Saturday, January 20, 2018

Masters Athletes Raced the 2017 Fall Marathon Majors and CIM



January 20 2018. If a true Long Distance Runner is defined, ultimately, by their marathons, then we should take a look at the performances of American Masters athletes in the two World Marathon majors this past fall, Chicago and New York.As a special bonus, I will also review Masters racing at the California International Marathon which was the 2017 USATF Open Marathon Championship.

BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON

There were plenty of headline grabbers in Chicago with the NOP athletes, Galen Rupp, with his first Marathon major win and Jordan Hasay, with her breakout podium-finish in a marathon. But plenty of Masters Athletes toed the line looking for PR’s and iconic awards. In Chicago on October 8th, they joined more than 40,000 other runners on a partly cloudy morning with moderate winds. Temperatures at 7:30 were in the mid-50’s but older elite  Masters runners who were still running in late morning may have found the upper 60’s temperatures a bit less to their liking.

MEN

Sam Krieg, of Pocatello Idaho, ran away with the overall Masters race, gaining almost two minutes on the field in the first 5K, hitting the Half Marathon in 1:11:38 and bringing it home in 2:26:40, nearly 13 minutes ahead of the second finisher from the US. Philippe Rolly, of McLean Virginia, fit neatly into the slot between Krieg and the rest of the field. Rolly hit the 5K in 18:26, with 20 seconds on his rivals; he upped the gap to nearly three minutes as he crossed the half marathon mat in 1:16:13. By the end he had a 2:34:29 Marathon and a 2nd place Masters finish. Two Chicago runners, Jeff Hojnacki and Anand Parekh, presumably old rivals well acquainted with one another, vied for the third US spot. They hit each mat within two seconds of one another, 18:49-50 at the 5K, 1:19:01-2 at the Half Marathon and 2:29:10 at the 40K mark. In the final 2 kilometers, perhaps the final 100 meters, Parekh edged ahead to take the third spot by one second in 2:37:17.
Sam Krieg 2:26:40   Philippe Roly 2:34:29   Anand Parekh 2:37:17
Sam Krieg competing at the Boston Marathon [Photo Credit:https://idahostatejournal.com/members/pocatello-runner-finishes-th-in-boston-marathon/article_a8743c27-4923-5d3a-a48b-fba71b41da59.html]

Top Level  National Class performances [age grade scores at or above 85%] were turned in by: Sam Krieg, 41, Philippe Rolly, 45, Jeffrey Young, 58, Dave Walters, 63,  John Valles, 70, and Dmytro Lebediev, 76.

Anchorage Alaska Runner, Jeff Young, preps for the 2015 NYC Marathon [Photo from: http://alaskasportshall.org/2015/11/young-finishes-second-in-age-group-at-new-york-city-marathon/]

Age Divisions

Top 3 Americans*—Outstanding performances for Age in larger print (National Class minimum of 80% age grade or better).

40-44: Sam Krieg 41 Pocatello ID 2:26:40 [Age Grade 86.80%]; Jeff Hojnacki 43 Chicago IL 2:37:18 [82.22%]; Jason Holroyd 41 St. Louis MO 2:39:57 [79.59]

45-49: Philippe Rolly 45 McLean VA 2:34:29 [85.12]; Anand Parekh 45 Chicago IL 2:37:17 [83.61]; Matt Fitzgerald 46 2:39:30 [83.12]

50-54: Billy Mertens 50 Louisville CO 2:41:31 [84.94]; John Collet 50 Verona IL 2:42:49 [84.27]; Philip Regnier 51 Boulder CO 2:46:49 [82.97]

55-59: Jeffrey Young 58 Anchorage AK 2:49:34 [86.95]; Alexander McPherson 56 South Bend IN 2:53:16 [83.53]; Tim Dwyer 57 Rochester NY 3:04:55 [78.99]

60-64: Dave Walters 62 Lisle IL 2:53:27 [88.30]; Michael Brosilow 60 Chicago IL 2:59:25 [83.74]; Hernando Morales 60 St. Charles IL 3:03:14 [82.00]

65-69: James Tierney 67 Franksville WI  3:31:08 [76.23]; Bernard McGourty 65 Westmont IL 3:40:00 [71.70]; Kenneth McClelland 67 Rockford IL 3:42:08 [72.46]

70-74: John Valles 70 Chicago IL 3:14:24 [85.41]; Augusto Lastimosa  70 Fort Worth TX 4:10:26 [66.30]; Mark Clarke 70 Joliet IL 4:10:30 [66.28]

75-79: Dmytro Lebediev 76 Jamaica NY 3:31:07 [85.48]; Hans Henseler 78 Decatur IL 5:01:02 [62.27]; John Abramic 79 Midlothian IL 6:10:33 [51.67]

80+:  Jack Yoo 83 Chicago IL 4:31:59 [77.92]; Julian Gordon 81 Lake Bluff IL 5:48:20 [57.62]; Sylvan Praturian 82 Berwyn IL 5:54:54 [58.05]

John Koomjohn, 85, of Oswego IL was the oldest finisher, in 7:34:19.

*Residence is listed as within the United States; no information on citizenship is indicated.

WOMEN

Dot McMahan, one of the top Open performers who just turned 40 this year, ran away with the overall Masters race by the end. In the early going Jenelle Deatherage was able to stay close. McMahan hit the 5K in 18:37 and Deatherage was only 13 seconds back. She was still within a minute when McMahan hit the Half Marathon mark in 1:19:00, but fell away steadily after that. McMahan ran a negative split, covering the second half of the race in 1:18:08 while Deatherage ran her second half nine minutes slower than her first half. Angela Moll started out at a more moderate pace, running 19:25 for the first 5K , and did not hit the halfway mark until 1:22:42, nearly three minutes behind Deatherage. But, like McMahan, Moll had held more in reserve than Deatherage. It appears that Deatherage hit the proverbial ‘wall’ between 30K and 35K when her 5K time ballooned from around 20 minutes or below to nearly 21 minutes and then it took her over 24 minutes to get from 35K to 40K; that must have been a tough time. She did tough it out, but Moll went from nearly 3 minutes behind to just a few seconds by the 40K mark and surged past in the last kilometer to take 2nd in 2:48:59, five seconds ahead of Deatherage. Maggie Shearer kept within 20 seconds of Moll through the first half of the race and then drew even closer as she was only 6 seconds back at the 30K mark. But that was the high point as she was not able to match Moll’s pace over the last 12K and wound up 2 minutes back from Deatherage as the 4th American.
Dot McMahan 2:37:08   Angela Moll 2:48:59   Jenelle Detherage 2:49:04
Dot McMahan competing inthe Chicago Marathon [Photo Credit: http://cdnnym.nyrr.org/about-the-race/2016-tcs-new-york-city-marathon-stories/dot-mcmahan]

http://cdnnym.nyrr.org/about-the-race/2016-tcs-new-york-city-marathon-stories/dot-mcmahan
Top Level  National Class performances were turned in by: Dot McMahan, 40, Corina Canitz, 50, Tina Dowling, 51, and Stacy Nigrelli, 63.

Corina Canitz competing at the 2016 Boston Marathon [Photo Credit: Matthew Muise-https://muisephoto.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/boston-marathon-2016/]

Age Divisions

Top 3 Americans*—Outstanding performances for Age in larger print (National Class minimum of 80% age grade or better).

