September 18, 2024 HIGHLANDS NJ USATF-NJ's By Hook or by Crook Run hosted the USATF Masters 12 Km Championships for the fourth time this past Sunday, September 15th. It was pleasant and cool enough during early warmups, but the weather forecasters had promised a sunny, humid day by race time. As it turned out, they were right. At start time of 9 AM, the temperature was 72F and dewpoint at 62. The official weather record indicates partly cloudy during the race. But that was not the experience that athletes had. Almost all said that they were running in sunshine except for the few parts of the course that had partial shade over the road. According to the forecast, humidity would remain high as measured by the dewpoint throughout the Race. Luckily that did not happen. By 9:45, the dewpoint had fallen to 58; it did not start to rise again until after all entrants had finished. So, it was warm and humid but not killer. An 8-12 mph breeze helped it feel cooler although runners noticed it when running into the wind. Many runners slowed noticeably during or right after Mile 5; most recovered well and finished strong. Certainly the three record breakers ran well!
RECORDS Chip time, not gun time, is used for Masters American Age Division Records. We have seen some American Records set here every year but 2022 when the temperature and humidity made running conditions difficult. This time we got three new AR's. Roberta Groner 46, Suzanne La Burt 61, and Sandra Folzer 85 broke the current record for 45-49, 60-64 and 85-89 respectively.
Groner came to elite Open runner status at an unusually late age. Her greatest fame was probably when she finished as first American in the Women's Marathon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. In 2021 she won the Overall championships here, at age 43, in 42:14 42:12chip time. Returning at age 46, she could run over a minute slower and still break the record of 43:38. A 5:50 pace would allow her to break the record with a few seconds to spare. It was not close. Groner went out at 5:37 for the first mile and continued to hit splits at well under 5:50. It was a well-controlled effort. Her slowest splits were 5:42 and her fastest 5:35. She ran just nine seconds slower than three years earlier. Her net time of 42:21 broke the existing 45-49 American Record of 43:38, set by Nancy Grayson almost thirty years ago!
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| Roberta Groner builds her lead in the early stages on her way to a Record-Breaking Overall Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
La Burt had this record on her radar after her exceptional run in Flint Michigan. She covered that hilly, ten-mile course in 1:05:23 chip time or 6:53.8 per mile. The record for the 12K was set by Masters Hall of Famer, Kathryn 'Kathy' Martin, in 2018 at 48:54. In 2014, Martin was the 'phenom' breaking records left and right. To break one of her records is no small feat. To break that record, La Burt would have to average just under 6:34 per mile. She decided to aim for 6:30 pace; if she could average 6:30 per mile, she would have the record with 26 seconds to spare! She was right on target for the first five miles or so. But after that, there was a little slippage, and she had to gut it out to keep her pace down and get the record! In the end she stopped the clock at 48:39 chip. La Burt had the record with 15 seconds to spare!
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| Suzanne La Burt finishes off her 60-64 Record-Breaking 12 Km while winning her division at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Folzer has won the 80-84 division the last two years. running 1:24:15 in 2022, when the weather was very hot and humid. To her surprise and some disappointment, the next year, when the weather was more conducive to fast times, she won again but with a slower time, 1:28:10. I do not know if Folzer was aware of the existing record for 85-89. She may have simply been determined to right the ship in the first year of her new age division and get back down closer to her 2022 time. A dozen years ago, Evelyn Creager established the 85-89 AR at 1:54:49. If Folzer was aware of the record, she must have been confident of breaking it. Even the time she viewed as 'slow', her 2023 time, was faster than the record. Indeed, even if she had, mysteriously, lost another 4 minutes of time on her 12 Km time, she would have a cushion of more than 20 minutes. Folzer did not need it. She had a good day, cracking the 1:25:00 barrier again with a 1:24:35 chip. Folzer broke the American 85-89 Record for Women by over a half hour-Wow!
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| Sandra Folzer blue kit, center right in the early stages of her 85-89 Record breaking win at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN Mario Vazquez Hartbeat New England won the 2023 Masters 10 Km Championships in 31:50, and was the silver medalist at the 2024 Championships, behind World Mountain Running champion, Joseph Gray, in 31:02. He was widely expected to win. Vazquez threw down a 4:50 first mile to discourage any potential rivals. It worked. The only athlete who stayed close was Brian Flynn Garden State Track Club, the defending champion who took the crown last year in 39:00, a 5:14 average per mile. Even Flynn had lost a couple of dozen meters a mile and a half into the race. Flynn, in turn, had a good forty meters on a chase pack led by the silver medalist last year, Fabian Daza Garden State. Also in the pack were Dickson Mercer GRC Tracksmith, Aaron Totten-Lancaster Garden State, Joseph Gaynor Garden State, David Angell Roanoke Valley Elite and Michael Dixon Unattached New Jersey. Small gaps of a few meters were already starting to appear. It was another twenty meters or so back to a second chase pack consisting of David Guzik Manchester Running Co, Chuck Terry Willow Street AC, and Shane Anthony Unattached PA. The gaps between Vazquez, Flynn and Daza grew, but the order held. Vazquez claimed the win in 38:26, with Flynn 45 seconds back and Daza another 55 seconds back,
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| Mario Vazquez claims the Overall Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
taking the bronze medal. Mercer and Gaynor maintained their 4th and 5th positions all the way to the finish, Mercer 4th in 40:56, with Gaynor fifth in 41:17. Terry's conservative strategy paid off as he moved up from the second chase pack to take 6th, followed by Dixon, Angell, Toten-Lancaster, Guzik and Anthony in that order.
