Thursday, October 31, 2024

Masters Athletes Head for High Altitude Fun on the Front Range of the Rockies!

 October 30, 2024 T.E.A.M. Boulder welcomes Masters Athletes as the featured event of the Colleen De Reuck Cross Country Classic this Saturday, November 2, 2024. The event is at Harlow Platts/Viele Lake Park, in Boulder Colorado, a return visit to the site of the 2022 edition of these championships. Perfect Cross Country weather is in store--sunny skies, with temperatures in the low to mid-40’s for the Men’s race at 9:40 AM, rising into the low 50’s by the time the Women’s race concludes the day at 11 AM. The majority of the entrants run and train at altitude. It will be tough for sea level athletes to make the podium in their age division. Some were successful last time around in 2022; there should be some this time as well.

OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN The Men’s race features Joseph Gray Boulder CO, 16-time national Mountain Running Champion and the 2016 World Mountain Running Champion. His first entry in a USATF Masters Championship resulted in Gray capturing the 10 Km Overall Championship in 30:44. Although not an American Record, that was a Course Record on a course that has hosted the USATF Masters Championships since 2014. Racing at over a mile high and, with a couple of good hill climbs, Gray must surely be the favorite! Gray will be challenged by Tyer Butterfield Niwot CO and Neil McDonagh Colorado Springs CO. Jeffrey Eggleston Lafayette CO, Anthony Gallo Flagstaff CO, Daniel McIntosh Cheyenne WY, and Robert 'Robbie' Wade Westminster Co could also shake things up!  

Start of the Men's Race at the 2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo

Butterfield is a two-time Olympic triathlete; he competed for Bermuda in 2004 and 2012, finishing in the mid 30's both times. Butterfield showed his current fitness in claiming the Masters win in the first event in the Boulder XC series on this course on October 12th. He covered the 5 Km in 16:37. 

McDonagh is the reigning Masters Road Mile Champion, capturing that title in majestic fashion in Danville CA this past June, with a winning margin of over thirty meters! He must be the fastest miler in this contest! But McDonagh can run Cross Country! In the 2022 edition of these championships, held in Boulder, McDonagh finished just off the podium in 16:50. In November 2023, McDonagh finished 2nd in the Masters competition at the Colleen De Reuck Classic, over the same course, in 16:56. 

Eggleston has distance speed to burn on the roads. He clocked 32:37 this May at the Bolder Boulder 10K, known as a challenging course. Four months later he ran 16:06 at the Bolderthon 5K. Firing on all cylinders in July, Eggleston smoked a 15:12 at the Cookie Chase 5K. Without a recent Cross Country experience to go by, it is hard to know how he will fare on. the turf.

Gallo finished fifth at Boulder in 2022, just fifteen seconds behind McDonagh. Seven weeks later he again finished behind McDonagh, sixteen seconds back this time, at Club Cross in San Francisco. Gallo has been close. perhaps this will be his championship to reverse the tables?

McIntosh crushed the Equinox Half Marathon this September, finishing 9th overall and first Masters in 1:14:13. That is an impressive Masters time at elevation. Of course it is downhill overall; there is 600 feet of climb at the start, followed by nearly 2000' of drop over the last 21 miles or so. And McIntosh, residing in Cheyenne, WY, actually comes down in elevation, whether to Fort Collins for the Equinox or to Boulder for these championships. He cannot match McDonagh's speed on the road. He finished 40 seconds behind McDonagh at the Cookie Chase 5K this summer. But the endurance exhi8bited at Equinox may come into play over the second half of the race on Saturday.

Wade cannot match McDonagh or Eggleston for speed on the roads. But he has some chops as a Cross Country runner. He matched up with Butterfield in 2023 at the Boulder Cross Country Series #2 over 4 Km and came out on top, beating Butterfield by 8 seconds! Will the extra kilometer or the year of possible fitness change in between make the difference? We will find out on Saturday!

Although it would be a big ask out of the M50 or M55 division, both Greg Mitchell and Frank Zoldak deserve to be mentioned. In the mid-teens, Mitchell was winning, or nearly winning, the Overall Men's Masters races at Club Cross and Cross Nationals almost every year. Mitchell took the overall title over ten kilometers on the Lehigh course in Bethlehem PA in 2014 with a 31:59. More recently, Mitchell took 4th in M50 at Club Cross in Tallahassee in 2023 with a 35:35 over 10K. This year, on the roads he cracked a 16:01 at the Bowerman 5K and a 33:08 10K at the OTC Butte to Butte Run. Zoldak ran with the leaders for much of the race at Club Cross in Tallahassee in 2023. In the end, he finished 11th overall in 34:51.

Joseph Gray Claimed the Overall Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA Photo Credit: Mike Scott


Gray is the favorite, no doubt. After Gray, it looks like Butterfield has a bit of an edge over McDonagh on the turf. Eggleston may prove himself on the turf and Wade may show that 5K XC is no different than 4K XC. And what about Zoldak and Mitchell? Will either be able to find the magic to lift his race performance enough to land on the podium? It will be a fascinating race to watch unfold.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Tyler Butterfield   Joseph Gray     Neil McDonagh

WOMEN Ann Kirkpatrick, a 2020 Olympic marathon trials competitor, won the 5 Km XC Championship here in 2022, with a 19:21 effort, and returns to defend. She was the top Overall Woman at the Black Squirrel Trail Half Marathon in early September. Kirkpatrick has shown good road speed with a 36:56 at the Bolder Boulder 10K in May and a 17:20 5K this past weekend at the Colorado State Homecoming 5K. Melissa Dock Boulder CO captured the Women’s 40-44 Gold medal in Cross Country at the WMA Championships in Sweden this summer. This May, she finished 26 seconds ahead of Kirkpatrick at the Bolder Boulder 10K. Both Dock and Kirkpatrick were in the Open Championship sat Club Cross in Tallahassee in 2021. Dock had the honors, finishing 9th in 20:23 to Kirkpatrick's 47th in 21:47.  It should be quite a rematch on the turf! Shelley McDonald Loveland CO finished just off the age grading podium in 2022 with a 21:15. The following year she finished 12th overall at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in 1:16:40. Jacquie Mannhard Boulder CO and Michele Yates Conifer CO deserve mention as well. Mannhard won the Boulder Cross Country Series #1 race over 5 km this October in 19:53. That is a half-minute slower than Kirkpatrick's time in 2022. But every cross country race is different, and the margin is not huge. Yates gets a mention because she dropped down from Colorado to Georgia, finishing 4th overall in the Women's race at the 5Km Masters Championships in Atlanta last February, clocking 17:57. All of these athletes run and train along the Front Range; it will be quite a dust-up!

Start of the Women's Race at the 2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo

Dock looks to be the favorite, with Kirkpatrick a strong second, followed by McDonald. 

Ann Kirkpatrick heads for the win in the Women's Race at the 2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo


We will find out on Saturday. Either Mannhard, Yates, or both could upset the apple cart though! It should be a terrific race!

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Melissa Dock     Ann Kirkpatrick     Shelley McDonald

AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS

WOMEN 40-44 Unlike some of the recent championships, all of the top contenders for the overall Championships come out of this division. Dock, Kirkpatrick and McDonald are favored for the overall podium. They must be the favorites for 40-44 as well. See above for the discussion.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Melissa Dock     Ann Kirkpatrick     Shelley McDonald

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: None of the athletes atop the rankings are entered as of today. April Lund leads with 290 points on three events. If Elizabeth 'Liz' Camy, Carrie Dimoff, or Stephanie Pezzullo were to be a last-minute entrant, and Lund did not, that entrant could pass Lund and win the 40-44 Masters Grand Prix title. Otherwise, it goes to Lund. 