40-44: Dot McMahan 40 Rochester Hills MI 2:37:08 [Age Grade 88.85%]; Angela Moll 40 San Diego CA 2:48:59 [82.62%]; Jenelle Deatherage 40 Dunlap IL 2:49:04 [82.58]

45-49: Colleen McGurk 46 New York NY 3:00:18 [81.43]; Richi Kroupa 45 Huntington Beach CA 3:03:46 [79.09]; Dana Rothschild 45 Chicago IL 3:13:57 [74.93]

50-54: Corina Canitz 50 Brookfield WI 2:59:33 [85.74]; Tina Dowling 51 Bolton MA 3:00:25 [86.41]; Jill Kingsbury 52 Kansas City MO 3:09:29 [83.33]

55-59: Sue George 55 Harvard MA 3:28:26 [78.79]; Lauri Wilson 55 Charlottesville VA 3:29:39 [78.33]; Ellen Gerth 55 Lutz FL 3:31:28 [77.66]

60-64: Stacy Nigrelli 63 Pittsburgh PA 3:33:32 [86.09]; Dolores Doman 60 Dix Hills NY 3:48:06 [77.14]; Deborah Lazaroff 61 Jackson MI 3:48:19 [78.19]

65-69: Laurie Dohrn 65 Ringwood IL 4:04:54 [77.38]; Donna Pierson 66 Tucson AZ 4:13:55 [75.80]; Kate Stewart 67 Berkeley CA 4:24:00 [74.06]

70-74: Nancy Rollins 70 Evanston IL 4:01:35 [84.98]; Mary Campbell 72 Ann Arbor MI 5:07:56 [68.97]; Judy Gunn 70 Springfield IL 5:40:47 [60.24]

75-79: Hansi Rigney 75 Carmel CA 4:45:28 [78.51]; Mary Dunbar 75 Cleveland Heights OH 6:21:57 [58.68]; Connie Ratzel 77 Chicago IL 6:32:28 [59.59]—Ratzel was eldest US competitor to finish.

Connie Ratzel, 77, of Chicago IL was the oldest finisher, in 6:32:28

TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON

The big noise in New York this fall was Shalane Flanagan’s redemptive win, defeating Kenya’s Mary Keitany by just over a minute. But as with Chicago there were plenty of Masters story lines as well on Sunday, November 5th. Overcast skies with mid to upper 50’s temperatures and winds 4-9 mph greeted the competitors, pretty good weather for a Marathon!

WOMEN
North Carolina’s Laurie Knowles was the class of the Masters field, clocking 19:14 for the first 5K and leaving all her rivals over a minute back. Her 1:17:58 split at the halfway point gave her ten minutes on the field, and she brought it home as first Masters in 2:40:09 with almost twenty minutes on the field. But there was quite a tussle for 2nd as left than a half minute separated the two chief contenders, Tammy Richards and Brenda Hodge, at the finish line. Richards covered the first 5K in 20:27 with Hodge a half minute back. The gap grew to a minute when Richards covered the 15K in 1:01:38. That was the high point for Richards as Hodge began to slowly reel her in. Richards had a 1:27:31 Half Marathon split with Hodge now only 44 seconds back. By 30K the gap was down to 4 seconds; Hodge passed Richards and had a 28 second gap of her own by the 35K marker, which she crossed in 2:27:32. But Richards fought back and with only two kilometers to go, Hodge’s lead was back down to a single second. Whether Hodge was aware of Richards breathing down her neck or not, Hodge was able to find the reserves for a snappy finish, kicking in for a 2:59:23 finish and a 23 second gap on Richards.
Laurie Knowles 2:40:09   Brenda Hodge 2:59:23   Tammy Richards 2:59:46
Laurie Knowles running at the 2017 NYC Marathon [Photo Credit: Facebook post by Knowles]

A World Class performance [Age grade score at or above 90%] was turned in by Joan Gerold, 68. Top Level  National Class performances [Age grade score at or above 85%, but below 90] were turned in by: Laurie Knowles, 40, and Sharlet Gilbert, 66.

Sharlet Gilbert training in San Francisco for the 2013 Point Coyote 10K [Photo Credit-Cindy Chew-from: https://archives.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/passion-for-running-hit-sharlet-gilbert-at-an-early-age/Content?oid=2195185]

Age Divisions

Top 3 Americans*—Outstanding performances for Age in larger print (National Class minimum of 80% age grade or better).

40-44 Laurie Knowles 40 Charlotte NC 2:40:09 [Age Grade 87.18%]; Tammy Richards 43 Williamsville VT 2:59:46 [79.39]; Bean Wrenn 44 Boulder CO 3:09:16 [76.07]

45-49 Brenda Hodge 46 York PA 2:59:23 [81.85%]; Joanne Sacket 49 Des Moines IA 3:19:27 [78.11]; Samantha Forde 45 Santa Cruz CA 3:16:29 [73.97]

50-54 Holly Madden 51 Cohasset MA 3:13:32 [80.55]; Hope Bain 51 Colorado Springs CO 3:20:25 [77.79]; Kimberly Thomas 51 Santa Cruz CA 3:22:23 [77.03]

55-59 Denise Iannizzotto 55 Lake Katrine NY 3:22:45 [80.99]; Julie Luft 55 Athens GA 3:29:08 [78.52]; Patrice Kentner 56 Pelham NY 3:30:50 [78.94]

60-64 Gloria Huberman 60 Fair Lawn NJ 3:43:24 [78.76]; Dolores Doman 60 Dix Hills NY 3:44:05 [78.52]; Marcia Brown 60 Brooklyn NY 3:44:28 [78.39]

65-69 Joan Gerold 68 Stony Brook NY 3:38:14 [91.03]; Sharlet Gilbert 66 El Sobrante CA 3:41:08 [87.04]; Shuko Yamane 65 Honolulu HI 3:57:12 [79.89]

70-74 Liz Burger 70 Long Beach CA 4:39:19 [73.50]; Kathrine Switzer 70 New Paltz NY 4:48:21 [71.20]; Lou Norton 71 Richmond VA 5:15:26 [66.19]

75-79 Yue Qin Fu 76 New York NY 5:24:01 [70.60]; Patty Lee Parmalee 77 Wallkill NY 5:58:03 [65.32]; Sharon Kerson 75 Culver City CA 8:14:06 [45.36]

80-89 Ginette Bedard 84 Howard Beach NY 6:12:53 [78.00]; Phyllis Roth 80 Riverdale NY 6:30:37 [64.77]

 Ginette Bedard, 84, of Oswego IL was the oldest finisher, in 6:12:53

MEN

The Overall Masters race for the Men was fought out in the midst of the Open contest as two of the most decorated Masters Runners of the past twenty years,  Abdi Abdirahman and Meb Keflezighi, contested for the Open and Masters titles at the same time. They ran together for the first 10K hitting the split in 31:56. They were still in the lead pack at the Half Marathon split, hitting it in 1:06:14 and 1:06:16. The same was true at 30K but that was when Abdi stayed with the leaders and Meb started to fall back; Abdi’s 35K split was 1:49:37, with Meb 20 seconds back. Abdi continued to pull away over the final 7 kilometers, crossing the finish line in 2:12:48 while Meb arrived at 2:15:29 in 2nd. Needless to say they both had over 20 minutes over the first ‘every day’ runner to finish.  