Mario Vazquez 38:26 Brian Flynn 39:11 Fabian Daza 40:06
WOMEN Roberta Groner Central Park Track Club was an even stronger favorite in the Women's race. Groner's highest fame came from her being the top finisher for Team USA in the Women's Marathon at the 2019 Doha World Championships. She also took the overall Masters 12K Championship on this course in 2021, running 42:14. In the two years following, the Women's Overall winning times have been at least two minutes slower. Groner's recent races include a 1:12:56 at the Jacksonville Half Marathon last December and a 34:01 10K at Citizens Queens 10K this past June. her stiffest competition would likely come from Karen Bertasso Crew Racing who clocked 1:17:49 at the 3M Half Marathon in Austin TX in 2023. Others who would contend for the podium included Jessica Francis Shore AC who ran a 1:22:31 Half Marathon last November. Maria Mahoney Garden State earned the bronze medal for finishing third among women overall at the Ridgewood Run 10K in 39:10. None were competitive with Groner but it would be a real battle for the other podium spots.
Groner went out fast, as noted, hitting her first mile split in 5:37. Bertasso was 25 meters back by the 1.5 Mile mark but had Groner in sight. Francis was 25 meters behind Bertasso, with Mahoney another 20 meters back and a good 40 meters more to Francis. There was no catching Groner who took the win in 42:23!
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| Roberta Groner takes the Overall Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Bertasso held it together all the way to the finish, a minute and a half behind Groner. Had Bertasso been entered and run that fast in either of the last two years it would have been a winning time. Francis was over 400 meters behind Bertasso as she claimed the bronze medal with her 45:53. Francis was more than a hundred meters ahead of the fourth place finished, Mahoney. But it was much closer between Mahoney and Wakeling. Less than forty meters separated them, but Mahoney closed strongly to keep Wakeling at bay. Mahoney had fourth in 46:32 with Wakeling 5th at 46:46.
Roberta Groner 42:23 Karen Bertasso 43:58 Jessica Francis 45:53
AGE GRADING CHAMPIONSHIPS
NOTE: Age grading is a system that assigns a percentage score, called the Performance Level Percentage, or PLP, to each competitor on the basis of how close they come to the world's best possible time for their individual year of age. The following is not exactly how they are calculated but gives a reader the idea of how they work. The times are plausible but made up. If the world's best possible time for a 40-year-old male, for example, were 30 minutes and a competitor had a chip time of 40 minutes, then their PLP is 75%. If the same individual had finished in 36 minutes, then their PLP would have been 100 x (36/40) or 90%. The faster the time relative to the world's best, the higher the PLP. In this championship, age grading cash prizes went five-deep.
WOMEN If you had guessed that the record-breakers, Suzanne La Burt Shore AC and Roberta Groner Central Park TC had some of the top Age Grading PLP's, you would be correct. But you would not have picked the podium. La Burt was second in the age grading competition; her chip time of 48:39, at age 61, not only broke the 60-64 American Record, it achieved an age grade PLP of 95.87%. Groner's 42:21 chip time, at age 46, broke the 45-49 AR and achieved a PLP of 92.36%, good for fourth place. Mary Cass Liberty AC did not run fast enough to stay with La Burt in the 60-64 age division but she outpointed Groner on PLP. Cass's 51:11 at age 63 scored a 93.56 and third place. The winner was Nora Cary Shore AC, who set the 65-69 AR three years ago, when she was 66. Her 51:41 at age 69 earned a whopping PLP of 100.73%!
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| Nora Cary #187 pushes the pace on her way to a phenomenal Age Grading PLP of 100.73% at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Also in the top five was Fiona Bayly Urban Athletics. Her 47:58 at age 57 scored 92.42%, leaving her in fourth, just six-hundredths of a percentage point ahead of Groner.
Nora Cary 69 51:41 100.73% Suzanne La Burt 61 48:39 95.87% Mary Cass 63 51:11 93.56%
MEN Nat Larson Greater Springfield Harriers has been on the age grading podium at almost every Masters national championship he has contested over the last ten years. He claimed that age grading championship at 93.62%. He is the defending 12 Km age grading champion at 93.7%. Ken Youngers Atlanta TC achieved his second age grading podium in a row. He had a fine outing at the Ten Mile Championships in Flint MI three weeks earlier, snagging the bronze age grading medal. At these championships, as one of his 65-69 rivals put it. "The gun went off and Ken took off. I tried to get up with him but there was no way; he was gone and I never caught him!" That performance resulted in a 47:01 chip time at age 68, good for a 90.50 PLP and the win.
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| Ken Youngers red singlet #174 Pushes the Pace as he races with top runners ten years younger On His Way to the Top Men's Age Grading score at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Just a half percentage point back was Vazquez, the Overall winner. Podium finishes in both Overall and Age Grading is a rare achievement. His 38:24, at 45, was graded at 90.01%. Larson’s 44:36 at 62, left him in third, just two-hundredths of a percentage point behind Vazquez at 89.99. His teammate, Mark Hixson Greater Springfield finished fourth' Hixson's 43:53 at age 59 earned an 88.93%. Rick Lee Unattached New Jersey, who took the silver age grading medal last year, snagged the last cash prize. His 45:44 at age 63 graded at 88.59%, good for fifth place.
Ken Youngers 68 47:01 90.50% Mario Vazquez 45 38:24 90.01% Nat Larson 62 44:36 89.99%
AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN 40-44 Flynn Garden State, Daza Garden State, and Mercer GRC Tracksmith went 2-3-4 Overall and so finished 1-2-3 in this division.