45-49 The fastest recent 5K time in this division belongs to Sarah Callor Fort Collins CO with a 21:18 at the Firecracker 5K in Fort Collins in July. The next fastest 5K was turned in by Kelly Joy Boulder CO. She finished 4th Masters athlete in the Women's race at the 2023 Colleen de Reuck XC Championships. She finished 4th Masters in this year's Pikes Peak Ascent Trail Marathon, clocking 2:34:08. The Ascent covers half of the Marathon distance, with a vertical climb of 7800'. She may be the Kelly Joy who has several major Marathon efforts all a little below or a little above three hours. The major marathons do not identify the hometown of the athlete.  Callor also enjoyed a 21:45 at the Flying Pig 5K in Fort Collins. I find no recent cross country results for Callor but she was the second woman to finish the Black Squirrel Trail Half Marathon in September with a 2:11:13. Hiroko Guarneri Villa Rica GA has the next fastest 5K time with a 21:55 at the 5 Km Masters Championships in Atlanta this year. Unlike these others, that is a sea level time. The second fastest Cross country 5k time belongs to Janet Clements Loveland CO, who finished 9th in 40-44 in 2022 in Boulder with a 22:56 on this course. Antigone Pierson Boulder CO could also make a run for the podium. She finished a half minute ahead of Guarneri at Club Cross last December, over 6 Km. More recently, Pierson clocked 50:04 at the Bolder Boulder 10K in May. The mix of cross country performance over 5K and strength up the mountains and over distance suggests Joy is the favorite. After Joy, perhaps Pierson and then maybe Clements. But it is likely to be close. there is no dominant runner in this division. 

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Janet Clements     Kelly Joy     Antigone Pierson

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: Guarneri leads the 45-49 Grand Prix with 320 points. Neither of the two athletes who could overtake her, Jacqueline Cooke and Alicia Martinez, are entered. When Guarneri finishes the race, she will increase her margin of victory in the GP.

Trina Painter finishes off the Women's Race with a Top Five Finish Overall at the 
2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo


50-54 This is the rare division where the favorite is coming up to Boulder from sea level. Samantha Forde Santa Cruz CA finished 5th in W50 here in 2022 with a 23:32. A regular on the turf her most recent outings include a 4th place finish over 6K at Tallahassee last December in 25:18 and a 2nd place finish in Richmond in an almost identical 25:24. Forde has good speed on the roads as well, finishing 4th, in 40:52, at the Masters 10 Km championships last April. The only other athlete with a comparable time is Forde's teammate, Alexandra Newman Golden CO, who resides in Colorado and runs for Impala as their Out of Association runner. She ran a half minute slower in 2022. Tina Jones Fort Collins CO was another minute behind Newman. Who else might challenge Forde? Nicole Howley Boulder CO has decent road speed, covering the 5K of the Alpine Bank Thanksgiving Day in 21:18. Howley also has her mountain trail running credentials in order with a 3:34:12 on the Mt Evans Ascent Trail Run. Christie Nie, another sea level runner, posted a 50:42 to finish second in this division at the Masters 12 Km Championships at Sandy Hook in September.  I find no recent Cross Country races but Nie, too, has a mountain race among her credentials. She was the fifth woman across the finish line in 2018 at the Endurance Santa Fe Mountain Run, stopping the clock at 3:39:12. Alexandra 'Ali' Marzulla Red Bank NJ could also make some noise. Her 2021 time at Tallahassee was only five seconds slower than Forde's 2023 time at Tallahassee. But Marzulla was not close to Forde at Richmond this year, nor to her teammate, Nie at Sandy Hook in September. Barring a last-minute entry from a stronger Front Range athlete, Forde looks good for the win. Perhaps Nie and Howley will battle for 2nd place? With the elevation, I will go with Howley for 2nd and Nie in third. But there could always be surprises!

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Samantha Forde     Nicole Howley     Christie Nie

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: Forde is the 50-54 Grand Prix leader with 450 points. Three athletes could catch her, in theory. But two of those, Euleen Josiah-Tanner and Abby Dean, are not entered. Alysia Puma is entered; she would need to come in ahead of Forde to have a chance to catch her. Puma did not manage that at Club Cross or Cross Nationals this year. Forde is the likely GP winner.

55-59 Several of the athletes in this division have competed on this course before. The fastest performance was from Kristine Leader Boulder CO, who finished 6th among Masters athletes in the Women's race at the De Reuck Classic last year, in 22:29. Leader can do it all. She clocked 1:42:31 in the Boulderthon Half Marathon last October. Leader's most recent outing was a fourth-place finish at the Oktoberfest 5K in 21:33. Tina Gini Larter Boulder CO finished just a half minute behind Leader in the De Reuck Classic. In May, Larter ran 45:56 at the Bolder Boulder 10K. Her most recent 5K was a 21:52 at the Cookie Chase 5K in July. Cheryl Aley Loveland CO matches up well with Larter on the roads, clocking 45:24 at Bolder Boulder and running 21:54 at the FireKracker 5K in July. When Aley ran the De Reuck Classic in 2022, she clocked 23:52, almost a minute and a half slower than Leader's 2023 time. But that 2022 race may have been weather-impacted. Larter, who ran in both 2022 and 2023, finished almost a minute and a half behind Aley in 2022 but her time the following year was 2 minutes faster. Laura Delea Allamuchy-Hackettstown NJ could have a chance at the podium. She has run well this year, despite an occasional challenge to her training. She finished 2nd at Cross Nationals in this division, over 6K with a 27:05. Her two most recent national outings resulted in podium finishes at the 12 K, 54:49, in September, and the Half Marathon, 1:37:05, in October. Delea felt she was under-trained on distance for the Half Marathon but competed gamely. Perhaps that will work for her in this race where she is under-trained for the altitude. This one is hard to figure. I will go with Aley for the win, followed by Leader, followed by Larter. But I would not be amazed if Delea found her way to the podium one more time this year. NOTE: I can find no race results for Julie King.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Cheryl Alea     Tina Larter     Kristine Leader

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: Fiona Bayly leads the 55-59 Grand Prix with 395 points from 4 races. Bayly is not entered. Maureen Massell is second at 360 points. If she finishes above 13th, she can replace her lowest score, 45, with this higher one. She needs to finish fourth or higher to pass Bayly. Laura Delea is currently in sixth place with 275 points. With a fifth-place finish or better in this championship, Delea can vault past Melissa Chiti, Cassandra Crane, and Hronn Gudmundsdottir into third place in the GP!

Mo Bartley #20 Cruises to a Second Place Finish in the Women 65-69 Division, running with Deb Cunningham from the 60-64 Division at the 2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo



60-64 Kristine Clark is the favorite. Two years ago, on this course, in these championships, Clark ran 21:39 to finish 2nd in 55-59. It was her last year in that division. The following year, Clark finished 7th overall in the Women's Masters race in 22:35. Clark clocked 42:10 at the Bolder Boulder 10K this year. Barring surprises, Clark should run to victory on Saturday. Kate Schulte was well over two minutes behind Clark in 2022, finishing 7th in W55. Schulte turned in a 22:17 5K at lower elevations in Cleveland OH in May and clocked 1:47:15 at the Spring Equinox HM. Laura Bruess did not compete in the 2022 championships but a year later at the USATF-CO championships over the same 5 km course, Bruess finished 18th overall in the Women's Masters race in 24:49. Earlier in 2023, Bruess finished 7th at the Atlanta GA USATF Masters 5 Km Championships in 22:11. Kris Huff could also take a run at the podium if she can adjust well to the altitude. She finished over half a minute ahead of Bruess in Atlanta. A cross country veteran, Huff ran 27:03 over 6 Km in San Francisco at 2022 Club Cross, and 28:11 in Tallahassee at the same distance. This past January, after aging up into 60-64, Huff finished 4th at Cross Nationals in Richmond with a 27:53 over 6 Km. Huff finished 2nd at the 10 Mile and Half marathon Masters championship sin August and October with times of 1:11:56 and 1:39:32. It will be an uphill battle for Huff. Clark, followed by Schulte, followed by Bruess seems more likely. But no one shold be surprised if Huff is on the podium at the end of the day.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Laura Bruess     Kris Clark     Kate Schulte

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: The first two spots in the Grand Prix are set, with Suzanne La Burt taking the win with a perfect 500 points and Mary Cass firmly in second at 480. Huff sits in third going in at 395 points. Had Amanda King, currently in 4th at 340 points, entered and Huff skilled this race, King would likely have passed Huff for third. King could still enter but it would be unlikely she could catch Huff. She would need to win and Huff finish no better than 4th. With Huff skipping this championship, Huff makes the 60-64 Grand Prix podium.