Michael Arnstein and Knox Robinson battled for the honor of being the first Masters finisher who was not already a global celebrity. Robinson hit the first 5K split in 18:20 with a half minute lead on Arnstein. From there to the halfway point, Robinson added steadily to his lead as he crossed the halfway mat in 1:16:46 with nearly three minutes on his rival. Arnstein took 8 seconds back in the next 3K but then Robinson righted the ship and the gap held steady for the next 10K. But then Arnstein started to make real inroads, dropping the gap to a minute and a half by the 40K mark. By then it was too late; Arnstein continued to cut into the lead but Robinson held on to claim the third spot in 2:36:46 with a 55 second gap to Arnstein.
Abdi Abdirahman 2:12:48  Meb Keflezighi 2:15:29  Knox Robinson 2:36:46
Abdi Abdirahman finishing 3rd Overall and first American at the 2016 NYC Marathon at age 39 [Photo from: http://www.runblogrun.com/2016/11/six-lessons-we-learned-from-tcs-nyc-marathon.html]
World class performances were turned in by Abdi Abdirahman, 40, and Meb Keflezighi, 42. A Top Level National Class performances was turned in by: Dave Walters, 62.
Dave Walters winning his age division at the 2015 Chicago Marathon [Photo Credit: Marathon Foto]
Age Divisions

Top 3 Americans*—Outstanding performances for Age in larger print (National Class minimum of 80% age grade or better).

40-44 Abdi Abdirahman 40 Tucson AZ 2:12:48 [95.21%]; Meb Keflezighi 42 San Diego CA 2:15:29 [94.69]; Knox Robinson 42 Beacon NY 2:36:46 [81.83]

45-49 Art Gunther 46 Nyack NY 2:41:18 [82.20]; Topher Gaylord 48 Baltimore MD 2:45:33 [81.46]; Chris Dawes 46 New York NY 2:46:46 [79.50]

50-54 Tim Meigs 51 Raleigh NC 2:43:52 [84.46]; Brad Kelley 51 Jackson Heights NY 2:48:59 [81.90]; Blais Brochard 51 New York NY 2:50:26 [81.20]

55-59 Vic Horne 55 Redmond WA 2:55:42 [81.64]; Paul Stoodley 57 Columbus OH 3:00:04 [81.12]; Phil Dillenburg 59 Flagstaff AZ 3:05:41 [80.15]

60-64 Dave Walters 62 Lisle IL 2:51:39 [89.22]; Joe Standerfer 61 Winston Salem NC 3:04:33 [82.19]; Michael Brosilow 60 Chicago IL 3:09:38 [79.23]

65-69 James Tierney 67 Franksville WI 3:32:24 [75.78]; Bob Welby 65 Northumberland PA 3:35:17 [73.28]; Carl Randall 66 Ocean Isle Beach NC 3:35:49 [73.82]

70-74 Pedro Galva 73 Chicago IL 3:44:31 [76.70]; Ron Fleming 70 Granger WA 3:56:08 [70.31]; Richard Vila 71 Block island RI 3:57:33 [70.67]

75-79 Kenneth Neil 75 Seattle WA 4:25:38 [66.80]; H Krishnaswamy 75 Chandler AZ 4:33:55 [64.78]; Peter Teachout 77 Norwich VT 4:48:00 [63.83]

80-89 Chuck Van Duzee 80 Bradenton FL 6:13:58 [52.38]; Paul Shanahan 80 Cheshire CT 6:28:33 [50.41]; Danil Farkash 81 Forest Hills NY 7:41:22 [43.50]

Danil Farkash, 81, of Forest Hills NY was the oldest finisher, in 7:41:22



CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL MARATHON



Although not as storied as the Chicago and NYC Marathons, the California International Marathon had the distinction this year of being the USATF Open Marathon Championship. As there was no Masters Championship in 2017, that distinction may have attracted the attention of some of our swifter Masters Marathoners. In 2018 they, and other Masters Runners, will have the opportunity to race for a National Marathon Championship at the Snohomish River Run a few miles north of Seattle, on October 14th.


Run for over 30 years, the CIM course is point-to-point, running downhill overall from Folsom Dam to the State Capitol in Sacramento. With a drop of over 100 meters, the course is not record eligible but it should be a good course for PR’S. On December 3, 2017 at 7 am, a strong collection of elite Masters Marathoners lined up behind the Men’s Professional Elite field. The temperature was 40 degrees, the skies overcast and the winds calm, auspicious conditions. The temperatures rose as the morning moved along and the marathoners dropped down toward sea level. But the main change was that the skies became clear; the temps only rose to the mid to upper 50’s, and the winds remained calm.

Masters Men

The field included Tom Clarke, who finished 3rd overall and 1st Masters at the Newport (OR) Marathon; Emisael Favela, who finished as 4th Masters at the 2017 Chicago Marathon; 2014 Seattle Marathon winner, Shaun Frandsen;  two-time [2012, 2016] Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, Eric Loeffler; Sam Teigen, 7th Masters finisher this year UA NYC HM and 19th at the Boston Marathon;  Olivier Vrambout, who finished 2nd Masters in the 2017 Twin Cities Marathon and 3rd at Grandma’s Marathon; Michael Wardian, winner of the Abbot World Majors 2017 Seven Marathons on 7 Continents in 7 Days Challenge, and 2nd place finisher at the 2014 USATF Masters Marathon Championship; and Olympic Trials steeplechaser and 2015 National Masters Marathon champion, Clint Wells.

Loeffler left no doubt of his intent, covering the first 10K in 32:31. The only runner to stay oithin a minute of Loeffler was Vrambout, with Wells a full minute back, Frandsen a minute and a half, Wardian 2 minutes, Clarke two and a half, and Teigen and Favela over three minutes behind.  By the Half Marathon split, Wells had passed Vrambout but was now a full 2 minutes behind Loeffler, who strode across the mat in 1:08:31. Vrambout, Frandsen, Wardian, Clarke,Teigen and Favela followed. Running the second half in 1:09:03, Loeffler decimated the field, running 2:17:34, to win by almost 4 minutes. Wells could not close at all on Loeffler but he put plenty of distance between him and the rest of the field as his 2:21:27 was good enough for 2nd place with a margin of 7 minutes. Vrambout still had 26 seconds on Frandsen at the 20 mile mark but Frandsen was able to close faster, claiming the final Masters podium spot in 2:28:47, just 17 seconds ahead of Vrambout. Thirty-eight seconds later Clarke claimed 5th while Favela ran a strongly negative split race to take 6th in 2:30:08, with Teigen in 7th.

Eric Loeffler 2:17:34  Clint Wells 2:21:27   Shaun Frandsen 2:28:47
Eric Loeffler competing at the 2015 Aramco Houston Half Marathon where he was the 2nd finisher in the 35-39 age division[Photo from: http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/2015/01/going-the-distance/]


[Photo from: http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/2015/01/going-the-distance/]
World Class performances [age-grade 90% and above] were turned in by Eric Loeffler, 40, Clint Wells, 42, Ken Pliska, 52, and Iain Mickle, 56.