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| Brian Flynn yellow & black #210, with an Open Runner hanging on, looks to say as close to Vazquez as he can, while leaving the rest of the field behind at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
They were followed by Gaynor Garden State, 4th at 41:17; Terry Willow Street, 5th at 41:28 and Dixon Unattached New Jersey, in sixth, just two seconds behind Terry.
Brian Flynn 39:11 Fabian Daza 40:06 Dickson Mercer 40:56
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| Chase Pack Led by Fabian Daza #192, with Dickson Mercer blue singlet, an Open Runner #405, Aaron Totten-Lancaster #307, Joe Gaynor #216, and David Angell #102 background at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
45-49 Vazquez, Angell, and Totten-Lancaster finished 1st, 8th and 9th overall. They go 1-2-3 n this division.
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| Aaron Totten-Lancaster #307 leads David Angell #102 in the 45-49 division, along withJoe Gaynor 40-44 in the early going at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Jordan Varano Unattached NY, who was on the Utica Boilermaker 15K division podium this year, finished fourth, a minute and a half behind Totten-Lancaster.
Mario Vazquez 38:26 David Angell 41:55 Aaron Totten-Lancaster 42:29
50-54 David Guzik Manchester Running Co was in contention for the Overall podium in the early going. Once that slipped away he could concentrate on the division. He had a good 30 meters on Frederick Dolan Atlanta TC at the 1.5 Mile mark and built it throughout the rest of the race. Dolan kept it close though. Guzik's winning margin was just over sixty meters at the finish.
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| David Guzik #132 pushed the pace early on his way to the M50 win. He leads Chuck Terry #170, an Open Runner no shirt, and Shane Anthony green singlet, obscured at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Dolan, who won the silver medal att he masters 10 Mile Championships in Flint MI last month, made it two in a row. Dolan had a lead of well over a quarter mile on the field when he crossed the finish line. Luis Absalon Clifton Roadrunners, who finished tenth in this division last year, moved up to the bronze medal this year. Just over a minute later, Robert Irwin Willow Street AC finished fourth He was followed half a minute later by Brian Sydow Atlanta Track Club in fifth.
David Guzik 43:51 Frederick Dolan 44:09 Luis Absalon 46:20
55-59 Brian Crowley, the defending champion developed a conflict and could not compete. The three-way contest anticipated between Crowley, Hixson Greater Springfield and Shane Anthony Unattached PA did not take place. Anthony, in his first year in the division, started out strong, running with Guzik from M50 for the first part of the race. At Mile 1.5, Anthony had a good 40-meter lead on Hixson. Anthony, like most others, slowed a bit over miles 5 and 6, but finished strong. Anthony grew his lead to over forty meters by the time he crossed the finish line to claim the gold medal.
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| Shane Anthony wins the M55 Division by a large margin, ahead of an Open runner at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Hixson could not stay with Anthony but held off everyone else. His closest rival, Carlos Nunes New Jersey Pacers, was well over a quarter mile back when Hixson was claiming the silver medal. Forty-eight seconds after Nunes crossed the finish line in third place, Dale Flanders Genesee Valley Harriers sped across the finish line in fourth, edging John Hogan Garden State by just three seconds.
Shane Anthony 42:58 Mark Hixson 43:56 Carlos Nunes 46:07
60-64 Larson not only made the age grading podium, he defended his division championship. Last year it was Larson and Lee going 1-2 in 42:36 and 43:25, with Lester Dragstedt fifth at 46:18. Each had an injury issue to deal with in the weeks leading up to these championships. Larson had not competed at a national championship since the end of April. Lee seems able to compete whether healthy or not without causing long-term damage. A week before this championship, Lee raced the 5th Avenue Mile, finishing 5th in 60-64 in 5:19. The week before that it was half of the Faxon Law HM Relay in New Haven. And the week before that was when he felt a sharp, burning pain in his left calf during a Half Marathon, his 6th event at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden. You get the idea; he races a lot! Dragstedt, too, was on the comeback trail after a stress fracture in early June. Dragstedt also competed at WMA. All ran a bit slower this year, partially due to the weather. Unlike last year where Larson and Lee battled for much of the race, Larson went out to an early lead. Lee, with a compression sock on his left leg, took it out hard. His first mile was only 30 seconds slower than his time at the 5th Ave Mile the week before. Larson was content to let Lee have the early lead. By the 4th mile, Lee needed to ease up; his 4th mile was 16 seconds slower than his third. Larson worked his way past and continued to add to his lead with every remaining mile. Larson had the win in the end with a cushion of well over 200 meters.
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| Nat Larson charges to the Finish Line and his M60 Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Lee is a tough customer, no doubt; he earned his silver medal, as did Dragstedt, a quarter mile behind Lee in 3rd. Alberto Perez New Jersey Pacers, 8th last year in M55, finished 4th at 48:14.