65-69 Another Impala is causing havoc in this division. In 2022, Suzanne Cordes Alamo CA came up from the East Bay area of San Francisco to capture the 60-64 win in 23:16. Here she comes again! Cordes loves Cross Country. She finished 4th in San Francisco at 2022 Club Cross, over 6 Km, in 26:49. The following year, again at the highly competitive Club Cross event, this time in Tallahassee, Cordes again finished 4th in this division with a 27:39. 

Suzanne Cordes #1000 On Her Way to a Bronze Medal Finish in 60-64 at the 2021 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Mike Scott

Three other competitors in this division competed in the 2022 5 Km Masters championship but none finished within six minutes of Cordes. The two athletes best poised to take a run at the podium are two 'flat landers,' Cordes's teammate, Michele Montgomery Kentfield CA and Liane Pancoast Westford MA. Pancoast finished four minutes behind Cordes in San Francisco. This September she clocked 52:13 at the Lone Gull 10K. I find no recent cross country results for Montgomery but in 2018 she ran 20:25 at the Stow Lake Stampede. Her fitness is still there as her 1:16:12 at the Sactown 10 Miler this spring attests. If Montgomery has not lost much of that 5K speed, she is dangerous. Susan Stirrat Rockaway NJ could also break onto the podium but was a couple of minutes back from Pancoast at San Francisco. But her 52:56 at the Masters 10 Km championships is comparable to Pancoast's Lone Gull time. My guess is that it will be Cordes-Pancoast-Montgomery but we will find out on Saturday.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Suzanne Cordes     Michele Montgomery     Liane Pancoast

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: Cordes enters the championships in 7th place in 60-64. By running in this championship, at age 65, she brings her points with her into the 65-69 division. But that division is set already. Even if she wins, as predicted, she has not competed in enough championships this year to get on the GP podium. Her total of 350 would leave her in 5th place at best. If Stirrat finishes in the top three, she can pass Lisa Vaughn, not entered and finish 3rd in the 65-69 Grand Prix.

70-74 Though she hails from the South Carolina/Georgia border country, Cindy Lucking Greer SC looks to be the favorite for this division. She finished second in the division at the Club Cross championships in Tallahassee last December, over 6 Km, in 35:11, roughly equivalent to a 5 km, under the same conditions, of 29 minutes or so. Lucking also finished 2nd at the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta with a 26:51. Connie Harmon Boulder CO, Nancy Antos Boulder CO, and Lynne Hermanson Boulder CO will make sure Lucking has to earn it. In 2022, they finished the Harlow Platts course in 32:03, 32:11, and 32:43. The Harlow Platts course is hillier than the Tallahassee course as well as being at elevation. A Lucking win is certainly not guaranteed; but 3 minutes is a sizable time difference to make up over just 5 Km. Harmon is also the fastest of the three on the roads, with a 29:43 at the Cookie Chase 5K this summer. Antos's 1:04:01 suggests she has the edge over Hermanson who clocked 1:05:07 in the same race. I will go with Lucking for the win, but Harmon could press her. A likely order is Lucking-Harmon-Antos. But don't count Hermanson out; her record suggests she will not be far back.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Nancy Antos     Connie Harmon     Cindy Lucking

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: Lucking is the current leader for the 70-74 Grand Prix title with 290 points from 3 events. Her teammate, Norma 'Nonie' Hudnall, who has 265 points from three events is not entered. The main threat to a Lucking GP victory is Helene Myers. Myers, currently in 4th place with 390 points from eight events, is entered in this division, having just aged up. That means she comes in with those 390 points. Lucking must win to tie Myers, assuming Myers finishes the race, as she has done at every event this year whether on the roads or the turf. If Lucking should tie Myers on GP points, she would win the 70-74 GP on a head-to-head tie-breaking rule. But even if Lucking wins this championship, her 390 points is not enough to tie Myers, if Myers can improve her total. The lowest point score for Myers in her five scoring races is 55 points. If Myers finishes the race, the worst she can finish, with the current entrant list, is sixth. As long as Myers finishes the race, the 75 points she receives for sixth place, replace those 55 points and raise her total to 410. Myers wins the 70-74 GP if she finishes the race.

75-79 The two entrants in this division are Irene Herman San Francisco CA and Andrea McCarter Duluth GA. New to the 75-79 division, Herman is a strong favorite. They both ran at the 2022 Club Cross Championships in San Francisco. Herman carried a pace that was 2:00 per kilometer faster than McCarter. The order of finish should be Herman-McCarter.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Irene Herman     Andrea McCarter     

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: Herman's 165 points are currently in the 70-74 category. If she wins, as expected, those 165 points come with her into the 75-79 division. With the added 100 points, if she wins, her total would be 265. That is not enough to catch McCarter, who leads the division with 485 points. But it is enough to move her into 2nd place in the GP. H=ad either Jeannie Rice or Jo Anne Rowland entered, the outcome would be more in doubt. Both currently have 200 points from 2 events. As they have not entered it seems likely that Herman will take 2nd place in the Grand Prix.

80-84 No entries.  85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite Millen GA is the sole entrant. She has finished every championship she has started, at least in recent years, from the 1 Mile to the 10 Mile run, on roads or on turf. 

Podium Pick in Alphabetical Order:

Joyce Hodges-Hite    

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: None. Hodges-Hite is the current leader with 295 points from three events. No one could enter and catch her and no one tried. Hodges-Hite, whether she finishes or not, claims the 85-89 Grand Prix victory.

MEN 40-44 As with the Women's race, the top contenders for the Overall Masters Championship were all from the 40-44 division. Hence the discussion and picks for 40-44 are the same as for the Overall Championship.

Late entrant: Jordan Jones Steamboat Springs CO. I find no cross country results recently. But Athlinks lists Jones for a 15:19 at the Foundry Halloween 5K in 2022 and for a 54:00 Masters win in the Ten Miler at the Twin Cities marathon that same year. Jones could make an already interesting race a bit more interesting.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Tyler Butterfield   Joseph Gray     Neil McDonagh

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: Dickson Mercer, Brian Flynn, and Chuck Terry are currently leading the 40-44 Grand Prix with 325, 275, and 205 points respectively. None of them are entered but neither are any of those who could possibly overtake them. Mercer, Flynn, and Terry will finish 1-2-3 in the 40-44 Grand Prix.