Iain Mickle training in Sacramento for the 2017 San Francisco Marathon [Photo from: http://projects.sfchronicle.com/2017/sf-marathon/training/]
Top Level  National Class performances [age-grade 85%  but less than 90] were turned in by: Olivier Vrambout, 43, Sam Teigen, 43, Tom Clarke, 46, Chris Knorzer, 48, Edward Randolph, 48, Martin Rindahl, 54, Robert Economy, 53, Timothy DeGrado, 57, Jacob Nur, 62, and Joseph Burgasser, 79.

Age Divisions

Top 3 Americans*—Outstanding performances for Age in larger print (National Class minimum of 80% age grade or better).

40-44: Eric Loeffler 40 Minneapolis MN 2:17:34 [Age Grade 91.91%]; Clint Wells 42 Boulder CO 2:21:27 [90.69%]; Shaun Frandsen 40 Kirkland WA 2:28:47 [84.98]

45-49: Tom Clarke 46 Phoenix AZ  2:29:42 [88.57]; Chris Knorzer 48 Rocklin CA 2:38:04 [85.31]; Edward Randolph 48 San Francisco CA 2:38:28 [85.10]

50-54: Ken Pliska 52 Golden CO 2:34:36 [90.31]; Martin Rindahl 54 Fresno CA 2:40:05 [88.79]; Robert Economy 53 Victoria MN 2:42:39 [86.61]

55-59: Iain Mickle 56 Sacramento CA 2:39:52 [90.53]; Timothy DeGrado 57 Rochester MN 2:51:05 [85.38]; Alan Whalen 55 Eugene OR 2:52:05 [83.35]

60-64: Jacob Nur 62 Elk Grove CA 2:54:10 [87.93]; Brian Nelson 60 Bakersfield CA 3:01:20 [82.86]; Doug Steedman 62 San Francisco CA 3:02:41 [83.83]

65-69: John Hirschberger 65 San Francisco CA 3:21:12 [78.40]; Dave Miller 67 Ahwahnee CA 3:21:59 [79.68]; James Morris 68 Albany CA 3:40:45 [73.67]

70-74: Ted Stevens 72 Citrus Heights CA 4:10:59 [67.7] Jimmy McCullough 73 Mount Shasta CA 4:16:08 [67.23] Nal Lokeshwar 70 San Jose CA 4:19:51[63.9]

75-79: Joseph Burgasser 79 Saint Petersburg FL 3:59:04 [80.08] Ruben Anton 75 Los Angeles CA 4:17:58 [68.79] Howard Ferris 75 Davis CA 4:22:01 [67.72]

80-84: Manuel Loverde 82 Sacramento CA 6:01:59 [56.91] Larry Lieb 84 Carmichael CA 6:32:18 [55.67] Anthony Caviglia 80 Castro Valley CA 6:45:00 [48.36]

As suspected, the sharks were in the water; a strong turnout resulted in national class performances by the entire podium in every age division for both Women and Men from 40-44 through 60-64.

Masters Women

The field included several top flight Masters runners. Hilary Corno finished 9th among the elite women and was first Masters Woman at the 2016 CIM in 2:43:03. She also finished 3rd in her age group at Boston in April in 2:42:16. Jenelle Deatherage was 6th woman overall and first in the 35-39 division at the 2016 Twin Cities Marathon. In the BOA Chicago Marathon, as reported above, Deatherage was the 3rd Masters Woman across the finish line in 2:49:04. Molly Friel finished 2nd at the 2015 USATF Masters Marathon Championship at the Twin Cities Marathon in 2:54:42 before finishing 74th overall in the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon in 2:51:17, outrunning many of her younger rivals in those very hot conditions. Like a lot of other runners, Dawn Grunnagle had a tough day at the Olympic Trials Marathon but she did finish, albeit in a bit over 3 hours. After that she competed in the 2016 TCS NYC Marathon, finishing 2nd in the 35-39 age division in 2:49:37. Kate Landau finished 2nd in her age division at the Boston Marathon in April, running 2:40:02. Tanya Molleker is primarily a triathlete if I have identified the correct person; there is a puzzle about reported age though, as that triathlete is listed as age 37 in 2017 events and the runner in this event is listed as 42.

Landau went off with a purpose, hitting the 10K point in 36:36 with over half a minute on her closest pursuer, Grunnagle. Molleker was another 22 seconds back in 37:35 with Deatherage trailing her by 10 seconds, Corno  another 15 seconds back and then Friel in 38:41, biding her time. Between there and the half marathon, Grunnagle closed down on Landau as they went through the halfway mark in 1:18:29 and 1:18:30. Molleker was now a minute back, having passed Deatherage who was a minute and a half back at 1:20:00. Deatherage’s lead over Corno had stretched ever so slightly to 18 seconds, with Friel still being patient coming through in 1:21:54, a good 90 seconds after Corno. Grunnagle made a strong move between the halfway point and the 20 mile mark, dropping her pace from 5:59 per mile to 5:55 per mile, creating almost a 3 minute gap back to Landau who, in turn, had only a 23 second lead on Deatherage. Molleker was another 18 seconds back with only a 9 second lead on Corno.  Perhaps this would not be Friel’s day as she was now over 2 minutes back from Corno in 2:05:09. The final 10K saw Grunnagle pouring it on even more, dropping her pace now to 5:52 and finishing in 2:35:42 with a strongly negative split of 1:18:30/1:17:12. In the end she had almost a 7 minute margin on the 2nd place finisher-Wow! Deatherage had made a huge effort between the Halfway mark and 20 miles to cut Landau’s lead to 23 seconds but she could only take another 4 seconds out of the gap over the last 10K as Landau rallied to keep her at bay 2:42:39 to 2:42:58. Friel, the seasoned veteran,  continued her steady pacing at just about 6:15 per mile, which was enough to carry her past Molleker by 52 seconds and within a minute of the 3rd place finisher, Deatherage.  Corno had a tough final 10K, finishing three minutes further back. 

Dawn Grunnagle 2:35:42  Kate Landau 2:42:39  Jenelle Deatherage 2:42:58

Dawn Grunnagle competing in a race to prepare for the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon [Photo from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2016/02/10/former-east-star-grunnagle-has-olympic-hopes/80083340/]
World Class performances [age-grade 90% and above] were turned in by Molly Friel, 50, Susan Loken, 54, and Karen Kunz, 62.

Molly Friel competing at the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon [Photo from: http://www.oiselle.com/blog/photo-recap-fierce-flyers-olympic-marathon-trials?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=boost&utm_campaign=blog+fierce+flyer+OT+race+021316
Top Level  National Class performances [age-grade 85%  but less than 90] were turned in by: Dawn Grunnagle, 40, Kate Landau, 41, Jenelle Deatherage, 40, Tanya Molleker, 42, Amy Halseth, 48, Sheri Piers, 46, Jennifer Bayliss, 47, Kami Semick, 51, Janet Norem, 60, Sharlet Gilbert, 66, Liz Friedman, 69, and Hansi Rigney, 76.  

Age Divisions

Top 3 Americans*—Outstanding performances for Age in larger print (National Class minimum of 80% age grade or better).