Nat Larson 44:40 Rick Lee 45:47 Lester Dragstedt 47:50
65-69 It has been a good late summer of championship racing for Ken Youngers Atlanta TC. Second in your age division at the Masters Ten Mile Championships might not sound great but when you have Rick Becker in your age division, things are not easy. That Becker and Youngers went 1-3 in age grading is more indicative of the fine run that Youngers enjoyed in Flint last month. It is especially gratifying because Youngers has had back issues and other health challenges over the last couple of years. As noted in the age grading section above, Youngers had another sterling day. No one could stay with him as he won the age division and moved up to the gold medal position in age grading,
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| Jay Littlepage purple singlet takes it out hard on his way to the M65 Silver Medal, running with M60 Rich Power #160, M50 Christophe Cadiou #112, and another younger Atlanta runner at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Jay Littlepage Athletics Boulder who just moved up to M65 this year, came in with high hopes. He had finished ahead of Youngers at the 10 Km Championships at the end of April, albeit in different age divisions. Youngers gave him no chance. Even though Littlepage covered his first mile in 6:16, he was a good 50 meters astern of Youngers by the 1.5-mile mark. By the time Youngers crossed the finish line, he had 150 meters on his rival from Colorado. Littlepage was happy with his race. He had run just 14 seconds slower than the previous year when the weather was more conducive to good times. Most athletes who were here last year ran slower this year and some ran much slower. When Littlepage came across the line in 2nd, third place finisher, John Blaser Unattached IA, still had a half mile to go. But Blaser, in turn, had a good minute on his closest division rivals. In a race for team bragging rights, the 'new kid on the block', Carl Gensib, 65 Shore AC, held off Kevin Dollard Shore AC to take 4th place by a single second!
Ken Youngers 47:06 Jay Littlepage 47:47 John Blaser 51:32
70-74 Rehabbing injuries for much of the past few years, it had been a while since Reno Stirrat Shore AC was a top contender for the age division prize. Despite being a regular podium contender in the 60-64 division before the Covid pandemic, the 65-69 podium had been elusive if not absent. With his worst injuries behind him and a new age division, Stirrat has had a good 2024. He finished 5th at the Masters 10 Km in late April but was well within a minute of the winner. Fifth again at the Ten Mile Championships, Stirrat closed strong to finish just two seconds behind Joe Reda Unattached WI, the winner of the 10 Km Championship. Perhaps more importantly Stirrat covered that hilly course over two minutes faster than he ran in his late February 10 Miler. Coming into this race, his training had been good; Stirrat liked his chances. Going out strong with his running partner, Dollard, from 65-69, Stirrat hit the first mile in 6:43. By a half mile later he had a good 20 meters on his closest rival, Don Morrison Greater Philadelphia TC. It was another ten meters back to Reda, in third and another ten beyond Reda to Fernando Moura Greater Philadelphia, in fourth. Mura's conservative approach in the early going paid off later. He was able to surge past Reda and Morrison. But he could not catch Stirrat! Stirrat was still averaging under his ideal target of 7 minutes a mile average at the 5-mile mark. Slowing noticeably in the 6th mile, he recovered nicely in the seventh, reaching deep to push his pace back closer to 7. When he crossed the finish line in first, Stirrat had a lead of over 300 meters!
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| Reno Stirrat closes strong to take the M70 Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
In the battle for second place, Moura had more than his rivals at the end. He claimed the silver medal fifteen meters ahead of Morrison who was, in turn, about 15 meters ahead of Reda.
Reno Stirrat 52:55 Fernando Moura 54:30 Don Morrison 54:35
75-79 Jerry Learned Atlanta TC and I, Paul Carlin Ann Arbor TC, have been rivals on the USATF Masters national circuit for the past ten years or so. In the early years I had a small edge. Later it was a toss-up. Since Covid it has been all Learned. We were entering as the favorites for 1-2 but no one would have expected it to be close. It was not. I kept Jerry in sight for much of the first mile but that was it. He probably hit his first mile under 8 minutes, and I was at 8:18. By the 1.5 Mile mark I was at least 60 meters back. Learned had no trouble taking the win; he was almost four minutes ahead of me at the finish. The rest of the field was further behind Learned. It was a dominant win for Learned!
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| Jerry Learned heads to the finish line and his dominant M75 win, with no rivals in sight, at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
When I claimed second, Bruce Langenkamp Morris County Striders had over a kilometer to go. Langenkamp kept it up all the way to the finish line with the sun beating down a little hotter each minute. A year and a half ago, Allen Joyce Atlanta TC beat me on the Cross Country course in Richmond, VA. A couple of months later, at the Ten Mile Championships in Sacramento last year in April, I passed him at the 6-mile mark. Joyce passed me back with less than a half mile to go, but I was able to rally and pull away in the stretch to come in ahead of him. But it has not been as close in the last year; Joyce must be struggling with injury or a health issue. He was running for the team, finishing fourth, two minutes behind Langenkamp. Przemek Nowicki, who programs the Individual Grand Prix standings as a volunteer, had a tough day on the course, but finished fifth.
Jerry Learned 1:00:52 Paul Carlin 1:04:47 Bruce Langenkamp 1:11:51
80-84 Jan Frisby Boulder Road Runners turned 80 earlier this year and promptly took wins at the Masters 10 Km and 1 Mile championships. But as his training was ramping up for the WMA Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, Frisby strained his glute. He finished out of the medals at the one race he was able to run n Sweden. The rehab he did in the run up to this championship enabled him to largely heal the glute but his fitness had deteriorated due to the inability to perform standard workouts. He told me he would be delighted to run 9 minutes per mile pace, if possible, and to finish 4th or better to increase his Grand Prix point total. Tom Jennings Greater Philadelphia TC who has won many a division national championship on the track came in with credentials suggesting he might run around 9 minutes a mile or faster. His 44:31 win at the Spring Lake 5 Miler in late May corresponds to a 1:07:30 12 Km, about three ticks over 9 minutes per mile pace. His 1:29:36 at the flat, fast Blue Cross Broad Street Run 10 Miler in Philadelphia in early May lines up with a 1:05:25 10 Miler. That is probably too optimistic, but it suggested that Jennings might manage a sub-9 pace for the 12 K. Edward Leydon ran 1:34:05 at the Annapolis Ten Mile Run last month; that matches up with a 1:08:41 12K, a pace of 9:13 per mile. It looked like a pretty close race among the prime contenders, even if the rest of the field was a bit more spaced out. Frisby took it out the fastest, but Jennings and Leydon were not far back. Frisby had just 15 meters on Jennings at Mile 1.5, with Leydon only a few meters further back. After the 5th mile, Frisby started to struggle and the 9-minute per mile goal pace went by the board. Jennings and Leydon both worked their way past. Jennings pulled away from Leydon, claiming the win in 1:07:58.