Neil McDonagh headed for the Win at the 2024 USATF Masters Road Mile Championships Hosted by the Mile of Truth in Danville CA Photo Credit: Captivating Sports Photos


45-49 Taylor Carrington Denver CO, Jason Toth Fort Collins CO and Chris McCullough Fort Collins CO appear to be the three strongest runners in this division. Carrington claimed the M45 win last year at the USATF-CO Championships on this course in 18:43. Toth was ten seconds back in 2nd. McCullough has no recent cross country results that I can find. His 5 Mile at the Equinox Half Marathon in 29:34 lines up well with Toth's 18:12 at the Loveland Classic 5K, except that the 5 Miler is mostly downhill or flat point-to-point, and the 5K is a loop course. Carrington's 18:22 at the Sunshine Festival in July does not match up quite as well with Toth's because it was in Georgia at lower elevation. They look to be pretty even. I will go with Carrington for the win on the basis of his coming in ahead of Toth at the USATF-CO XC champs last year. McCullough could push past both of them but I will pick him for third.  Brandon Del Campo Boulder CO is a puzzle. Apparently a top Cross Country runner in high school, he finished 13th in the Footlocker West XC Regional in the 1990's. I can find only cycling results for him at Athlinks since 2014. Del Campo could be a surprise on the turf!

Late entrant: Gerardo Orozco Boulder CO appears to be mostly a Trail Runner. It is difficult for me to judge trail results without a lot of research. The only ordinary road race I find for him is a 1:30:03 half marathon at the Austin TX- Marathon in 2019.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Taylor Carrington   Chris McCullough     Jason Toth

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: None. David Angell has the 45-49 Grand Prix win in his pocket. With 480 points, no one could catch him. Matthew DiPretore is in second with 185 points on three events. No one else will have the minimum of three scoring events.

Lead Men's Pack on Loop Two of the Harlow Platts Course at the 
2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo

50-54 Ten years ago, Gregory Mitchell Nampa ID was winning or nearly winning all of the big USATF Masters Cross Country events. In 2014 he won the overall Masters 8K race at Cross Nationals in Boulder CO in 26:55. At the end of the year he came back and won the overall Masters 10K race at Club Cross on the Lehigh course in Bethlehem PA in 31:59. 

Greg Mitchell leading Jacques Salberg at the 2015 USATF Cross Country Championships held on the Flatirons course in Boulder CO 

That would have been his second consecutive Club Cross win except that Lee Troop, the organizer of this USATF Masters 5 Km event, beat Mitchell to the finish line by a half minute at Bend OR in 2013! More recently, Mitchell took 4th in M50 at Club Cross in Tallahassee in 2023 with a 35:35 over 10K. This year, on the roads he cracked a 16:01 at the Bowerman 5K and a 33:08 10K at the OTC Butte to Butte Run. Mitchell knows how to win at elevation and is actually living at higher elevation now in Nampa Idaho 2516' than he was ten years ago in McMinnville OR 161'. Flavio De Simone Boulder CO, Glen Mays Denver CO, and Todd Stockford Parker CO will make Mitchell work for the win. In the 2022 edition of the Masters 5 Km XC national Championships, Mays finished 5th in M50 in 18:23. De Simone was 51 seconds back in 9th. At the USATF-CO championships the next year, it was Mays leading De Simone across the finish line again. Mays captured 2nd M50 in 18:57 with De Simone 5th in 19:46. On that day, Stockford finished 4th in M50 at 19:03. At Tallahassee in 2023, Stockford finished four minutes behind Mitchell. Elevation counts, but 4 minutes is a lot of ground to make up, even over 10K. Mitchell is the favorite, followed by Mays and Stockford. But De Simone is a strong runner who is always a threat.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Glen Mays   Greg Mitchell     Todd Stockford

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: None. Fred Dolan, Craig Chasse, and Brian Sydow are the current leaders in the 50-54 Grand Prix race. Neither of them nor any of the athletes who could have moved up chose to enter. Dolan, Chasse, and Sydow go 1-2-3 in the 2024 Men's 50-54 Grand Prix.

55-59 This division championship is Frank Zoldak's to lose. As noted in the discussion of overall contenders, Zoldak finished 11th overall in the highly competitive 2023 Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee. More directly relevant to this M55 championship is his victory last year at the USATF-CO Championships on this course. Zoldak took the win in 17:14. Rick Granquist Denver CO finished 2nd in 20:09. To be fair, Granquist had finished 4th M55 in 19:25 at the USATF Masters 5 Km XC Championships the year before. Granquist covered the Bolder Boulder 10K in 41:46. Mark Lindrud Basking Ridge NJ, a New Jersey resident, and Phil Smith El Dorado Hills CA will also try for the upset win. They both have exhibited plenty of speed on the roads. Lindrud ran 17:37 at the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K and 56:55 at the Bronx Ten Miler this year. Smith ran a 17:41 5K at the Urban Cow Half Marathon and a 17:54 5K at the Sactown Ten Miler this year. After checking the PA XC results for Smith and the NJ-XC- results for Lindrud, on top of an Athlinks search, I can find no recent Cross Country results for either Lindrud or Smith. Scott Siriano Marietta GA is always in the hunt for the podium but appears to be outmatched this time. His 20:57 at Boulder in 2022, like Jonah Lovendahl's Loveland CO 21:03 at the USATF-CO 5 Km championships in 2023 leaves him within striking distance but something special would need to happen to land either on the podium. Zoldak is a lock for first. Though Granquist does not appear to be as fast on the roads, the combination of altitude plus cross country experience gives Granquist an edge for the second-place pick. Both Lindrud and Smith have good 5K speed. I will go with Lindrud on the basis of his outstanding Bronx Ten Mile result, which age graded above 90.0%. That gives me a pick of Zoldak-Granquist-Lindrud. That gives Smith an incentive to break onto the podium to upset the pick!

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Rick Granquist   Phil Smith     Frank Zoldak

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: None. Scott Siriano leads the 55-59 Grand Prix with 395 points. Jeff Conston, with 375 points, is the only athlete who could have passed Siriano for the win. He did not enter; Siriano has the win no matter what the outcome of Saturday's race is.

Julian Marsh #139, Gleen Mays #141, and Craig Godwin orange singlet, eyeglasses mix it up mid-race at the 2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo

60-64 Nat Larson Amherst MA, Mark Tatum Colorado Springs CO, and Henry Notaro Northfield NJ are probably the top three in this division. David Crowe Boulder CO and Peter Hegelbach Boulder CO should also contend for the podium. Larson has been the dominant runner in his division since he started competing nationally in 2015. From 2023 through early 2024, Larson broke every 60-64 road racing American record from 1 Mile to the Half Marathon. Unlike a few others, Larson is equally at home on the turf or the roads. He has been the Masters Harrier of the Year; he won the 60-64 championship at each of the last two Club Cross Championships. Larson has not run at altitude in recent years that I know of. That can always be a factor. On the other hand, he ran two minutes faster over 8K in Tallahassee in 2023 than Tatum did in 2021. Tatum is the only runner in the division entered for this weekend who might be able to push Larson. A trail runner who trains in the mountains of Colorado year-round, Tatum is formidable. A couple of years back he won the legendary Dipsea Trail Race up and around Mt. Tamalpais north of San Francisco. In 2022, Tatum finished 2nd to Dan King Boulder CO in the 60-64 division in 19:58. King just broke the 65-69 1500M and 1 Mile American records on the track. Notaro was recruited to Shore AC a couple of years back by his fellow marathoner, Rick Lee. Notaro has shown himself to be a consistent podium contender whether on the roads or the turf.  At Cross Nationals in Richmond at the beginning of 2024, Notaro finished third in the division, just inside of two minutes behind Larson. At the Masters Ten Mile Championships in August over a challenging course, Notaro again finished third in the division with a 1:03:22. Crowe and Hegelbach train and run at altitude. That gives them a shot. In 2022, Crowe ran 21:43 on this course. This spring he ran 19:56 at the Lucky Leprechaun 5K. Both are at altitude, of course. Hegelbach did not run here in 2022 but on October 12th, he ran the course in 21:59 in the Boulder Cross Country Series #1 race. If Notaro slows substantially, due to altitude, Crowe and Hegelbach will be on his heels, pushing for a podium finish. Still, the most likely order of finish seems to be Larson-Tatum-Notaro.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Nat Larson   Henry Notaro     Mark Tatum