40-44: Dawn Grunnagle 40 Dallas TX 2:35:42 [Age Grade 89.67%]; Kate Landau 41 Tacoma WA 2:42:39 [86.41%]; Jenelle Deatherage 40 Dunlap IL 2:42:58 [85.67]

45-49: Amy Halseth 48 Minneapolis MN 2:49:15 [88.74] Sheri Piers 46 Falmouth ME 2:52:23

50-54: Molly Friel 50 Fresno CA 2:43:57 [93.90] Susan Loken 54 Phoenix AZ 2:55:41 [92.25]; Kami Semick 51 Bend OR 2:58:53 [87.15]
 
55-59: Debbie Zakerski 55 Rancho Cordova CA 3:18:31 [82.72] Makie Ohler 55 Nevada City CA 3:20:01 [82.10]; Robyn Roybal 57 Rancho Cucamonga CA 3:22:40 [83.25]

60-64: Karen Kunz 62 Gold River CA 3:15:06 [92.84] Janet Norem 60 Grover Beach CA 3:21:16 [87.42] Carol Sexton 60 Woodinville WA 3:39:27 [80.18]

65-69: Sharlet Gilbert 66 El Sobrante CA 3:43:12 [86.23] Liz Friedman 69 Redding CA 4:06:08 [82.04] Christine Wellins 65 Sacramento CA 4:18:08 [73.41]

70-74: Barbara Brady 73 Livermore CA 4:40:27 [77.06] Anne Marie Gonsalves 70 San Leandro CA 5:01:41 [68.05] Dilyn Radakovitz 71 Loomis CA 5:40:18 [61.35]

75-79: Hansi Rigney 76 Carmel CA 4:21:06 [87.61] Sharon Hampton 75 Sutter Creek CA 4:49:13 [77.50] Carolyn Slavich 76 Sacramento CA 5:07:22 [74.42]

80-84: Elizabeth Buffum 80 Beaverton OR 6:43:42 [62.67]





The oldest finishers were:  Larry Lieb, 84, of Carmichael CA and Elizabeth Buffum, 80, of Beaverton OR.
 

And what will 2018 hold in store for distance runnerw? Boston, Chicago, and New York will still be the chief destinations for Masters Marathoners but in 2018, for the first time since 2015, there will be a USATF Masters Marathon Championship, on October 14 2018 at the Snohomish River Run Marathon in Snohomish WA, just north of Seattle.Be there if you want to be a National Masters Marathon Champion!


Saturday, January 13, 2018

USATF 2017 Awards, Masters Grand Prix Winners, Ratified American Records

January 4 2018. The following Awards, Masters Grand Prix Winners, and American Records related to Masters LDR were announced at the USATF Annual Meeting from November 30 to December 2 2017 in Columbus Ohio.

MASTERS ATHLETE AND ROAD RUNNER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
These awards are determined by end-of-the-year elections.*

Masters Athlete of the YearSabra Harvey
Harvey, the 2014 Female Masters Road Runner of the Year, was undefeated this year in USATF National Masters Road Racing Championships, winning both her division and the age-grading crown at the 10K, the 1 Mile, the 5K and the 15K. In addition she also took first place and had the top age grade at the Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships. Her Age-Grade scores in the National Championship events ranged from 97.79% for the 1 Mile Run up to 103.56% for the 10K Championship. The 10K US Record holder at the beginning of the year for Women 65-69 with a 42:37, Harvey's time at the 10K Championship improved on that record time by over half a minute.
Sabra Harvey, USATF Masters Athlete of the Year, heading for another National Championship at the last Event of the 2017 season, Club Cross Country

Masters Road Runners of the Year

Women's Masters Road Runner of the YearSabra Harvey
See write-up above.

Men's Masters Road Runner of the Year -- Kevin Castille
Castille, a three time Age Division Runner of the Year, entered three national championships, the One Mile, 5K and 15K, finishing first overall in each of them, registering the top age grade among his male rivals, and setting a new American 45-49 Record in all three. He ran 4:24 in the Mile, 14:29 in the 5K and 46:36 in the 15K, the latter on a remarkably difficult course. In addition he ran faster than the posted American record in three other prominent road races, winning the Overall Masters crown at the Crescent City 10K, the Utica Boilermaker 15K, and the Akron Half Marathon.
Kevin Castille enjoys one of his three National Championship wins, the Masters 15K at the Tulsa Federal Credit Union Tulsa Run [Photo Credit-USATF]



AGE DIVISION RUNNERS OF THE YEAR

Women’s Divisional Road Runners of the Year
Division   Name                                Division   Name
40-44       Jen Rhines                         65-69       Sabra Harvey
45-49       Kris Paaso                         70-74       Jan Holmquist
50-54       Marisa Sutera Strange        75-79       Sandra Folzer
55-59       Cindy Conant                     80-84      Libby James
60-64       Joan Samuelson                 85-89       Ella Jane Custer

Jen Rhines [Boston MA], the 2016 Age Division Runner of the Year, had strong performances as top Masters finisher in several prominent road races including the Gasparilla Half Marathon in 1:14:53; the Cooper River Bridge [10K] Run in 35:16; the BAA 5K in 16:29; and the Freihofer’s 5K Run for Women in 17:14. The BAA 10K time age graded to 93.16%.

Jen Rhines Catching Her Breath After the 2014 Masters National 5K Championship Race
[photo credit: Kevin Rivoli]

Jen Rhines Catching Her Breath After the 2014 Masters National 5K Championship Race
[photo credit: Kevin Rivoli]

Kris Paaso [Menlo Park CA] had three performances in 5K road races that age graded above 90.00%.
Kris Paaso starting to pull away from her rivals on her way to being first across the finish line at the 2017 Club Cross Country Championships [Photo credit: Michael Scott/http://miscottrunningphoto.shutterfly.com]

Marisa Sutera Strange [Pleasant Valley NY] the 2015 and 2016 Division Runner of the Year, had 3 outstanding races in USATF Masters Championship events, the 5K, the 8K, and the 10K. She won her Age Division in each, and had the 2nd highest Age Graded score in the 8K. Her winning times were: 18:25, 29:56 and 37:55 respectively, with each of them age grading above 93.50%.
Marisa Sutera Strange heading for victory at the 2017 USATF 8K Masters Championship hosted by the Shamrock/Towne Bank 8K

Cindy Conant [Kensington MD] had outstanding performances in two prominent road races, the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and the Broad Street Run (10 Miles). Her time at the Cherry Blossom Race, 1:04:00, age graded at 93.26%. Even though she ran 55 seconds slower at Broad Street, the age grade was almost as high at 93.13% because her birthday was between the two races. She had several other races that age graded above 92.00%.

Cindy Conant

Photo Credit: http://www.capegazette.com/node/68791?cid=4805296


Joan Samuelson [Freeport ME], 1984 Olympic Marathon Champion, Co-Winner of the 2009 Female Road Runner of the Year , and 7-time Age Division Runner of the Year, continues at the top of her age division. This year she had top performances at 4 prominent road races. She ran 19:24 at the Freihofer’s 5K for Women, 45:50 at the Quad Cities Bix 7 and 44:59 at the Falmouth Road Race (7 Miles) and, most importantly because it is her hometown race, a 39:19 at the Beach to Beacon 10K. All age graded above 95.00% with the B2B 10K result topping the list at 98.91%. That was also a ‘US best’ for the 10K; the course has greater than 50% separation from start to finish so is not record-eligible.

Joan Benoit Samuelson finishing at the Boston Marathon [Photo Credit: http://running.competitor.com/2013/03/news/samuelson-running-2013-boston-marathon_68556

Sabra Harvey [Houston TX]. See write-up above for the Masters Athlete of the Year.

