 37:56 Christina Campbell 38:24
45-49 Ely finished third overall; she claims the W45 Gold medal with a minute and a half to spare. See Overall discussion for details. The other contenders for the podium were Dana Hayden Unaffiliated; VA; Abby Mahoney Sugarloaf Mtn Athletic Club; MA; and Catherine O'Connor Battle Road TC; MA. Hayden finished second overall at the Masters 1 Mile Championships five days before this race; her silver medal time was 5:34.6. Last year she finished fourth overall at the 1 Mile Championships in Indianapolis. Last October, Hayden's 19:39 enabled her to finish fifth overall at the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta. Hayden is now competing regularly on the circuit. She also finished fourteenth overall and third in 45-49 at the highly competitive Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee this January. But this would be her first foray at a national championship race beyond 6 Km. Mahoney prepped for this outing with a 41:33 10K at the Mt Holyoke St Pat's Day run in March. I do not find any recent 10K's for O'Connor but last summer she ran 36:30 at the Bobby Doyle 5 Miler. In October she clocked 1:39:30 at the Newburyport Half Marathon. Hayden looked to be ready for a sub-40-minute performance, with Mahoney likely for low 40's. O'Connor's performances in 2025 were more consistent with mid-40's 10K's but things can change over six months! Hayden delivered the goods with a solid 39:30. O'Coonnor has, apparently been working hard and/or rehabbing since last October. She clocked 41:17 to claim third, forty-six seconds ahead of Mahoney's 42:03. Mahoney's run was consistent with her March run, but O'Connor had more in the tank on this day.
Brett Ely 37:57 Dana Hayden 39:30 Catherine O'Connor 41:17
50-54 Shoemaker finished fourth overall, an impressive achievement by a runner in the final week of her stay in the 50-54 division. She won this division over a strong field by a long minute and a half. In 2023, Rebekah Kennedy Central Park Track Club; NY ran 1:32:56 to finish third in 45-49, on a warm day in April at the Masters Half Marathon Championships in Syracuse. She enjoyed the W50 win, in 19:59, at the 2024 Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta GA. In July of 2025, Christie Nie Shore AC; NJ ran 33:18 at the NYRR Team 5 Mile. In November 2024, Nie ran 32:55 at the Ashenfelter 8K. Both were consistent with a sub-42 minute 10K at the time. Sharon O'Grady Greater Lowell Road Runners; MA finished seventh W50 here last year in 42:55. She ran 27:07 at the Super Sunday 4 Miler in February and 1:06:19 at the Boston Tune-Up 15K in early April. Those times are roughly equivalent to a sub-43 minute 10K. Kennedy is, apparently, getting faster with age. Unable to stay with Shoemaker (and not many can), Kennedy sped to a sub-40-minute 10K, winning the W50 Silver Medal in 39:53! As one might expect, Niee and O'Grady battled for the bronze medal. Nie got there firfst in 42:22! O'Grady had to settle for fourth, just 12 seconds back!
Perry Shoemaker 38:10 Rebekah Kennedy 39:53 Christie Nie 42:22
55-59 As one would expect, Bayly, who finished seventh overall and turned in the highest age grade, had no peers in the division. She won W55 by well over four minutes, in 39:09! Tina Dowling Whirlaway Racing; MA and Pauline Entin Liberty AC; MA seemed destined to vie for the W55 silver medal. Dowling's most recent outings were half marathons. At the Xfinity Newburyport Half Marathon last fall, Dowling clocked 1:37:30. This March, she ran seven seconds faster at the New Bedford Half Marathon. That is consistency! Both suggest a 44-minute 10K is in her wheelhouse. Her 1:09:23 at the Boston Tune-Up 15K in early April is more consistent with a 45-minute 10K. Entin ran a 44:34 10K last September at the North Shore 10K. Entin also ran the Newburyport Half Marathon in October, finishing just six seconds behind Dowling. Dowling had a clear edge at the Tune-Up 15K though, finishing a good minute and a half ahead of Entin. The Tune-Up matchup was a good predictor! Dowling took the silver medal in 43:31, a minute and thirty-six seconds ahead of Entin. Entin enjoyed a three minute mnargin over her nearest pursuers. Elizabeth Randell Checkers AC; NY and Maureen Massell Shore AC; NJ enjoyed a dandy duel for fourth and fifth. Randell carved out a 12-second lead over Massell, crossing the finish line fourth, in 48:19.