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| Tom Jennings blue singlet, far left cruises to the Finish Line and his M80 Gold Medal at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
His average pace of 9:07 per mile was very creditable in the conditions prevailing for those running into the mid-morning when temperatures rose to 77F. Leydon was only seven seconds behind Jennings, but Jennings powered to the line with a full head of steam and determination! Leydon could not close down the gap! Two minutes later, Frisby crossed the finish line. He had not managed the 9-minute per mile pace he hoped for, but his bronze medal finish was one better than his goal of 4th or above. After Frisby stopped, it took the fourth place finisher, Daniel Kirsch New Jersey Masters TF, almost 18 minutes to finish. That shows determination!
Tom Jennings 1:07:58 Edward Leydon 1:08:05 Jan Frisby 1:10:00
WOMEN 40-44 Bertasso, Francis, and Mahoney went 2-3-4 overall. At the same time, they finished 1-2-3 in this division.
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| Karen Bertasso closes out her highly successful run, claiming the 2nd spot Overall and the Gold Medal in W40 at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Elizabeth Wakeling Garden State was their closest competitor. She had already lost considerable ground to those three by the time they passed the 1.5 Mile marker. Wakeling was not able to capitalize on her more conservative start, but she also did not lose much further ground. Wakeling was just 14 seconds behind Mahoney at the finish.
Karen Bertasso 43:58 Jessica Francis 45:53 Maria Mahoney 46:32
45-49 Groner led the way overall, breaking the American 45-49 12 Km Record. She takes the 45-49 division crown as well. Jeanelle Jamison Garden State lived up to her reputation. Jamison had run a 1:31:29 Half Marathon at the Philadelphia Distance Run last fall and a 1:08:05 Ten Miler at the Blue Cross Borad Street Run this May. Both suggested a time around 50 minutes was possible. Jamison did not quite manage that, likely due to the warm conditions, but she had no trouble snagging the silver medal.
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| Jeanelle Jamison won the Women's 45-49 Silver Medal at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
It was well over a quarter of a mile back to the bronze medal winner, Lori Kilmurray New Jersey Pacers. Kilmurray dominated the rest of the field. When she crossed the finish line, her closest rival still had 2 kilometers to run.
Roberta Groner 42:23 Jeanelle Jamison 55:54 Lori Killmurray 58:21
50-54 Hortencia Aliaga's bronze medal performance in the 10K at the WMA Championships in 38:09 served notice that she had to be considered a contender for the win. Abby Dean had entered but, in the end, was not able to be at the Championships. That left Aliaga the clear favorite for the win. She did not disappoint. Aliaga was just outside the top 5 overall in the early going and had a good 60 meters on her teammate, Katherine Huggins Garden State, her closest division rival on the day, at the Mile 1.5 mark. Huggins, in turn, had a healthy lead on another teammate, Kimberly Aspholm. Ali Marzulla Shore AC was a few strides back from Aspholm. The gaps grew larger, but the order remained the same throughout the race. Aliaga sped to a comfortable win, with a cushion of nearly a half mile.
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| Hortencia Aliaga, firing on all cylinders as she finishes off her Women's 50-54 Gold Medal Run at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Huggins, in turn, encountered no serious threat to her taking the silver medal. It was 400 meters further back to Aspholm and then another 500 meters to Marzulla. It was 1-2-3 for the Garden State teammates, a great day! Marzulla ran tough. Her 54:05 was solid under the conditions but was not fast enough to break up the Garden State trio.
Hortencia Aliaga 47:51 Kathy Huggins 51:09 Kim Aspholm 52:19
55-59 Bayly not only won this division last year, she finished fifth overall, and achieved top ten in age grading. Bayly entered the strong favorite. At the Ten Mile Championships in Flint, Bayly was off her best due to a recurrence of vertigo, which has occasionally troubled her. Even so she finished 2nd in the division and was well inside the top 10 women in age grading. Here again it was not as good an outing as Bayly is used to. But almost anyone else would be pleased as punch! She took it out strong, slowed a bit in miles 5 and 6 and recovered a bit to bring it home. Bayly enjoyed a bigger margin of victory this year than last. When Bayly crossed the finish line in first, the next division athlete still had a half mile to go.
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| Fiona Bayly flies to the Finish Line and her Women's 55-59 Gold Medal at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Lori Kingsley Willow Street AC finished second to Bayly last year and repeated the feat this year. Laura Delea Shore AC was underprepared for this race but her general fitness and competitiveness enabled her to have a successful race. Last year she did not compete; two years ago, Delea was 9th in 56:52. This year Delea ran over a minute faster than that, finishing third in the division. Anabelle Broadbent Greater Philadelphia TC was fourth in 57:41.