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: In 2022 and 2023, Larson had the Grand Prix title locked up with a perfect 500 points before the last event of the year. This year, Larson had a minor injury to rehab and work around, missing a couple of championships in the summer. He returned from that layoff in September, winning the division at the Masters 12 Km Championships in 44:40. Lester Dragstedt is the current leader at 450. Larson is at 400 points from his four appearances with four wins. Dragstedt is not entered but he would not have been able to increase his total much. Larson only needs to finish in the top ten to win the Grand Prix. His aim, of course, is to win the 60-64 Masters 5 Km XC, not only to add another national championship to his large collection, but to earn another perfect 500-point Masters National Grand Prix win. Mike Mertens is in third place with 360 points. If Mertens finishes in the top eight, he adds to his score; if not, he finishes third at 360. No one behind him can catch him and he cannot catch Dragstedt for second. 

65-69 It is an understatement to say this division is loaded. Rick Becker Selah WA, Dan King Boulder CO, Roger Sayre Golden CO and Ken Youngers Tucker GA are the names that stand out. Jay Littlepage Boulder CO  deserves to be mentioned as well. This is Becker's last championship before turning 70. He is a three-time Masters Harrier of the Year. Becker does not often get beaten on the turf. Last fall he won this division at Boca Raton in 18:57 and at Tallahassee, over 8 Km, in 31:21. But he will be going up against King, who just entered this division this summer. King celebrated his new age division by going after the American 1500M and Mile  Records on the track last week in California. No one was surprised to hear that he nailed them, going past the 1500M mark in 4:43.49 and winding up the Mile at 5:04.52. Gary Patton and Tom Bernhard will no longer own those records. King has a sub-5-minute mile as his new goal. If he can manage that, maybe he can take a shot at the World Record of 4:56.4, set in 1992. Suffice to say that King is close to the top of his game. When that is true, he is almost as unbeatable on the turf as on the track. In 2021 he won the Masters 60+ race at Clubs in Tallahassee, clocking 29:56. Two years ago on this course he won the Masters 5 Km Championship for 60-64 in 18:57.0 He is the favorite. But nothing will come easy. The careful reader will note that Becker's time at Boca last fall and King's time at Boulder two years ago were exactly the same. If hot and humid training is the 'poor man's altitude training, then those two efforts are truly close. The last time these two met in Boulder on the turf was in February, 2015. Becker won 60-64 and King won 55-59, both over 8 Km but King, at 29:43, was 41 seconds faster. That is the likely outcome this time, except that it would be 1-2 in 65-69 for King and Becker. Sayre is no slouch. He broke his own 65-69 American 25K record on the roads this year with a 1:39:50, the rough equivalent of a 1:23 and change half marathon. But this is a tough turf group. Sayre was a minute and a half back from King two years ago in these championships. The year before he was just 53 seconds back. The longer the race the better, from Sayre's viewpoint. But we are over 5 Km again this weekend so staying with King is a tall order. Youngers won this division in September at the 12 Km Masters Championships, running a swift 47:01 chip time! That is roughly equivalent to a 38:45 10K! But Cross Country is a different story. Youngers is still incredibly fast but not quite as fast as King and Becker. In 2023 at Tallahassee, Youngers finished 2nd to Becker but was over a minute behind. It was the same story in Boca Raton earlier last fall except the margin was only a minute. Youngers and Sayre have not met often on the turf. In January they met at Richmond. Youngers had the edge until his back started giving him trouble. They wound up in a virtual dead heat, Sayre finishing 1 second ahead of Youngers. Assuming Youngers has no trouble with his back, that might give him the edge over Sayre. But with thee contest at altitude, that swings the pendulum back Sayre's way. Littlepage has generally not quite been up with this group. In Tallahassee in 2021, over 8 Km, Littlepage was three minutes behind Sayre, and in 2022 at Boulder, over 5 Km on this course, he was almost four minutes behind Sayre. But Littlepage's training has gone well. His time at the 10 km Masters Championships, 39:00, this year was faster than that of Youngers. Unfortunately, Littlepage came down with a bug this week. It is unclear whether he will be at the top of his game on Saturday. It seems the most likely order of finish is King-Becker-Sayre. If Youngers runs as strongly as he did at the 12 Km in September, he could be on the podium despite the altitude challenge.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Rick Becker   Dan King     Roger Sayre

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: This might have been a shoot-out between David Westenberg and Youngers for the 65-69 Grand Prix title. They are tied for the lead with 475 points.  But Westenberg suffered a glute injury in mid-September and is still on a walking regimen. He is not competing in Boulder. If nothing changes, Westenberg would win on the head-to-head tie breaker. Both Westenberg's and Younger's scores are based on five events; this weekend's score, if any, would only raise their total by exceeding the lowest of the five existing scores. Youngers must finish 2nd or first to add to his total score, a difficult order. Interestingly, Sayre is currently in 4th place with 380 points on 4 events. His score this weekend counts entirely to his total. If Sayre should win, that 100 points would vault him ahead of both Westenberg and Youngers into first. Like Youngers finishing 2nd, Sayre finishing first is a tall order. Neither is impossible; either would be a remarkable ending to the 65-69 2024 Grand Prix season. Most likely it will be Westenberg with the win, Youngers second and Sayre third.

Dan King #126 attacking the hill as David White #248 Matches Him Stride for Stride at the 2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo
 


70-74 The podium will come, almost surely, from this list: Doug Bell Greeley CO, Douglas Chesnut Keller TX, Bruce Kirschner Louisville CO, James Linn Harleysville PA, Perry Linn Corning IA, Scott Lucking Taylors SC, Reno Stirrat Rockaway NJ. The list is long, not just because these gentlemen are all outstanding runners but because it is hard to choose among them. I will work in reverse order. Stirrat is listed out of respect for his accomplishments and his toughness. He ran in the Marine Corps Marathon this past Sunday. The MCM was his first Marathon in 1976, fitting that a Marine would bookend his marathons with that effort! It is unlikely he will have as much spring in his legs as usual this Saturday. But he could surprise me! He won this division at the 12 km Championships in September after coming back from a period of up and down performances due to a variety of challenges. His time, 52:49, along with his history of outstanding performances on the turf, suggest that he would, otherwise, be one of the top contenders. Two years ago in Boulder, Lucking finished 10th in 65-69 but his 23:15 was right behind Bell's 2nd place time in M70, 23:08, and just ahead of Chesnut's 23:21. In Richmond this year, Lucking's 35:26 was a minute and a half faster than Bell's 5th place time in M70. But the mile-high altitude may be a great equalizer. He finished over a minute behind Bell, Chesnut and Lucking in Boulder in 2022. Perry Linn does not compete that frequently on the Masters Championship circuit. But he finished 4th in M70 in Boulder in 2022, edging J Linn by 21 seconds. Later that year at San Francisco, P Linn finished ahead of Bell at Golden Gate Park in the famous gale that brought down a huge tree alongside the course. To be fair, that was far from Bell's best race. J Linn has come on strong over the last year or so. He won M70 at the 12 Km last September in 51:49. He finished 2nd at Cross Nationals in January, clocking 34:47 over 8 Km, reaching the finish line a half minute before Lucking. In February he capped that string with a win (once Qualls was DQ'd for doping) in Atlanta in 19:43, finishing over a minute ahead of Bell. Kirschner had a few quiet years but re-emerged with vigor upon turning 70. He did not run in Bouder in 2022. But he finished 2nd at Boca Raton last fall, over 5 Km, in 22:48, edging Chesnut by a few seconds. In December, Kirschner was also able to best his teammates, Bell and Chesnut in Tallahassee. His 37:30 was good for fifth place, almost a half minute ahead of Bell and Chesnut. Fourteen years ago, Bell was winning his division at Club Cross. In 2021 he won his division at Club Cross in Tallahassee, clocking 35:59. Bell will be 74 next month; it is tough to win at the end of your third year in a division. But Bell ran a terrfic ten miler in August to take second at the masters Championships in Flint on a tough Crim course in 1:12:02. We know he is motivated and we know he had good fitness in August! We are at altitude on Saturday and that works in Bell's favor. Like Bell, Kirschner trains at altitude. The recent results suggest Kirschner is a tad faster on the turf at least at sea level, in Florida. Will it be different in the mountains? Can any of the others who train in the flatlands break onto the podium? Can J Linn do it? He could not do it at altitude in 2022. But he has been running much stronger in the last year. He was a minute and change behind Lucking in Boulder but in Richmond this past January, he finished a half minute ahead of Lucking. Let us go with Bell for the win, James Linn for second and Kirschner for third. And, of course, Bell, Chesnut and Kirschner are teammates, focused on the team goal more than individual goals! Your guess is as good as mine. I will be surprised if anyone not on this list winds up on the podium. Otherwise, it is pretty wide open.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Doug Bell   Bruce Kirschner     James Linn    