Fiona Bayly 39:09 Tina Dowling 43:31 Pauline Entin 45:07
60-64 La Burt took the Silver medal in Overall Age Grading at over 90%. Not surprisingly, La Burt ran away from a talented age division field, winning by almost two minutes in 41:37. La Burt has typicaly won the 60-64 national championships she has entered since turning 60 two years ago. This is her third victory in three tries this Grand Prix season. La Burt adds this 10 Km road title to the ones she gained at Cross Nationals in Portland and Club Cross in Tallahassee.
Amanda King Liberty AC; MA 46:20 Jennifer Hegarty Unaffiliated; MA 46:22
Suzanne La Burt 41:37 Staci Blanket 43:31 Mary Cass 44:52
65-69 I left Lesley Hinz Atlanta TC; GA off the list of favorites after citing some of her credentials. I quoted a line she had used at the 5 Km Championships last year, "I do not train for this race." A talented and decorated middle distance runner, Hinz trains mostly for middle distance efforts on the track. But she has gotten increasingly confident, over the years, at road races. Hinz's recent results are not on Athlinks, my main source of information about results, especially when I am pressed for time. as I was for this championship. After the race, I learned, from Hinz, that she had tested the 10K waters as part of her prep for this race. I now know that, in late March. Hinz ran 47:17 at the Members 10K in Atlanta. That compares favorably with the record of Marilyn Quinlan Manchester Running Co; CT, who finished tenth W60 here last year in 50:46. Six months later, Quinlan clocked a similar 51:51 at the Husky Run. Sally Reiley Greater Lowell Road Runners; MA is known for her marathon prowess. Nonetheless, in 2022, she raced here at Dedham, finishing sixth in W60 in 46:15. That was her time as a 62-year-old. Four years later the age grade equivalent for a 66-year-old is 48:48. Six days earlier, Reiley had run a 3:29:28 on a perfect marathon day in Boston. That had to affect her performance. Amanda Zarle Tracksmith Boston Hares; MA was listed initially among the entrants and post-race as the 2nd place finisher. But that was an error. Apparently, Ms. Zarle was entered late, by hand, and her age was accidentally mis-transcribed. Zarle is actually 57, not 67, and finished fourth in that division. I do not know if Zarle was wearing a 65-69 bib or if that had been fixed. Hinz beat everyone who was entered. Zarle was four seconds behind Hinz's winning 46:27. If Zarle was seen as a rival for the win, I can easily imagine Hinz biding her time as they ran up East Street toward the finish and then unleashing her best kick to speed past Zarle in the final hundred meters or so! Reiley, despite her fine Boston marathon outing six days earlier, finished second in 47:43.
 |
| From left: W65 Silver Medalist, Sally Reiley and Gold Medalist Lesley Hinz at the Awards Ceremony for the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Facebook By Greater Lowell Road Runners |
She outlasted Quinlan, who finished third in 47:52, just six seconds ahead of Mireille Silva Atlanta TC; GA in fourth.
Lesley Hinz 46:27 Amanda Zarle 46:31 Sally Reiley 47:43
70-74 In 2023, Margery Bellisle Liberty AC; RI ran a number of 5K races where her times were similar to the 24:19, she clocked at the Barrelhouse 5K. Using age grading equivalency to adjust that for the greater distance and three years of aging suggests a 10K time in 2026 of about 51 minutes. Bellisle also ran in the Super Sunday 4 Miler this past February. Her 32:23 at that event suggested that Bellisle might be able to break 51 minutes. That turned out to be too optimistic. But Bellisle was able to break 54 minutes and that was plenty fast enough for the win. Susan Stirrat Shore AC=; NJ and Margaret Taylor Atlanta TC; GA had quite a duel for the final two podium spots! Both are veterans of the Masters LDR circuit, although Stirrat has been more consistently active over the past few years, with Taylor reappearing in 2025 after a couple of years away. Last year, Taylor had the edge, finishing eighth in W65 at 54:39, with Stirrat tenth W65 at 55:50. It was much closer this year but the outcome was the same. Taylor moved ahead oof Stirrat early but Stirrat never lost sight of her. In the end, Taylor was able to hang tough to claim second in 55:51, just six seconds ahead of Stirrat in third.