Fiona Bayly 48:02 Lori Kingsley 51:45 Laura Delea 54:57
60-64 Normally when an athlete finishes second in age grading, I can write that they thoroughly dominated their division. La Burt Shore AC rarely gets that treatment, not because she fails to run blazingly fast. After all, she also broke the American Record. It is because Mary Cass Liberty AC, in the same division, also runs very fast. Before La Burt entered the division, it was Cass who was winning the division. But this was about as dominant for La Burt as it has been. In many races over the last year, Cass was able to stay close to La Burt. This was not one of those times. Cass ran well but found herself slipping backwards from la Burt. La Burt enjoyed this victory with two and a half minutes to spare. Cass had no trouble staying well ahead of all others, taking the silver medal with a cushion of over four minutes.
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| Mary Cass strides to the finish line, earning her Silver Medal in Women's 60-64 and her Bronze Age Grading Championships Medal Overall at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Donna Grocki Shore AC in her first race at these championships ran well, finishing ahead of three strong runners, Mary Swan Greater Philadelphia, Suzanne Cordes Impala Racing, and Amanda King Liberty AC, 4th, 5th, and 6th in that order.
Suzanne La Burt 48:42 Mary Cass 51:18 Donna Grocki 55:24
65-69 Cary, tops in age grading, did get to dominate her division. She won by over five 70-74minutes! That is despite Candace Stanton running very well. Stanton had the fastest second place time in the last three years.
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| Candace Stanton won the Silver Medal in Women's 65-69 at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
But Cary is unstoppable right now. As noted above, it is her second consecutive 100%+ age grade PLP. And at the 10 Km Masters Championships in late April, her PLP was 99.81! Diane Rothman and Hilary Fandel battled for the bronze medal, finishing just 11 seconds apart. Fandel went out faster and enjoyed a 50-meter lead over Rothman at the 1.5 mile mark. But Rothman made good use of the early energy saved. She moved past Fandel much later in the race and made her lead hold all the way to the finish line. Rothman took the bronze medal with just 40 meters back to Fandel in 4th. It was an incredible race from Cary and a very strong race for the silver medalist, Stanton.
Nora Cary 51:45 Candace Stanton 56:53 Diane Rothman 59:48
70-74 This division featured a New Jersey rivalry playing itself out on the national stage, and one of the closest division races of the day. Marybeth Campau Raritan Valley Road Runners and Roberta Geist Morris County Striders ran much of the race within sight of one another. At the 1.5 mile mark, Campau had a stride or two on Geist but that was all. When the finish line was in sight, Campeau had more in the tank. Geist had stayed close to Campau but could not close. Campau enjoyed the victory with 40 meters to spare.
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| Marybeth Campau heads for the finish line and the Gold Medal in Women's 70-74, with Roberta Geist, silver medalist in background, at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Geist's teammate, Debra Bernstein Morris County Striders finished third 17 minutes later. Campau's teammate, Roseann Svihra, Raritan Valley Road Runners, was just a minute and a half back in fourth.
Marybeth Campau 1:22:19 Roberta Geist 1:22:37 Debra Bernstein 1:39:18
75-79 Bonnie Brunish Raritan Valley Road Runners had a birthday and, all of a sudden, found herself alone in her new age division. Last year she finished fifth in 70-74.
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| Bonnie Brunish strides gleefully to the finish line, earning her Gold Medal for winning the Women's 80-84 Division at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
This year she won the gold medal in 75-79!
Bonnie Brunish 1:32:29
80-84 No entries.
85-89 Sandra Folzer won the 80-84 championship in 2022, defeating the celebrated Masters athlete, Heide Moebius by four minutes. Last year Folzer was unchallenged for the 80-84 championship, winning in a slower time than the year before. Even though she was unchallenged in 85-89 this year, Folzer dropped her time back down to within 17 seconds of her 2022 time, a very nice accomplishment.
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| Sandra Folzer heads for the finish line, an American Record, and her third consecutive Age Division Championship, this time in Women's 85-89. At the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ's 'By Hook Or By Crook' Run Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
She claimed her third consecutive 12 Km national title.
Sandra Folzer 1:24:42
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS Note: Team score is the sum of the times for the first three athletes on each team. Teams may have up to 5 members on the team. Numbers four and five are for 'insurance.' One or more of the top three may not make it to the event after all or may show up with less fitness than expected or have an injury flare up during the race.
WOMEN 40+ Last year the Garden State Track Club took top honors, with Shore AC in second place. The West Valley Track Club from the San Francisco Bay area claimed the bronze medals. It was a different landscape this year. West Valley did not make the coast-to-coast trip this year. Garden State and Shore AC were back but each had just one carryover member from last year. Jessica Francis landed first for Shore at 45:53. A half minute later, Maria Mahoney and Elizabeth Wakeling answered for Garden State at 46:32 and 46:46. When Karen dos Santos came across the line for Shore in 49:59, GSTC enjoyed a lead of 2:34. Gaden State knew their third runner would not be in for a while; Shore knew their third runner would not be in for a long while. Janelle Jamison closed off the scoring for Garden State at 55:54. Since they had been ahead with two runners in, that gave Garden State the win. Aransas Savas finished at 1:12:12 for Shore. That closed the door on Fleet Feet/Essex Racing who had high hopes of the silver medals until then. It was GSTC with the win, Shore in 2nd and Fleet Feet third. Raritan Valley Road Runners were 4th, followed by Clifton Roadrunners.
