USATF Masters LDR 2014 Club Grand Prix Final Results

January 7 2014. Announcement of Official USATF 2014 Club Grand Prix results.

The Masters Long Distance Running (Masters LDR) division of USA Track and Field (USATF) has just announced the results of the 2014 Club Grand Prix competition for Masters Women and Men. USATF member clubs from across the country compete for the Grand Prix championship by racing in USATF national championship events. Teams from 19 states and the District of Columbia scored Grand Prix points.This year teams could obtain points by participating in the following events:

02/02/14	USA Masters Half Marathon Championships	Melbourne, FL
02/15/14	USA Cross Country Championships* Master Men 8 km, Master Women 6km	Boulder, CO
02/23/14	USA Masters 8 km Championships*	Brea, CA
04/27/14	USA Masters 10 km Championships*	Dedham, MA
08/22/14	USA Masters 1 Mile Championships*	Flint, MI
10/05/14	USA Masters 5 km Championships*	Syracuse, NY
10/05/14	USA Masters Marathon Championships	Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
10/25/14	USA Masters 15 km Championships*	Tulsa, OK
11/8/14	USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships*	Carmel, IN
11/16/14	USA Masters 12 km Championships*	Alexandria, VA
12/13/14	USATF Club Cross Country Championships* Master Men 10 km, Master Women 6 km	Bethlehem, PA Lehigh Univ.

In each event, 10 points are awarded for a first place team finish; 8, 6, 5,4,3,2,and 1 point awards are made to teams finishing 2^nd through 8^th respectively. Each team may compete in as many events as they choose but must compete in at least 3 events to be eligible for Grand Prix awards. At the end of the year, the scores from the 5 best results for each team are summed to give a grand total. Fourth through 8^th place teams receive a Team Grand Prix certificate; the 3^rd place and 2^nd place teams receive a $250 and a $500 cash prize respectively along with a certificate. The first place team receives a $1000 cash prize and a clubhouse banner in addition to the certificate. Numerical ties are typically broken by looking at head-to-head competition and then the number of event championships won.

Complete rules can be reviewed here: http://www.usatf.org/groups/MastersLDR/ClubGrandPrix/2014_rules.asp

Grand Prix Results:

Women’s Master’s Teams

The Genesee Valley Harriers from Greater Rochester NY, the Playmakers Elite/New Balance team from Lansing MI,  and the Athena Track Club of Malvern PA, had the most success over the four different age groups on the women’s side. Genesee had two firsts and a second place finish; Playmakers had a first, a second, and a 6th place finish; Athena had a first and a second place finish.

USATF Masters LDR provides no additional recognition for superior performance across age groups, but if one assigned points to the Grand Prix standings in each age division according to the point scheme above--10 for 1st, 8 for 2nd and so on, the standings across the age groups would be: Genesee 28, Playmakers 21, Athena 18 

Age 40+  [28 teams scored points]

1.       Genesee Valley Harriers [Greater Rochester NY]…20 points
(Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

2.       Athena Track Club [Malvern PA]…16
 (Dedham 10K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

3.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…16
 (Syracuse 5K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth through 8^th included, in order, The Janes Elite Team (Southern California), Team Colorado [CO], Playmakers Elite/New Balance [Lansing MI], Dave’s Racing Team [Northwest Ohio], and Team Rogue [Austin TX].

Age 50+ [18 teams]

1.       Athena Track Club [PA]…50
(Dedham 10K road; Flint 1 mi road; Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC) 

2.       Genesee Valley Harriers [NY]…28
(Dedham 10K road; Flint 1 mi road; Syracuse 5K road; Carmel 5 K XC; Bethlehem Club XC)

3.       Liberty Athletic Club [Boston MA]…13
(Dedham 10K road; Syracuse 5K road)

Fourth through 7^th included, in order, the Athena Track Club B team, Heart and Sole Harriers [Boulder CO], A Snail’s Pace Running Club [Southern California], and Team Ohio [Northern Ohio]. Three teams tied for 8^th: Boulder Striders [CO], Team Runners High [Long Beach CA], and Club Northwest [Seattle WA].

Age 60+ [13 teams]

1.       Genesee Valley Harriers [NY]…40
(Syracuse 5K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)   

2.       Playmakers Elite/New Balance [MI]…30
(Flint 1 mi road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

3.       Impala Racing Team [San Francisco CA]…16
(Brea 8K road;  Bethlehem Club XC)

Revolution Running [Louisville CO] and Tri-Valley Front Runners [Central and Eastern Massachusetts] tied for 4^th, and the Atlanta Track Club [GA], Boulder Road Runners [CO], and Liberty Athletic Club [Boston MA] tied for 6^th.