 |
| From Left: W70 Gold Medalist, Margery Bellisle, Silver Medalist, Margaret Taylor, and Bronze Medalist, Susan Stirrat at the Awards Ceremony for the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Facebook By S. Stirrat |
Cynthia Lucking Atlanta TC; SC finished third W70 last year in 56:50. Lucking has had some challenges recently that have interfered with training. Nonetheless, Lucking persevered to finish fourth in 1:02:49.
Margery Bellisle 53:27 Margaret Taylor 55:51 Susan Stirrat 55:57
75-79 Last year, Jessica Wheeler Liberty AC; RI finished second in W70 at 55:31. This year, her 1:29:44 at the Boston Tune-Up 15K in early April suggested Wheeler could still break 60 minutes but perhaps not 55 minutes. Her closest rivals were likely to be Marybeth Campau Shore AC; NJ and Irene Herman Impala Racing; CA. In 2024, Campau won the W70 division at the Masters 12 Km Championships in Highlands, NJ in 1:22:1. [Her chip time was 1:22:04] That is age grade equivalent to a 1:07:42 10K. In April of last year, Herman ran 1:02:19 at the Alameda Hospital 10K. As those times suggest, Herman was able to distance herself from Campau, earning the silver W75 medal with over two minutes to spare in 1:04:14. Campau finished third in 1:06:41, three minutes ahead of Kathleen Allen Atlanta TC; GA.
Jessica Wheeler 54:41 Irene Herman 1:04:14 Marybeth Campau 1:06:41
80-84 No entrants.
85-89 Two years ago, Barbara Belanger won this division in 1:21:41. That also established a new American Record, which stands to this day. Last September, Belanger clocked 40:22 at the Run Medford 5K. Belanger had no rivals. But it is unlikely any other competitors could have stayed with Belanger. At the age of 89, she was the oldest competitor. She won the division in 1:25:49. If 2027 is a good year, Belanger should be able to challenge Edna Hyer's American Record of 1:28:06 next year.
Barbara Belanger 1:25:49
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS Note: Team score is the sum of the times of the first three runners on each team to finish; low score wins.
WOMEN 40+ Three clubs entered teams that consisted entirely of runners in their 40's. Three other clubs put together teams with at least one athlete in their 40's and the others from older divisions. That ensured that the younger runners got to run on a team and that the club earned 40+ Grand Prix points. One of those three also earned medals. Battle Road Track Club had no trouble gaining the win. Their top two runners, Jessica Minty and Jennifer Lutz finished 1-2. Their third runner, Catherine O'Connor, finished ahead of all runners except the top runner on three different teams. Stefani Harvey provided fine insurance with her 42:27.The average time of their first three runners was over 4 minutes faster than the next best effort. The Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club lacked the top end speed of Battle Road but had a tight pack of three runners that allowed them to claim the silver medals The HFC Striders were able to edge the Atlanta Track Club for third place. Both teams were multigenerational. Atlanta had the tighter pack with just 1:31 between their first and third runners. Even though all three of Atlanta's runners finished before HFC's #2 runner, they could not overcome the eight-minute advantage that Christina Campbell provided to HFC with her third place overall. HFC finished third with an 18 second per runner advantage over the fourth-place finisher. Atlanta Lesley Hinz, Alison Heintz, Mireille Silva was fourth, followed by Liberty AC Helen Bresler, Kathy Moloy, Kara Brown [Maria Zullo] and Shore AC Karen Dos Santos, Christine Prorock Rogers, Marybeth Campau.