Garden State Track Club M Mahoney, E Wakeling, J Jamison 2:29:12 49:44 average
Shore AC J Francis, K dos Santos, A Savas 2:48:04 56:01.33
Fleet Feet/Essex Racing C Stanton, H Fandel, S Spitaletta, C Ramirez 3:07:00 1:02:20
50+ Last year Garden State edged Shore for the win by less than a minute. Willow Street finished third, a little under 2 minutes ahead of Greater Philadelphia. Neither Willow Street nor Greater Philadelphia were able to send complete teams this year. Garden State returned with their top two runners. Shore would counter with their 2-3 runners from last year. It was no contest. As noted in the Age Division section above, Garden State took the top three spots in W50, with Shore scoring after that. It was the same story for the silver medals. Shore had three runners in before the first runner for Raritan Valley.
Garden State Track Club H Aliaga, K Huggins, K Aspholm G Panepinto 2:31:19 50:26.33 average
Shore AC A Marzulla, L Delea, A Puma, M Massell 2:45:18 55:06
Raritan Valley RR K S Feder, J Miller, W Rieger 3:04:36 1:01:32
60+ In 2023, Shore AC and Liberty AC had a tight race, not decided until the #3 runner for Shore finished. Shore had the same cast back and Liberty had only their top runner back. It was not as close this year. Suzanne La Burt scored first for Shore at 48:42 and was followed by Liberty's #1, Mary Cass. But rather than going back and forth after that, it was all Shore. Nora Cary and Donna Grocki were able to finish before Liberty's #2 runner. This year Shore enjoyed a winning margin of almost 16 minutes. Liberty had no problem holding onto second. Cass, Amanda King and Mary McNulty were all able to finish before Shore's B team got a runner across the line. But Kim Hart, Susan Stirrat, Luz Ravines, and Leslie Nowicki all scored for Shore 'B' ahead of the entire Morris +County Striders team. Shore went 1-3 with A and B.
Shore AC 'A' S La Burt, N Cary, D Grocki, D Rothman 2:35:51 51:57 average
Liberty AC M Cass, A King, M McNulty 2:51:47 57:15.67
Shore AC 'B' K Hart, S Stirrat, L Ravines, L Nowicki 3:18:47 1:06:15.67
70+ Last year, Team Red Lizard flew in from Oregon to contest this division. The Raritan Valley Road Runners had this division all to themselves this year. Marybeth Campau, Bonnie Brunish and Roseann Svihra scored the win for Raritan Valley.
Raritan Valley Road Runners M Campau, B Brunish, R Svihra 4:35:37 1:31:52.33 average
MEN 40+ Last year Garden State entered two strong teams. Their 'A' team enjoyed the victory. Shore AC worked hard to get in ahead of the GSTC 'B' team. Garden State had just one team this year but it was strong. The 'A' team's first four runners, Brian Flynn, Fabian Eduardo Daza, Joseph Gaynor and Aaron Totten-Lancaster arrived at the finish line before the #1 runner of any other 40+ team. And the 'A' team's fifth runner, John Hogan finished ahead of all but one runner from any other scoring team. GSTC 'A' had the win. Then it was a battle between Fleet Feet/Essex Racing and Shore. Shore's Joe Maranzani scored at 46:52. Ten seconds later it was Essex Racing's Donny Santos crossing the line. A minute and a half later, Essex's Brian Rock arrived five seconds before Shore's Christopher Whitehead, cutting Shore's lead in half! With just 5 seconds between the two teams it was likely that whichever team scored next would be the winner. And that is how it ended! A minute later, Essex Racing's Glen Freyer finished 28 seconds ahead of Shore's Daniel Campbell. Fleet Feet/Essex and Shore went 2-3 ahead of Clifton and Raritan.
Garden State Track Club B Flynn, F Daza, J Gaynor, A Totten-Lancaster, J Hogan 2:00:34 40:11.33 average
Fleet Feet/Essex Racing D Santos, B Rock, G Freyer, C Slaughter, H Del Bove 2:25:46 48:28.67
Shore AC J Maranzani, C Whitehead, D Campbell, A Yearsley 2:25:49 48:36.33
50+ Last year, the Atlanta Track Club, the Genesee Valley Harriers and the Greater Springfield Harriers all brought in teams to contest this division. The Atlanta team was strong enough to snatch the title from Garden State, with Freedom-Garmin Runners third. This year was different. GSTC did not enter a team in 50+. Atlanta brought a strong team again. But GVH and Greater Springfield brought 'Let's just get some Grand Prix points' teams that were not truly competitive for the podium. To be fair, Greater Springfield was actually in the lead after their two top runners, Mark Hixson and Nat Larson crossed the finish line. But they knew that Francis Burdett was there simply to be sure that GSH scored some GP points. Burdett had hip surgery earlier this year and has not resumed full workouts yet, although he has done the prescribed mix walk/run workouts to ramp back up safely. Burdett loves to race and this gave him an opportunity to do so in a controlled way. In the battle for first between Atlanta and Shore, Fred Dolan got Atlanta on the board first at 44:09. Three minutes and a bit later, Jeff Conston answered as Shore's #1 runner. A half minute later, Brian Sydow came across for Atlanta, to be answered another half minute later by Shore's Ken Ginsburg. A minute later, Atlanta's Christophe Cadiou crossed seven seconds ahead of Shore's #3, Joe Gambescia. That did it, Atlanta enjoyed the win with a four-minute cushion. The Clifton Roadrunners have not often had a competitive 50+ team. Last year they finished seventh, over 19 minutes behind Atlanta. But they added a strong runner in the #2 position and gave Shore a real battle for the silver medals. Luis Absalon led the way, giving Clifton an initial lead of just over a minute. A minute later, Shore's Ginsburg gouged 21 seconds out of that lead by coming in ahead of Clifton's Mark Snyder. Shore's Gambescia got the rest of it back by finishing a minute ahead of Clifton's #3, Hugo Vadillo. Clifton clinched the last podium spot by having a tighter three-pack than the New Jersey Pacers Run Club. Vadillo finished five minutes ahead of the Pacers' #3 athlete, providing Clifton's winning margin of four minutes. The Pacers were followed by Greater Springfield, Shore 'B', Clifton 'B', GVH, and Morris County Striders, in that order.