Jan Holmquist [Burlington MA], a 2006 and 2013-2016 Division Runner of the Year, had outstanding performances at 2 USATF National Championships and at 2 prominent road races. She ran 22:55 at the CVS Downtown 5K in September and then ran 22:27 at the 5K Masters Championships two weeks later in Syracuse. The first age-graded at 96.13% and the second 2 full percentage points higher! Holmquist’s 48:01 at the 10K Masters Championships at the end of April came a few weeks before her 73rd birthday; it age graded above 96.5%. That was 20 seconds faster than she ran at the Beach to Beacon 10K a few months later at the age of 73; that one age graded above 97%.
Jan Holmquist claiming another national championship at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship hosted by the James Joyce Ramble

Sandra Folzer [Philadelphia PA] ran the Broad Street Run (10 Miler) a week before her 78th birthday, clocking 1:32:50 for an 89.28% age grade. She also ran an 8K and a 10K with age grades above 89.00%.

 Libby James [Fort Collins CO], 2011 through 2016 Division Runner of the Year, won her age division at the Freihofer’s 5K for Women in 26:57, collecting a 91.12% age grade score for her effort. Two months after her 81st birthday James clocked a 55:10 in her hometown race, the FORTitude 10K; there she age graded above 99.00%.

Ella Jane Custer [Wheeling WV], 2015 division Runner of the Year, ran 3:07:59 at the Kentucky Derby Mini-Marathon, at age 87, to collect an age grade of 79.55%, the only American woman 85 years of age or older to achieve an age grade score above 75.00%, and she did it in a Half Marathon. A month later she ran another half marathon and although it was slower it also achieved a higher age grade than any other contenders, age grading at 73.19%.

Ella Jane Custer training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon  [Photo Credit: Lake Fong/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]


Men’s Divisional Road Runners of the Year

Division       Name                                          Division       Name
40-44            Bernard Lagat                            70-74           William Dixon
45-49            Kevin Castille                             75-79           Doug Goodhue
50-54            Nat Larson                                 80-84          Witold Bialokur
55-59            Nat Larson                                 85-89          Gunnar Linde
60-64            John Barbour                              90-94          ------
65-69            Tom Bernhard                             95-99          Roy Englert

Bernard Lagat [Tucson AZ]. See write-up above for Men's Masters Road Runner of the Year.

 Kevin Castille [Lafayette LA], Age Division Runner of the Year 2012-2014, had outstanding performances in 6 prominent road races and three national championships, with age grades ranging from 94.12% in the Road Mile National Championship, a 4:24, to 98.12% in the 5K National Championship, a 14:29. In the 1 Mile, the 5K, the 10K, the 15K and the Half Marathon he ran faster than the posted American Record. At the time of the RoY election, all of those were listed as pending. Since that time two have been ratified and approved, his 14:29 in the 5K National Championship and his 46:36 at the 15K National Championship, perhaps the more remarkable of the two as the current course at Tulsa is known to be exceptionally demanding with long, steep hills. At the start of the race, the temperature was 35 degrees with double digit wind gusts.
Kevin Castille wins the USATF Masters 5K Championship and sets a new Men 45-49 American Record [Photo Credit: Bob Brock/bobbrockimages.com]

Nat Larson [Amherst MA], the 2016 Road Runner of the Year for this division, had outstanding performances in two National Championship races before his 55th birthday. He ran the 8K in 27:04 for a 91.41% age grade. A month and a half later he ran 33:30 in the 10K National Championship for a 92.80% age grade.

 Nat Larson [Amherst MA] had outstanding performances in three National Championships and a prominent road race after his 55th birthday. He won his division in the 1 Mile, 5K and 15K Championships in 4:49, 16:06, and 52:20, with age grades from 91.48% up to 95.25%. His highest age grade came at the CVS Downtown 5K when he ran 15:54 for a 96.45% age grade.
Nat Larson powers to victory at the USATF 15K Championships hosted by the Tulsa Federal Credit Union Tulsa Run [Photo Credit: Marathon Foto]

John Barbour [West Roxbury MA] won the 10K National Championship for his age division in 37:43, age grading at 89.43%. He achieved higher age graded scores at two prominent road races, the CVS Caremark Downtown 5K where he clocked an 18:10 and the Lone Gull 10K where he ran 36:53 and scored 91.45%.
John Barbour captures the Men's 60+ title at the 2017 USATF 5km Cross Country Championships [Photo Credit: USATF-NE]

Tom Bernhard [Castro Valley CA], Division Road Runner of the Year the last two years, had outstanding performances in the three National Championships that he won and in two other prominent West Coast races, the Marin Memorial Day 10K and the Morgan Hill Freedom Fest 5K. His age grade scores for these races ranged from 89.54% in the Road Mile Championship (5:28] in Flint to a 93.58% in the 5K Championship (17:57). He ran 38:13 at the Marin Memorial Day race for a 89.96% and cracked the 90% barrier at Morgan Hill with an 18:13 for 90. 18%.
Tom Bernhard claims one of his national championships at the 2017 USATF 10K Championship hosted by the James Joyce Ramble

William Dixon [Brattleboro VT], 5-time Age Division Runner of the Year in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2015, had three fine performances after his 70th birthday, including an 18:50 5K, a 40:46 10K, and a 33:03 5 Miler. These achieved age grade scores ranging from 87.15% up to 92.75%.
Bill Dixon claims one of his many age division National Championships at the 2015 USATF Masters 5km XC Championship at Saratoga Springs NY [photo:http://www.pbase.com/fateague/saraxcclassic]

Doug Goodhue [Milford MI], a 2002 and 2007 – 2014 Division Runner of the Year, had an outstanding performance at a National Championship and a prominent Road Race. At age 75, he ran 6:17 (gun time) for an 86.94% age grade and a 1:13:41 in the Crim 10 Miler for an 86.36%. He also took his age division title in the National 5K Championship despite suffering an injury during the race.
Doug Goodhue giving it everything he's got and taking another National Championship at the 2017 USATF Masters Milem Championship hosted by the Crim/Michigan Mile

Witold Bialokur [Rego Park NY], a 2015 Division Runner of the Year, had fine performances at two prominent road races, the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K where he ran 54:35 for an 82.74% age grade and the Bronx 10 Miler, where he ran 1:31.00 for an 81.30%, demonstrating good range. He earned even higher age grade scores at a local 10K, 5 mile and 4 mile run; in the latter he ran 33:06 for an 86.20%.
Witold Bialokur training with his runners in Forest Park in Queens, New York [Photo Credit: Mervyn Deganos]

Gunnar Linde [Venice CA], the 2016 Division Runner of the Year, repeats this year on the basis of good performances at a nationally prominent and a regionally prominent road race. He ran 58:21 in the Brea 8K and then topped that with a 31:21 in the Carlsbad 5000 for an 84.88% age grade score.


Roy Englert [Springfield VA], 95, who has enjoyed much success on the track, took to the roads this fall and took the age division title at the 5K National Championship in 40:52. That time age graded at 95.12% and broke the American Record for the division by over 7 minutes.
Roy Englert claims the 2017 5K 95-99 National Championship at the Syracuse festival of Races and sets the American Record [Photo Credit: Amir Findling]

*I thank Tom Bernhard for providing the data for these Runner of the Year write-ups. Any errors of interpretation are mine. 