Battle Road Track Club J Minty, J Lutz, C O'Connor [S Harvey] 1:56:30 avg=38:50
Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club A Mahoney, L Cristoph, M Cabanas 2:10.0 43:20
HFC Striders C Campbell, L Peterson, R Shanor 2:20:58 47:00
50+ Shore AC's Christie Nie got them on the board first with her 42:22. Twelve seconds later, Greater Lowell Road Runners scored with Sharon O'Grady's 42:34. Liberty AC's Pauline Entin brought them into the action with her 45:07. Alysia Puma gave Shore AC their seconds score at 46:20. Jennifer Hood-DeGrenier kept Liberty AC alive with her 47:04. But then Maureen Massell ended all doubt as she gave Shore their third scoring runner at 48:37. Each of their three runners had come in ahead of their counterparts at Liberty AC. Neither of the other teams had two runners in, much less three. Shore AC had the win in 2:17:19, with a winning margin of more than four minutes. Allison Conway gave Liberty the final score they needed to take second place in 2:22:07. Greater Lowell, with Sharon O'Grady 42:34, Yvette Romero 53:27, and Jill Hendrickson 54:05, finished third at 2:30:06. Genesee Valley Harriers Brenda Osovski, Cassandra Crane, Colleen Newman finished fourth at 2:37:12.
Shore AC C Nie, A Puma, M Massell 2:17:19 45:47
Liberty AC P Entin, J Hood-DeGrenier, A Conway 2:22:07 47:23
Greater Lowell Road Runners S O'Grady, Y Romero, J Hendrickson 2:30:06 50:02
60+ Liberty AC entered two teams in this division. Their 'A' squad had no trouble winning. After Shore AC's Suzanne la Burt scored first, the next three runners to finish in the Team race were all from Liberty AC 'A': Mary Cass 44:52; Amanda King 46:20; and Judy Jungels 46:43. Lauren Leslie provided fine insurance at 47:32. In terms of the race for second place between Liberty AC 'B" and the Genesee Valley Harriers, Liberty B's Julie Menoskey gave them a 48:23 score. Twenty-six seconds later, Bonnie Lindblom countered for GVH. Victoria Bok kept the pressure on for Liberty B with her 49:33.+ When Sandra Gregorich scored next for GVH at 50:18, they were only 1:11 behind Liberty B. Carol Reif gave GVH a chance when she scored next at 51:44. The clock started ticking on Liberty B's third runner, Anne Shreffler; she needed to finish before the clock showed 52:55. Shreffler gave Liberty B second place when she scored at 52:31. Liberty B's score was 2:30:27. GVH was third at 2:30:51. That was a tight contest! With La Burt's low score for a start, Shore was not far off the podium at 2:31:47. They relied on Leslie Nowicki 54:13 and Susan Stirrat 55:57 for their second and third scores. Greater Lowell Road Runners Sally Reiley, Julie Haynes, Liane Pancoast [Barbara Kendall] finished fifth at 2:42:09.
Liberty Athletic Club 'A' M Cass, A King, J Jungels [L Leslie] 2:17:56 45:59
Liberty AC 'B' J Menosky, V Bok, A Shreffler [J Hill, B King] 2:30:27 50:09
Genesee Valley Harriers B Lindblom, S Gregorich, C Reif 2:30:51 50:17
70+ Liberty AC had the two fastest runners in the team contest, but they also had the oldest competitor in the championships as their third runner. No matter how good Barbara Belanger is for an 89-year-old, she will not have one of the top times among those 70 and up. The first two runners were in for Liberty, Margery Bellisle 53:27 and Jessica Wheeler 54:41, and for the Atlanta Track Club, Margaret Taylor 55:51 and Cindy Lucking 1:02:49. Liberty led by almost ten minutes. But it was not enough. Atlanta's third runner, Kathleen Allen finished at 1:09:47. Liberty needed Belanger to finish in the next 9:51 in order to win. That would require Belanger to break her own 85-89 record set two years ago. Of course, that would not happen. I am sure that Liberty AC was almost as delighted with their second place finish as Atlanta was with their first place. Atlanta's 3:08:27 was over 5 minutes ahead of Liberty. Nora Renzulli provided an insurance runner for Atlanta. Greater Lowell Road Runners, with Jo Barrett 1:06:39, Nancy Burns 1:09:23, and Denise Piekos 1:14:46 earned the bronze medals with their 3:28:48.