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: None. Reda has the win locked up. He has 470 points. Bell is in second place with 445. Even if he wins, that 100 points replaces his low point total among the top five. His total only rises to 460. If Bell finishes no higher than fourth and Chesnut wins, Chesnut pulls even with Bell on points. And they would tie for 2nd.

75-79 If we go by the 2022 results in Boulder, the favorite would be Jerry Learned Gainesville GA. He finished 5th in M70 at 24:18. The second fastest time was from Gary Ostwald Denver CO who finished 2nd in M75 at 24:42. I suspect that was an off day for Ostwald. I recall Dave Glass telling me 2that he was very surprised to beat Ostwald that day. After all, Ostwald had beaten him in San Francisco the previous December and this was at altitude which should have favored Ostwald. Next fastest was Rick Katz Boulder CO who clocked 26:01 to finish 12th in M70. That was not Katz's best day either. A year later on the same course, Katz clocked 25:14 to win M75 in the USATF-CO championships. Dumas was only 40 seconds behind Katz in 2022. The following year his time at the USATF-CO championships was 28:16. In keeping with the idea that 2022 Boulder was an off day for Ostwald, at Richmond Cross Nationals this past January, he finished 2nd to Gene Dykes in 38:34, with Katz third in 39:43 and Learned 4th in 41:16. The altitude should favor Ostwald and Katz. Ostwald has consistently come in ahead of Katz over the last year or two. A likely finishing order is Ostwald-Katz-Learned. But Learned has been running very well lately on the roads. He won the M75 12 Km championships in New Jersey at 1:00:42. He had not planned on entering the Half Marathon championships. But when his Club called, he answered. Learned finished 2nd in 1:56:28 on a challenging course.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Rick Katz   Jerry Learned     Gary Ostwald    

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: Learned is currently first in the 75-79 Grand Prix, with 475 points using five events. Ostwald is in third at 390 points from just 4 events. If Ostwald finishes 4th or better, he wins the 75-79 Grand Prix, either outright or on a head-to-head tie-breaker, assuming Learned finishes no higher than third place. If Learned wins and Ostwald finishes second, Ostwald still ties Learned and wins on the head-to-head tie breaker. Katz is currently in third with 360 points from four events. I, Paul Carlin, sit in second place with 440 points from 5 events. I need to finish higher than 5th to add to my total, which seems unlikely. That means Katz need only finish 4th or higher to pass me and replace me in third. If Katz finishes fifth this weekend, and I finish after him, then we both finish third in the M75 GP. Tie-breakers are not applied except for first place.

Dave Glass #96 Gritting His Teeth on the way to His 75-79 Win at the 2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO Photo Credit: Dave Albo


80-84 Jan Frisby Grand Junction CO and Thomas Lemire Boulder CO appear to be the two strongest entrants. Frisby was recovering from a minor injury in September. He, nevertheless, completed the 12 Km Championship race, clocking 1:09:48, good for third place. A better gauge of his usual fitness is probably Cross Nationals in January at Richmond. He ran one of his last races as a 75-79 year old, finishing 4th in 43:07, roughly equivalent to a 26:44 5 Km effort under the same conditions. Frisby has not run in a 5 Km XC race recently. He ran in the 2021 Masters 5 Km Championships in Boston, right after the Covid interruption was ended. He ran 24:30, finishing third in M75. If Frisby is fully recovered, he is probably the favorite. Lemire ran 28:49 to take the M80 USATF-CO crown on this course last year. His 54:49 at Bolder Boulder compares with Frisby's 51:57 at the 10 Km Championships. Bolder Boulder is at altitude, and it is probably a more challenging course. My guess is that those differences would not account fully for the three-minute difference in time but we will find out on Saturday. Let me go with Frisby-Lemire-Bligh as the likely finishing order. Ed Bligh Alpharetta GA finished well ahead of his teammate, Andrew Sherwood Atlanta GA, last fall in Boca Raton. Bligh took the 80-84 win at Tallahassee last December at Club Cross. Bligh is likely to prevail again. Sherwood had indicated he expected to retire from racing. But he always answers the call. His team needs him so they can qualify for the M80+ Grand Prix team award w2with this one last race of 2024.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Ed Bligh   Jan Frisby     Thomas Lemire   

Implications for Individual Grand Prix:None. Frisby has the 80-84 Grand Prix locked up with 475 points. No one can catch him. Przemek Nowicki is solidly in 2nd with 335 points. As long as Bligh and Sherwood finish the race, the will acquire the third event they need for an award and move past Harold Rosen. Rosen has two fine wins but lacks the third event needed to qualify for a Grand Prix award.

85-89 David Turner Clarkesville GA is the sole entrant. It is almost ten years since he won the 75-79 Championship at the 2014 Club Cross event at Lehigh University in Bethlehem PA in 56:19 on the 10K course. 

NOTE: USATF had a short period of a year or two in the mid-teens where they experimented with the XC rules. Just like the 40+ and 50+ teams, the 60+ teams would declare 9 and score 5 and, I guess, both divisions would run over 10K at Club Cross. Now it is ten years later. The maximum distance for the M60+ and over teams is now 8K and the size is declare 5 and score 3. I wonder if they would think of declaring 7 and scoring 4. That would be more doable. Some were opposed because the head-to-head tie breaker, in force at the time, would often not resolve the tie. But they changed that to best finish for last scoring athlete so that would work just as well for 4 as for 3.

Turner will win his division when he crosses the finish line.

Podium Pick:

David Turner

Implications for Individual Grand Prix: This is Turner's 2nd event. He needs one more to qualify for a Grand Prix Award. No one else has more than one event. There will be no 85-89 award.

AGE GRADING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The athletes with the top age grading score are honored as the strongest runners, for their age, across all ages. Both elevation and surface tend to lower age grade scores. 