Atlanta Track Club F Dolan, B Sydow, C Cadiou 2:21:48 47:16.00 average
Shore Athletic Club 'A' J Conston, K Ginsburg, J Gambescia, J Demetrick 2:25:50 48:36.67
Clifton Road Runners 'A' L Absalon, M Snyder, H Vadillo, N Joannidis 2:26:02 48:40.67
60+ Last year the Ann Arbor Track Club brought a pretty strong team from Michigan. Atlanta brought a stronger one from Georgia, and the home team, the Shore Athletic Club, had the strongest team. This year Ann Arbor was missing their #1 runner but had a tighter #1 through #3 pack than last year. With a revitalized Ken Youngers leading the way, Atlanta brought a very strong team, even if Lester Dragstedt was not quite at full speed. Rick Lee is no longer on the Shore AC 60+ team, a big loss. When Henry Notaro, their new #1, also could not make it to the race, Shore was struggling; they entered a tight group of very solid runners, but they lacked the ability to post a top time. Just 44 seconds apart, Youngers and Dragstedt put Atlanta on the board first. They had two runners in with a combined total of 1:34:56. A long minute later, Harold Porcher answered for the Garden State Track Club, four seconds ahead of Mike Mertens of GVH. Ten seconds later, Rich Power finished for Ann Arbor, with his teammate, Larry Saks next, just 27 seconds later. That gave Ann Arbor two runners in at 1:39:15, four minutes and change behind Atlanta. The next two runners to finish, scored for Atlanta, Casey Hannan and Greg Oshust. Had Hannan not slammed the door shut on the other teams, Oshust would have. Shore struck next, bringing Carl Gensib, Kevin Dollard, and Donald Schwartz across the finish line in quick succession, with less than a minute between #1 and #3. Now Shore had a complete scoring team in with a total of 2:38:54. Ann Arbor needed their #3 runner, Ward Freeman, to finish inside 59:39. When the clock ticked past 58 minutes, there was time for Ann Arbor to worry...but only for 23 seconds. That is when Freeman crossed the line, delivering the mail for Ann Arbor. Their final total was 16 seconds faster than Shore. They had the silver medals! Shore was happy to keep a spot on the podium. They wound up keeping GVH off the podium by 1:07. After GVH in fourth, it was Garden State, Shore 'B', and Clifton.
Atlanta Track Club K Youngers, L Dragstedt, C Hannan, G Oshust, M Anderson 2:26:01 48:40.33
Ann Arbor Track Club R Power, L Sak, W Freeman, P Carlin, M Mester 2:37:38 52:32.67
Shore Athletic Club C Gensib, K Dollard, D Scwartz, M Hersey 2:38:54 52:58
70+ Last year it was Atlanta leading the way, followed by Greater Philadelphia, Shore, GVH and Ann Arbor. Atlanta's top two runners from last year were absent. That made it tougher for them. Greater Philadelphia was missing their #1 runner from last year but enjoyed a solid replacement, sliding in as either #1 or #2. But they also were the only complete team to include someone from the 80-84 division in their top 3. Shore had the latest and greatest version of Reno Stirrat leading the way. That cemented the home team's edge. Stirrat came across the line first. He was followed a minute and a half later by GPTC's 1-2 punch of Fernando Moura and Don Morrison, crossing the line just five seconds apart. But they knew it would be a while before their octogenarian teammate could finish. Five minutes later, Peter Auteri gave Shore their 2nd score, 12 seconds ahead of Atlanta's #1, Ward Irvin. A minute later, Jerry Learned gave Atlanta their 2nd scoring runner. They were well behind Shore and Greater Philadelphia. The next runner is was Shore's Ken Wilson, closing off their scoring at 2:54:27. If Greater Philadelphia's #3 could cross the finish line before 1:05:22 they would claim the win. It is not an impossible task and Tom Jennings is a strong runner. The Masters Hall of Fame runner, Doug Goodhue, admittedly with better weather, ran 1:02;42 last year. Still, it was a very tall order. Jennings almost got it done. When the clock ticked past 1:05:30, Shore knew they had the win. Jennings crossed the line in time to give GPTC the silver medals, though! Atlanta enjoyed the bronze medal and the 80 Grand Prix team points. Shore's 'B' team finished fourth.
Shore Athletic Club R Stirrat, P Auteri, K Wilson, B Bosmann 2:54:27 58:09
Greater Philadelphia Track Club F Moura, D Morrison, T Jennings 2:57:03 59:01
Atlanta Track Club W Irvin, J Learned, A Joyce, P Taylor, S Benedict 3:14.33 1:04:51
That takes care of the team contests. Garden State had the most overall success, winning two divisions in the Women's contests and one in the Men's. Shore AC had two wins, in W60+ and M70+, as did Atlanta, in M50+ and M60+. Raritan Valley claimed the W70+ title.
The final stop in this stretch of longer distance masters national championships is the Half Marathon in Indianapolis. Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation partnered to bring an exciting One Mile Masters Championship to Indianapolis. Now they are partnering on this endeavor. The event will be hosted at the Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben on October 5th. Details are here.