 |
| Greater Lowell Road Runners W70+ Team-- From Left: Nancy Burns, Denise Piekos, and Jo Barrett -- Earned Bronze Medals at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Facebook by the Greater Lowell Road Runners |
Atlanta Track Club M Taylor, C Lucking, K Allen [N Renzulli] 3:08:27 1:02:49
Liberty AC M Bellisle, J Wheeler, B Belanger 3:13:57 1:04:39
Greater Lowell Road Runners J Barrett, N Burns, D Piekos 3:28:48 1:09:36
MEN 40+ This was an all-New England affair, with no teams from outside the region. The Tracksmith Boston Hares were the fastest team by far. With Ryan Irwin 32:05, Eric Blake 33:19, Justin Freeman 33:33, and their 4th runner, Brendan Prindiville 34:02 taking the top four spots in the team competition, it was not close. Hares had the win at 1:38:55, with over six minutes of cushion, or over two minutes per scoring runner. Finishing with an average time for the scoring runners that is just under 33 minutes per runner is remarkable.
 |
| Tracksmith Hares -- L to R Brendan Prindiville, Ryan Irwin, Justin Freeman, and Eric Blake -- They enjoyed a dominant win in the Men 40+ Team Competition at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Strava by B. Prindiville. |
The top three runners of the HFC Striders, Adrian Massie, TJ Unger, and Lee Danforth all finishing between 34:33 and 35:43, they took the next three spots. Adam Greenspan and Denis McElligott provided a 4th and 5th runner for insurance. That gave HFC second place at 1:45:30. The Boston Athletic Association 6had their runners, Michael Dunlop, Joe Regan, and Michael Gale finishing between 39:12 and 41:18 to take third place at 2:01:37. The Greater Springfield Harriers Gareth Buckley, Matthew Killian, Francis Burdett finished fourth, with the Greater Lowell Road Runners Matthew Broe, Michael Andreottola, Suresh Penumatsa in fifth.
Tracksmith Boston Hares R Irwin, E Blake, J Freeman [B Prindiville] 1:38:55 32:59
HFC Striders A Massie, TJ Unger, L Danforth [A Greenspan, D McElligott] 1:45:30 35:10
Boston Athletic Association M Dunlop, :57 to give them 1:55:30 and third place. J Regan, M Gale 2:01:37 40:33
50+ In this division, teams from New England tried to repel invaders from Atlanta GA and Greater Rochester NY. The Atlanta Track Club gave the Central Mass Striders all they could handle, but they did handle it. Gregory Putnam and Joseph Shairs gave CMS the early lead. But 17 seconds after Shairs sped across the line, Steve Bell finished for Atlanta with his teammate, Brian Sydow just six seconds back. CMS had over a minute lead but needed their third runner to score before Atlanta's. Todd Callaghan took care of that, closing off the CMS scoring with his 37:28. CMS had a total of 1:49:11 and the win! Eight seconds later, Brad Slavens crossed the line for Atlanta. His 37:36 capped Atlanta's score at 1:51:02. Had CMS had to rely on Tim Van Orden instead of Callaghan, they still would have won; the margin would have shrunk to a half minute.
 |
| The M50+ Team Gold Medalist Central Mass Striders -- From Left: Tim Van Orden, Todd Callaghan, Joseph Shairs, and Gregory Putnam -- At the at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Strava by G Putnam |
Atlanta's other rival for a medal, the Genesee Valley Harriers, were just scoring their first runner. So Atlanta had the silver medals. Christophe Cadiou and Nils Pederson provided depth for Atlanta. GVH had Andy Wooding, Joshua Harter, and Joshua Williams finish between 37:36 and 39:57 for a total of 1:55:30 and third place. Venelin Tchamov and Prem Kumar were their depth runners. HFC Striders Jason Cakouras, Tom Vossen, Justin Renz, [Jose Serrano] were fourth at 2:03:24, with Shore AC Shane Anthony, Scott Siriano, Robert Shields [Scott Linnell] fifth at 2:03:36.