MEN Two of the best age grade athletes, Rick Becker, and Nat Larson, hailing from Washington state and Massachusetts, are on hand. Becker edged Larson for the 8K age-grading crown at the USATF Club Cross Country Championships last year in Tallahassee. They go up against Coloradan, Frank Zoldak, who took top honors in the 10K Championship at that event. The elevation gives Zoldak a slight edge. Dan King is firing on all cylinders. At Boulder in 2022, King finished second to Jacob Nur in age grading. Joseph Gray could factor into this race also. He will have to have a better relative performance than his 8th place age grading finish at the Masters 10 Km Championships. Greg Mitchell, who finished top ten Age Grading at the highly competitive 2022 Club Cross Championships in San Francisco, could also factor into the contest. Perhaps Zoldak-Becker-King is a reasonable guess at the final order.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Rick Becker   Dan King     Frank Zoldak   

WOMEN Kris Clark finished 2nd at the 2022 edition of these championships in Boulder. Suzanne Cordes was fifth. But Melissa Dock could beat them both. At age 39, in 2021, Dock finished ninth overall in the Open race at Club Cross in Tallahassee. Her age grading score, albeit at sea level, was three points higher than Clark’s in Boulder. Perhaps Dock-Clark-Cordes is the right guess for age grading order of finish.

Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:

Kris Clark   Suzanne Cordes     Melissa Dock 

 

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

Some teams are as focused on the Team GP win as much as the Championship. An example is the Women 50 and up Division. Three teams from the area, Athletics BoulderBoulder Road Runners, and the Fort Collins Running Club are focused on winning the championship, giving them bragging rights along the Front Range. The Impala Racing Team, out of the San Francisco Bay area and the Shore AC, from New Jersey are locked in a tight battle for the GP win. The odds favor Impala who only need to finish in the top five; Shore AC must win to have a chance at the GP victory! In 60+ it is Atlanta, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Impala mixing it up for the win.

A terrific battle is shaping up in the team contest in Men 60+, featuring local teams, Athletics Boulder and the Boulder Road Runners vying against each other and this year’s national Grand Prix winning Atlanta Track Club. In the Men 70+, we add Ann Arbor into the mix along with Atlanta, Boulder Road Runners A and B Teams, and the Shore Athletic Club. There will be a lot of competition in the trenchs! 

This concludes the 2024 Championship season. The 2025 Masters National Grand Prix kicks off with the USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA on December 14, 2024!


Friday, October 18, 2024

Top Masters Runners Tame Challenging Half Marathon Championships Course at Indy

 October 8, 2024 The 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon was hosted by the Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben in Indianapolis on Saturday, October 5th. The weather was near perfect. Temperatures were in the upper 50's for the 8 AM start, with mostly cloudy skies, moderate humidity and light winds. Temperatures rose to the lower 60's during the race and the sun came out. The weather was not a challenge; the course itself was fairly challenging. There are long stretches that are flat or downhill, but there are also hills. Overall, GPS watches report that the course has about 375 feet of elevation change. No American Records were set, but thirteen of the Indy Half at Fort Ben race records were broken. I searched through the 2017 to 2023 results for the race since it was taken over by Beyond Monumental and renamed the Indy Half at Fort Ben. I reported those in my detailed preview and will note them at the start of the recaps for Overall and Age Division sections when relevant. Notes: The race reported splits at 2.2 Miles, 10K, 9.4 miles and 11.5 miles. I will refer to the 9.4 mile split as the 15K split even though it is a few hundredths of a mile over 15K. In keeping with USATF rules, all times reported are gun times except for Records and Age Grading which are based on chip times.

For a reel of the event, please visit: USATF Video-2024 Masters Half Marathon 

OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN The fastest time recorded prior to these championships at the Half at Fort Ben was 1:09:43, recorded by Jesse Davis in 2022. As it happened, Jesse Davis Indiana Elite Athletic Club was entered in the Championships. Davis ran 1:08:25 at the Lincoln (NB) HM in May. He took two Masters national titles on the roads in 2022, at Syracuse in the Half Marathon and at the 10 Km in Greater Boston. His most recent HM just one week earlier was a logistical nightmare without enough time left for warmup and then a humid day. Davis's time? 1:12:18. Davis vowed to put that one behind him be ready for this one. He would be challenged by Ramiro Guillen, who took the Masters win at the Santa Barbara HM Unattached CA last October in 1:10:22 and sped to a 2:29:38 marathon at the CIM in December. Davis's teammate, John Poray, enjoyed the Masters win in 1:12:37 at the Indy Mini Marathon this past May. Others expected to be in the hunt included Charlie Hurt Unattached VA, Michael Olson Indiana Elite AC, and John Yoder Boulder Underground. Hurt ran a 57:14 Ten Miler tune up in March in Charlottesville and followed that with a 2:35:20 Boston Marathon in April. Olson ran 1:16:13 at the Indy Mini in May of 2023. Yoder finished 2nd overall at the Newport (OR) Half Marathon in June at 1:16:18. He finished fourth overall at the 2024 USATF Masters Ten Mile Championships in Flint MI with a 57:16. The Indiana Elite turned out two strong teams. Chad Carver did not have as fast a half marathon in his recent listings as the others, a 1:18:13 at this year's Mini Marathon. He was on their 'B' team but was ready to compete. 

The gun sounded and they were off!

The Start of the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon hosted by the Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben--From left, black bib numbers: Jesse Davis, John Yoder green shorts, Bryan Hendricks, John Poray, Ramiro Guillen, and Charlie HurtPhoto courtesy of Beyond Monumental


The first two and a half miles are mostly flat or downhill. At that point, Davis and Guillen were running shoulder to shoulder in front, with Poray a couple of strides back. There was a gap of a hundred meters back to a chase pack of Hurt, Yoder, and Olson. Carver, who started more conservatively, was a hundred meters behind those three. When they hit the first substantial hill right before three miles, I am told that Davis threw in a surge that left Guillen and Poray struggling to keep up. When they came off of the second rolling hill, at 4 miles, onto a long, mostly flat stretch, Davis was able to extend his lead. By the 10K mark, Davis had 300 meters on Guillen. Poray was 200 meters back form Guillen but over 200 meters ahead of the chasers, who were now no longer a tight pack, but remained close. Olson was pushing the pace a couple of strides ahead of Yoder, with Hurt 60 meters back and Carver now closed to within a couple of strides of Hurt. Davis had no trouble the rest of the way; he built his lead every mile. Davis claimed the win in 1:08:04, a nice turnaround from Quad Cities, and his third national Masters title on the roads. 

Jesse Davis for the Men's Overall Win at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo courtesy of Beyond Monumental


Guillen could not stay with Davis but made the trip from the West Coast worth it as he snagged second to mount his first national masters podium at 1:11:51. Poray held strong at third; his 1:12:56 gave him the bronze medal. Meanwhile the chasers enjoyed a real battle. From the 10K mark to mile 9 the course is mostly flat, followed by a significant downhill section, with another flat section after that. Hurt surged to the front, passing the 15K 2mat in 53:24, with Carver, Olson and Yoder about 25 meters back. Hurt attacked the hill that followed the timing mat and by the time they were approaching the 12-mile mark, Hurt had stretched his lead over Carter to 50 meters, with Yoder and Olson out of touch. But Carver had something left; he closed over that final mile, and just nipped Hurt at the finish line, 1:13:40 to 1:13:41! A half minute later Yoder claimed 6th in 1:14:11, with Olson 7th at 1:14:59. Davis not only enjoyed the win, he set a new Masters record for the Indy Half at Fort Ben, improving his old mark by about a minute and a half!