 2017 USATF INDIVIDUAL MASTERS GRAND PRIX WINNERS

Athletes who compete in the National Championship events acquire points according to their finishing position, with 100 points for first and points declining thereafter by 5 points so 2nd place earns 95 points, 3rd place 90 and so on. A runner must compete in 3 events to be eligible for end-of-the year awards; the athlete’s best 5 events are summed to provide a total with the runner with the highest total winning the title of Masters Grand Prix Champion.

Women’s Individual Masters Grand Prix Winners

Division      Name                                   Division       Name
40-44          Wakenda Tyler                     60-64          Jill Miller-Robinett
45-49           Cassandra Henkiel               65-69          Sabra Harvey
50-54           Marisa Sutera Strange         70-74           Dianne Anderson
55-59           Lorraine Jasper                   75-79           Madeline Bost

Wakenda Tyler [Syracuse NY] <320 pts=""> It was a close contest as Tyler, defending her 2016 MGP title, defeated her two closest rivals, Alice Kassens and Kathy Wiegand by 5 and 20 points respectively. Focused on GVH’s chances to win the 40+ Club GP, Tyler acquired Individual GP scores through consistent upper/mid pack finishes at the Road 1 Mile, 5K, 10K, the Masters 5k XC and Club XC. 
Wakenda Tyler 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 40-44 Winner (pictured at Masters 10K National Championship)

Cassendra Henkiel [Austin TX] <290> Henkiel defeated her closest rival, Kristin White, by 70 points. Like Tyler, Henkiel was focused on Team Rogue’s chances in the championships she entered. She only entered three events but made them count as she won the division in the 5K and 10K road events and finished 3rd in the highly competitive Club XC event. 
Cassandra Henkiel [right foreground #522] 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 45-49 Winner (pictured at Masters 5K National Championship) [photo credit: Amir Findling]

Marisa Sutera Strange [Pleasant Valley NY] <500> With the maximum possible 500 points, Sutera Strange, the 2016 MGP Champion, distanced her closest rival, Michelle Allen, by 105 points. Sutera Strange won the division title in the 5K, 8K, and 10K road contests as well as the 5km and Club XC events. 
Marisa Sutera Strange 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 50-54 Winner (pictured at Masters 5km Cross Country National Championship)

Lorraine Jasper [Birchrunville PA] <460> Jasper, the 2015 MGP Champion in the 50-54 division, had 25 points on her closest rival, her Athena teammate, Mary Swan, and 60 points on Susan ‘Lynn’ Cooke. Jasper won the division in the Road Mile and earned the division Bronze Medal in the 5K and 10K road contests and the 5K Masters and Club XC events. 
Lorraine Jasper 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 55-59 Winner (pictured at Masters Club Cross Country National Championship) [Photo by Michael Scott/miscottrunningphoto.shutterfly.com/cropped by me-psc]

Jill Miller-Robinett [Concord CA] <470> Miller-Robinett, the 2016 MGP Champion, defeated her closest rival, Mary Richards by 35 points. Miller-Robinett won the division at Club XC, no easy feat, and took the Silver Medal at the Road 1 Mile and 8K, and the division Bronze at the USATF XC and the 5k Masters XC. 
Jill Miller-Robinett 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 60-64 Winner (pictured at Masters Club Cross Country National Championship) [Photo by Michael Scott/miscottrunningphoto.shutterfly.com/cropped by me-psc]

Sabra Harvey [Houston TX] <500> Harvey, the 2014 MGP Champion and 2017 Masters Athlete of the Year, achieved the maximum 500 points, defeating her closest rival, Jo Anne Rowland, by 65 points. Harvey won the 1 Mile, 5K, 10K, and 15K road contests as well as the Club XC Championship. 
Sabra Harvey 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 65-69 Winner (pictured at Masters 15K National Championship)[Photo Credit: Marathon Foto]

Dianne Anderson [Danville CA] <495> Anderson, the defending 2016 Champion, achieved a near max of 495 points, defeating her closest rival, Irene Terronez, by over 200 points. Like her Impala teammate, Miller-Robinett, she ran for the team and earned individual honors too. 
Dianne Anderson 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 70-74 Winner (pictured at Masters 8K National Championship)

 Madeline Bost [Randolph NJ] <290> Bost wins the MGP Championship in this division for the 4th year in a row, by winning the 5K road and 5km XC Championships and claiming the Bronze Medal at the 8K Championship. As Bost herself puts it, “I am not the fastest runner in the Division, but I show up at Championships and compete, and so qualify for a Masters GP Award. I encourage other runners to do the same but so far no one else in the division has risen to the challenge of competing in at least 3 events.” Bost has one more year to reign over the division; it will be interesting to see if her urging others to compete in at least 3 events will bear fruit. 
Madelin Bost 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 75-79 Winner (pictured at Masters 5km Cross Country National Championship)

Men's Individual Masters Grand Prix Winners 

Division         Name                         Division         Name
40-44            David Angell               65-69           Tom Bernhard
45-49            John Gardiner             70-74            Paul Carlin
50-54            Kent Lemme               75-79            Charlie Patterson
55-59            Nat Larson                 80-84            Jim Askew
60-64            Kyle Hubbart

David Angell [Blue Ridge VA] <495> Angell almost achieved a perfect 500 by winning the 5K, 8K, 10K and 15K Road Championships and finishing 2nd in the Road Mile. He distanced his closest rival, Jake Stookey, by well over 200 points, to take his first Masters Grand Prix title.

David Angell 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 40-44 Winner [#14] (pictured at Masters 10K National Championship)

John Gardiner [Rancho Santa Margarita CA] <475>  Gardiner, the 2016 Men’s 40-44 MGP Champion, moved up to 45-49 and took the 2017 MGP crown by winning the division at the shortest, 1 Mile, and longest, Half Marathon, events of the year and taking the Silver Medal at the 15K road race and the Club XC Championship. A third in the USATF XC Championship at Bend completed his total, giving him a margin of over 100 points on Jonathan Frieder, who finished 2nd.
John Gardiner 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 45-49 Winner (pictured at Masters Half Marathon National Championship)

Kent Lemme [Pittsfield MA] <475> Lemme captured his first Masters GP title by winning the 15K, claiming the Silver Medal at the 5K and 8K road races and the 5km Masters XC Championship, capping it all off with the 90 points for a Bronze Medal finish at Club XC. That gave Lemme a margin of over 100 points on his closest rival, Kristian Blaich.
Kent Lemme 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 50-54 Winner (pictured at Masters 8K National Championship)

Nat Larson [Amherst MA] <500> After winning the 2016 Men’s 50-54 MGP, Larson moved up to 55-59 and took that crown with ease. His perfect score came from wins at the 1Mile, 5K and 15K road races and the 5 km Masters XC and the Club XC Championships. In the end he had a victory margin of over a hundred points on Fred Zalokar, who finished 2nd.
Kirk Larson [right of photo] 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 55-59 Winner (pictured at Masters 8K National Championship)

Kyle Hubbart [Broomfield CO] <440> Hubbart, running for the Boulder Road Runners, claimed his first MGP title this year by consistent performances near the top of the division, claiming the Bronze medal at the 1 Mile, 8K, 10K, and 15K, while finishing 5th at the highly competitive 5K road race. He outdistanced his closest rival, Reno Stirrat, by 60 points.