Central Mass Striders G Putnam, J Shairs, T Callaghan [T Van Orden] 1:49:11 36:24
Atlanta Track Club S Bell, B Sydow, B Slavens [C Cadiou, N Pederson] 1:51:02 37:01
Genesee Valley Harriers A Wooding, J Harter, J Williams [V Tchamov, P Kumar] 1:55:30 38:30
60+ The Greater Springfield Harriers had their 'Big Three' healthy and on the starting line, Nat Larson, Scott Grandfield, and Mark Hixson. All three would finish before any runners from rival teams. They finished in 36:24, 37:07 and 37:52 for a total time of 1:51:23 and a winning margin of over eight minutes! Peter Fratini provided depth at 41:27; his time, if joined with any two of the others would also have given GSH the win. Once GSH was done, the battle for the silver medals commenced. Mike Nier scored first for the Genesee Valley Harriers at 38:24. But then the Atlanta Track Club poured across the line. Lester Dragstedt 38:59, David Black 39:58, and Gregory Oshust 40:45 gave Atlanta a 1:59:42 total and the silver medals.
 |
| The Atlanta Track Club's M60+ Team of From Left: Lester Dragstedt, David Black, and Gregory Oshust--Silver Team Medal Winners at the at the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Posted on Strava by L Dragstedt |
Michael Mertens 40:49 and Mark Assini 42:59 closed off the scoring for GVH, giving them a 2:02:12 total and a cushion of over 15 minutes! James Brigden 1:00:01 was there had they needed him to score. The Greater Lowell Road Runners Tim Hagerty, John Hadcock, Peter Lagoy [Henry Gagnon, David Penn] finished fourth at 2:17:52, with the Cambridge Sports Union Stephen Yankum, Gordon MacFarland, Stephen Peckiconis fifth at 2:24:24. Greater Lowell's 'B' squad Glenn Simm, Richard Dumas, Christopher Schaffner finished sixth at 2:49:47.
Greater Springfield Harriers N Larson, S Grandfield, M Hixson [P Fratini] 1:51:23 37:08
Atlanta Track Club L Dragstedt, D Black, G Oshust 1:59:42 39:54
Genesee Valley Harriers M Nier, M Mertens, M Assini [J Brigden] 2:02:12 40:44
70+ Once again, no one had an answer for Shore AC++'s tight 'Top Tee' pack of Kevin Dollard, Harold Leddy, and James Linn. The order of finish varies from race to race but they tend to finish pretty close to one another. This time it was Dollard, Leddy and Linn in 43:00, 43:09, and 43:13. Just 13 seconds separated the three! Last October at the 5 Km Championships, it was even closer; Linn, Dollard and Leddy finished within four seconds of each other! John Barbour, of Greater Lowell Road Runners, was able to come in ahead of them but no one else did. Reno Stirrat 46:48 provided depth. Stirrat needs his hip to return to action before he can make the full contribution he is used to. Shore won with over ten minutes to spare. It was much closer for second through fourth. GLRR had the first score with Barbour. But after that it was Atlanta's Scott Lucking 44:13, and Genesee Valley Harriers' Bill Beyerbach 46:16 and Gary Moore 47:33 finishing ahead of GLRR's Peter Wasylak 48;03. At that point, GLRR was still in good shape. Their first two runners had a combined time of 1:28:58. GVH's total was 1:33:49. When Kirk Larson crossed the line 14 seconds after Wasylak, Atlanta's two-runner total was 1:32:30. GLRR still had a sizable lead! But then the pressure mounted! Mitch Moore 49:01 closed off GVH's total at 2:22:50. GLRR's third runner had to break 53:52 to assure them of the silver medals. And then Atlanta had Jerry Learned 49:45 close off their scoring at 2:22:15. That put Atlanta in line for bronze medals at the worst. And it made the requirement for GLRR lower at 53:17! GLRR's Glenn Stewart 51:20 was more than up to that, though. He closed off GLRR's scoring at 2:20:18; they had a margin of almost two minutes on Atlanta! Wayne Dwyer 52:02 and Peter Hogan 55:37 were GLRR's depth runners. Sam Benedict 1:07:30 had the same role for Atlanta as did Keith Yeates 49:49 for GVH. The Ann Arbor Track Club Dennis Kurtis, Michael Mester, Paul Carlin finished fifth. GLRR took the Silver medals and Atlanta the Bronze. But Shore stood at the top of the podium with their splendid team win!