Age 70+ [3 teams]

1.       Playmakers Elite/New Balance [MI]…50
(Flint 1 mi road; Syracuse 5K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

2.       Boulder Road Runners [CO]…10
(Boulder USA XC)

3.       Checkers Athletic Club [Buffalo NY]…8

(Syracuse 5K road)

Men’s Masters Teams

The Atlanta Track Club from Georgia and the Ann Arbor Track Club of Ann Arbor MI, had the most success over the four different age groups on the men’s side. Atlanta took a first, two seconds, and a third place. Ann Arbor had two first place finishes. Not far behind in excellence across the age groups were the Cal Coast Track Club [Southern California] with a 2^nd, a 4^th, and a 6^th and the Genesee Valley Harriers [Rochester NY area] with a 2^nd, a 5^th and a 7^th place finish.

As above with the Women's teams, one could assign points (10 for 1st and so on) to give a numerical rank order for excellence across the age divisions of: Atlanta 32; Ann Arbor 20; Cal Coast 16; and Genesee 14.

Age 40+ [37 teams]

1.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…46
(Dedham 10K road; Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Bethlehem Club XC)

2.       Cal Coast Track Club [Southern California]…24
(Boulder USA XC; Brea 8K road; Carmel 5K XC;Bethlehem Club XC) 

3.       Bowerman Athletic Club [Portland OR]…18
(Boulder USA XC; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth through 8^th included, in order: the Boston Athletic Association [MA], Patient Endurance Racing [Lansing MI], Baltimore Washington Athletic Club [D.C.], Genesee Valley Harriers [NY], and the Boulder Running Company/Adidas [CO].

Age 50+ [27 teams]

1.       Playmakers Elite/New Balance [MI]…46
(Flint 1 mi road; Syracuse 5K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

2.       Genesee Valley Harriers [NY]…40
(Boulder USA XC; Dedham 10K road;Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

3.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…39
(Dedham 10K road;Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth and fifth went to the Cal Coast Track Club and Club Northwest respectively. Four teams were tied for 6^th: Athletics Boulder [CO], River City Rebels [CA], Playmakers Elite/New Balance B team [MI], and the Purdue Area Track Club [W Lafayette IN].

Age 60+ [19 teams]

1.       Ann Arbor Track Club [Ann Arbor MI]…48
(Boulder USA XC; Brea 8K road; Flint 1 mi road;Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC) 

2.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…42
(Brea 8K road; Dedham 10K road;Flint 1 mi road;Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC) 

3.       Shore Athletic Club [Spring Lake NJ]...26
(Flint 1 mi road;Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth through 8^th included, in order: Boulder Road Runners [CO], Genesee Valley Harriers [NY], Cal Coast Track Club [CA], Raritan Valley Road Runners [Central NJ], and the Athletic Annex Running Club [Indianapolis IN].

Age 70+ [14 teams]

1.       Ann Arbor Track Club [MI]…50
(Brea 8K road; Dedham 10K road; Flint 1 mi road;Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road)

2.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…30
(Brea 8K road; Dedham 10K road; Carmel 5K XC; Bethlehem Club XC) 

3.       Shore Athletic Club [NJ]…26
(Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth was the Clifton Road Runners [Northeastern NJ], with the Santa Barbara Athletic Association [CA] and the New England 65+ Running Club [MA/New England] tied for 5^th. The A team of the Boulder Road Runners [CO] was in 7^th, followed by the Boulder Road Runners Team B [CO] and the West Valley Joggers and Striders [Northern CA] tied for 8^th.

Age 80+ [2 teams tied for 1st]

·         Boulder Road Runners [CO]…10
(Boulder USA XC)

·         Syracuse Chargers Track Club [NY]…10
(Syracuse 5K road)

Combined Women's and Men's Team Excellence across All Age Divisions:
[Category not recognized for an award by USATF MLDR] Top placement goes to the Genesee Valley Harriers with my assigned points totaling to 42.The only other top performing team on both the men's and women's side was Atlanta who would have 8 points on the women's side for their 3rd and their tie for 6th place. So Atlanta has 40 points combined for the 2nd best total in this category.

Congratulations to all of these teams for their perseverance and for making the effort to attend and excel at as many USATF Masters LDR events as possible!