Kyle Hubbart 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 60-64 Winner (pictured at Masters 10K National Championship) [Photo Credit: USATF-New England/cropped by me psc]

Tom Bernhard [Castro Valley CA] <500>  Bernhard, the 2015 MGP winner in Men’s 60-64, took the 65-69 title this year with a perfect 500 points by winning the 1 Mile, 5K, 8K, 10K, and 15K road race championships demonstrating dominance across a wide range of distances. It was a very competitive group as Bernhard only had 25 points on Peter Mullin, who finished 2nd in the MGP.
Tom Bernhard 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 65-69 Winner (pictured at Masters 8K National Championship)

Paul Carlin [Indianapolis IN] <475> After finishing 3rd in the MGP the last three years, Carlin (that’s me!) enjoyed a winning season in 2017. I claimed the Half Marathon Championship, the Silver Medal in the 1 Mile, 8K, and 10K, and the Bronze Medal in the 5K and then held on as my main rival in this highly competitive division, Dave Glass, came on strong in the fall season,falling short by 10 points.

Paul Carlin 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 70-74 Winner (pictured at Masters One Mile National Championship) [Photo Credit: Frog Prince Studios/cropped by me-psc]

Charlie Patterson [Atlanta GA] <460> Patterson claimed his first MGP title this year with consistent performances near the top of the division. He took the Silver medal at the 15K road race Championship and the 5km XC Championship, pairing those with Bronze Medal efforts at the 1 Mile and 5K road races and the USATF XC Championship to total 460 points. He needed them, as he outdistanced his teammate, Andrew Sherwood, by only 10 points.
Charlie Patterson 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 75-79 Winner (pictured at Masters 8K National Championship)

Jim Askew [Highlands NC] <495> Askew dominated this division to claim his first Masters GP title. Askew won the 1 Mile, and 5K road races as well as the 5km Masters XC and Club XC races; he finished 2nd in the 8K road race championship. Askew took on all comers and only one was able to beat him all year.
Jim Askew 2017 USATF Masters Grand Prix 80-84 Winner (pictured at Masters One Mile National Championship)


AMERICAN RECORDS BETTERED IN 2017

2017 USA Record Performances--ratified or pending.
A performance that is faster than an existing American record does not automatically become the new record; it is listed initially as a ‘pending’ American Record. There is a process for moving from ‘pending’ to ‘approved.’ First the course must be certified as accurately measured; second it must be record eligible. Any course that has more than 1 meter per kilometer drop overall or where the separation between the start and finish is more than 50% of the race course distance is considered record ineligible. Finally, a race official, usually the Race Director or the Official Referee must submit a Road Race Performance Recognition Application Form. Once the application has been submitted it must be ratified by the Records Committee and approved by the relevant USATF Sports Committee. Andy Carr prepares the report for the Annual Meeting of USATF, indicating whether a record application is ratified or pending. Masters LDR Records are approved (or not) by the Masters LDR Committee. Records which are still pending after a year are usually waiting on an application form to be submitted. It is rare for a record which has been pending for much more than a year to be eventually approved.

 Notation for last column in table below:
P = Pending - application or more information is needed from the race
= No "P" code indicates that mark is recommended for ratification pending course verification report
a = Possible for performance to be aided by slope/separation, can be "best", not eligible for record but superior to AR

[Distance Time Name Race Date Pending?]

MASTERS LDR ROAD RECORDS
MEN

5K 45-49 14:29 Kevin Castille Syracuse Festival of Races  10/1/17
5K 55-59 15:54 Nat Larson CVS Downtown 5K [Providence RI] 9/17/17    P
5K 55-59 16:06 Nat Larson Syracuse Festival of Races 10/1/17
5K 95-99 40:40 Roy Englert Syracuse Festival of Races 10/1/17
8K 55-59 26:55 Peter Magill Brea 8K Classic [Brea CA] 02/26/17
8K 55-59 26:19 Nat Larson Rothman 8K [Philadelphia PA] 11/18/
15K 45-49   46:11 Kevin Castille Utica Boilermaker 07/09/17   P
15K 45-49   46:34 Kevin Castille Tulsa Run 10/28/17    P
30K 50-54 1:51:09 Mike McManus Around the Bay [Hamilton, Ont CAN]   03/27/17    P
10 Mi 45-49 49:03 Kevin Castille Crim Festival of Races [Flint MI] 08/26/17    P
HMar 40-44 1:03:02 Bernard Lagat Great North Run [Tyneside UK] 09/10/17    P
H Mar 45-49 1:05:16 Kevin Castille Akron Half Marathon 09/23/17    P

WOMEN
5K 85-89 39:41 Anny Stockman Syracuse Festival of Races 10/1/17    P
10K 65-69 41:57 Kathryn Martin ASPIRE [Plainview NY] 04/01/17  P
10K 65-69 42:06 Sabra Harvey James Joyce Ramble [Dedham MA] 04/01/17  P
10K 80-84 55:10 Libby James Fortitude 10K [Fort Collins CO] 09/04/17  P
15K 65-69 1:05:04 Kathryn Martin Caumsett Park [Lloyd Neck NY] (split) 03/05/17  P
20K 65-69 1:27:45 Kathryn Martin Caumsett Park [Lloyd Neck NY] (split) 03/05/17  P
25K 65-69 1:50:38 Kathryn Martin Caumsett Park [Lloyd Neck NY] (split) 03/05/17  P
10Mi 65-69 1:08:54 Kathryn Martin Sayville Brewery 10 Miler [Patchogue NY] 01/04/17 P
10Mi 65-69 1:13:13 Edie Stevenson Cherry Blossom 10 Miler [Wash DC] 04/02/17
HMar 65-69 1:33:37 Kathryn Martin SHAPE [New York NY] 04/30/17  
HMar 70-74 1:47:18 Nancy Rollins Door County HM [Peninsula St Pk, WI] 05/06/17  P
Mar 65-69 3:31:01 Jeannie Rice Illinois Marathon [Champaign IL] 04/21/17  P
Mar 65-69 3:29:47 Jeannie Rice Columbus Marathon [Columbus OH] 10/15/17

MASTERS LDR ROAD BESTS
10K 60-64 39:19 Joan Samuelson Beach to Beacon 10K [Cape Elizabeth ME] 08/05/17 a
a Beach to Beacon is not record eligible because there is a greater than 50% separation between start and finish. Most point-to-point courses are not record eligible.

MASTERS LDR SERVICE AWARD
 
The Otto Essig Award is presented to an individual or individuals who have performed exemplary service for the Masters Long Distance Running Community. The 2017 Award will be shared by: Colleen Magnussen, Mike Nier, and Przemek Nowicki.

Magnussen and Nier, through their website, run4results.com, provide updated standings for the USATF Masters Grand Prix-Club Standings. Nowicki has developed a program to provide updated standings for the Masters Grand Prix-Individual Standings. Both make this service available gratis to USATF and the Masters Long Distance Running Community.

Przemek Nowicki 2017 Otto Essig Award Winner (pictured at 2017Masters Club Cross Country National Championship) [Photo by Michael Scott/miscottrunningphoto.shutterfly.com/cropped by me-psc]

Colleen Magnussen, 2017 Otto Essig Award Winner (pictured at 2015 Masters 1 Mile Championship) [Photo Credit: Run Michigan] 

Mike Nier 2017 Otto Essig Award Winner (pictured at 2017 Masters 10K Championship) [Photo Credit-USATF-New England/cropped by me-psc]