Shore Athletic Club K Dollard, H Leddy, J Linn [R Stirrat] 2:09:22 43:08
Greater Lowell Road Runners J Barbour, P Wasylak, G Stewart [W Dwyer, P Hogan] 2:20:18 46:46
Atlanta Track Club S Lucking, K Larson, J Learned [S Benedict] 2:22:15 47:25
80+ Four clubs were able to have M80+ teams at Club Cross; that is the big one for teams. This was the second road championship oof the year. There were no M80+ teams at Des Moines. There was one at Dedham. Shore AC has a solid 1-2 punch with their two 81-year-olds, Przemek Nowicki and Jack Frame. With Roland Cormier, 86, running with them, they had an unbeatable team. Nowicki and Cormier have competed for Shore for many years. Frame was a new acquisition last year. He has made all the difference. It takes three to compete! So far, Frame has been a bit better than Npwicki at the shorter distances, from 5K down. Nowicki showed here that he can come in ahead of Frame at 10K. With no rivals, it was an easy win. Nowicki 55:54, Frame 57:18, and Cormier 1:18:03 combined for a winning total of 3:11:15.
Shore AC P Nowicki, J Frame, R Cormier 3:11:15 1:03:45
James Joyce Ramble Masters Course Records
MEN
40-44 Joseph Gray 30:44 45-49 Mario Vazquez 31:02 50-54 Nicholas Conwy 32:42 . 55-59 Nat Larson 33:22 60-64 Nat Larson 34:22* 65-69 Ken Youngers 37:46 70-74 Gene Dykes 39:02 75-79 Gene Dykes 43:56 80-84 Gary Patton 49:45 85-89 Duane Lougee 1:03:41 90-94 Nathaniel Finestone 1:22:28 * Also the current American Record, as of May 1, 2026
WOMEN
40-44 Melody Fairchild 35:15 45-49 Sonja Friend-Uhl 36:48 50-54 Marisa Sutera Strange 36:47 55-59 Fiona Bayly 38:10 60-64 =Sabra Harvey 39:24 65-69 Sabra Harvey 42:04 70-74 Nora Cary 43:20* 75-79 Jan Holmquist 49:46 80-84 Jan Holmquist 52:45* 85-89 Barbara Belanger 1:21:41 90-94 Edna Hyer 1:28:06* * * Also the current American Record, as of May 1, 2026
That concludes my reporting on the 2026 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships! Next championship for the blog is the Masters 4 Mile Championships To Be Held June 6th in Peoria IL, hosted by the Steamboat Classic
Sources: USATF Events website and the Masters National Grand Prix webpage, my archives, Athlinks, Strava, Facebook, World Masters Athletics, and relevant race websites. I thank David Angell, Fiona Bayly, Gregory Putnam, and Perry Shoemaker for helpful reports on their 10 Km race experience. Unfortunately I was not provided with any complimentary photos from the race. Hence I include assorted photos, scavenged primarily from Facebook and Strava, not to mention usatf news.
Thanks for the visit! Cheers to all!
To express your appreciation for this resource, please click on the coffee cup logo in the sidebar. If you are on a mobile device, please scroll down and click on 'View web version'. Shout out here to recent supporters: Matt B-C, John H, Lorilynn B, Bryan H, Brendan, cush, Gary G, Jan F, Aaron T-L, Ken Y, Peter W, Dan K, Suzanne L B, Michael M, Ed B, Dana H, John B, Bill A, and J&A McMahon. May you have good speed in 2026 and beyond!