Overall Podium

Jesse Davis 1:08:04     Ramiro Guillen 1:11:51     John Poray 1:12:56

WOMEN Top entrants included Fiona Bayly Urban Athletics/NYC, Jennifer Malavolta Unattached PA, Tera Moody Unattached IN, Natasha Yaremczuk Unattached FL. Others in the hunt for a podium spot included Lisa Veneziano Pursuit Of Excellence Track/MI. Moody and Yaremczuk were the top runners out of the 40's divisions. A decade ago, Moody was running inn the Elite Women's field at USA Championships and other prestigious events. In January 2014, Moody finished in the top ten at the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston TX with a 1:13:25. The year before Moody finished in the top 5 at the USA 25K Championships at the Riverbank Run in Grand Rapids, MI with a 1:26:12, averaging 5:33 per mile. That is quite a pedigree, but it is recent performances that tell us more about how Moody might run in this half marathon. Moody finished 2nd Masters among women at the Indy Mini Marathon in May at 1:24:35. Her most recent claim to fame was her 2nd place finish among Masters Women at the BOA 13.1 in June. Her time of 1:23:01 is the fastest recent Half Marathon time among this group. Yarmeczuk was also a strong runner in her 30's but not quite at the national elite level. A year and a half ago, Yaremczuk was 5th Woman Overall and first Masters at the Mount Dora HM in Florida with a 1:25:55. This past April, Yaremczuk was the second woman to finish the Space Coast Classic 15K in 1:00:23. In August, Yaremczuk finished 2nd at the USATF Masters Ten Mile Championships in Flint MI in 1:02:52. The others are all in their 50's except for Veneziano, who just turned 60. Bayly was looking for a 'BounceBack' outing here after what she considered a poor performance at the Ten Mile Championships in Flint. Bayly's best recent Half Marathon performance came at the UA NYC Half Marathon last March; she clocked 1:24:32, finishing 2nd Masters woman. Bayly has finished 4th overall at the last two USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships in Syracuse, running 1:24:08 over that hilly course in 2022 when the weather conditions were decent. A decade ago, Malavolta finished 4th overall at the 2014 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships in 1:23:59. Four years later she was on the podium at the Masters 15 Km Championships in Tulsa with a 59:59, albeit two places behind Bayly. Malavolta joined with two others this August in Sweden, leading Team USA to a 50-54 Team Championships Gold Medal. Malavolta finished 6th individually, on a challenging course, in 1:29:29. Veneziano's chances of winning were, no doubt, slim. But she is such a competitor, it is unwise to ever count her out. Last October she was 2nd Masters finisher at the Detroit Free Press Marathon in 3:01:27. She finished 5th at the USATF Masters Ten Mile Championships in Flint MI this August with a 1:04:22. 

Yaremczuk led them through the first 2 miles, with Moody and Malavolta 20 meters back with Bayly and Veneziano another 30 meters back. The next stretch had a testing upslope. By the time they were past that and onto a flatter section at 4 miles, Moody had taken the lead, followed by Yaremczuk, Bayly, Malavolta and Veneziano in that order. At the 10K mark, just before the halfway point, Moody had stretched her lead over Yaremczuk to 70 meters. Bayly was over a hundred meters behind Yaremczuk in third place, forty meters ahead of Malavolta, with Veneziano a further 40 meters back. Moody poured it on the rest of the way, extending her lead at every mile that passed. Despite the challenges of the course, Moody had her fastest recent half marathon at 1:22:06! 

Tera Moody claims the Women's Overall Win at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo courtesy of Beyond Monumental 

By the 15K mat, Yaremczuk was watching Moody pull away, 54 seconds ahead. She had her biggest lead over Bayly yet at 39 seconds. But Bayly had more in the tank for the uphill section starting between the ten- and eleven-mile marks. By the time they had reached the flatter section where the 11.5-mile mat was placed, Bayly had surged to within 5 seconds of Yaremczuk. Yaremczuk fought as long as she could. But eventually Bayly surged past her, claiming second with 21 seconds to spare. Yaremczuk kept everyone else behind her, enjoying her second consecutive Overall podium finish at a Masters National championship. Malavolta finished just off the podium at 1:26:47, with Veneziano fifth at 1:28:00. Moody had a fine win, her first at a Masters National Championship!

Overall Podium

Tera Moody 1:22:08     Fiona Bayly 1:24:52     Natasha Yaremczuk 1:25:13

AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS

WOMEN 40-44 Moody and Yaremczuk finished 1- 3 overall and took 1st and 2nd in this division.

Natasha Yaremczuk on her way to the Women's Overall Bronze Medal and the 40-44 Silver Medal at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales

Podium

Tera Moody 1:22:08     Natasha Yaremczuk 1:25:11

45-49 Alicia Martinez Unattached IL found herself, to her surprise, alone inn this division. The other entrant was not able to make it to the race after all. Martinez, more accustomed to racing on the track and the cross country turf, showed that she could do it all. Setting off at a brisk pace over the first downhill section, Martinez maintained a good pace through the first set of hills. 

Alicia Martinez on her way to the 45-49 Gold medal at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales 


She covered the first 10K in 48:07 and held everything together over the second set of hills, finishing in a very respectable 1:48:38 to claim the win.

Podium

Alicia Martinez 1:48:50

50-54 Malavolta took fourth place overall, picking up this division win at the same time. It was definitely not a 'gimme'. 

Jennifer Malavolta taking the turn at Mile 4.8 on her way to a 50-54 win and 4th place Overall in the Women's race at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales 

Lucie Mays-Sulewski Unattached IN, a local runner who rarely competes on the national stage, holds both the 45-49 and 50-54 Fort Ben Half records at 1:24:30 and 1:30:13. That last time, in 2021, was uncharacteristically slow. A month later, she was the second Masters woman to finish at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in 1:25:48. This March she ran 1:27:58 at the Sam Costa Half Marathon in Indianapolis. As noted, Malavolta ran three minutes faster than she had in Sweden, leading Team USA to the Women's 50-54 world masters title. Had Malavolta not enjoyed that kind of improvement, the race would have been close indeed. Mays-Sulewski was not able to match the pace that Malavolta threw down today. Malavolta covered the first 15K in 1:02:06; Mays-Sulewski was there at 1:04:59. Mays-Sulewski made sure she finished strong, claiming the silver medal in 1:28:45. Julie Mercado Dayton Track Club OH finished third woman overall at the Dayton Rover Classic HM last fall in 1:29:19. Mercado stayed within a few seconds of Mays-Sulewski in the early going. Once they hit the hills, Mercado started to lose touch. By the 10K mat, Mercado's 43:24 was almost a minute back from the local athlete's 42:32. The gap continued to grow, gradually, but steadily, throughout the race. Mercado crossed the finish line four and a half minutes after Mays-Sulewski in third place. Alexandra Newman Impala Racing CA was happy to cross the finish line in fourth, place. Her 1:47:56 ensured that her team would get the score they needed.

Podium

Jennifer Malavolta 1:26:47     Lucie Mays-Sulewski 1:28:48     Julie Mercado 1:33:20

55-59 This division belonged to Bayly. The silver medalist, overall, Bayly took the crown in 55-59 with a cushion of more than 7 minutes. 

Fiona Bayly cruising at Mile 4.8 n her way to a 2nd Place Overall in the Women's race and a 55-59 Win at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales 
Hronn Gudmundsdottir Impala Racing CA was more interested in the team outcome than her own individual result. She kept her effort pace very close to 7 minutes per mile, slightly under on downhill sections and slightly over on uphill sections. In the end she had a very neat second place effort at 1:32:28, an average pace of 7:03 per mile. Laura Delea Shore AC NJ came out to Indy almost on a whim. Her team would not have enough runners, after all, to field a complete team. Last week, though, Delea jumped into a Half Marathon when it looked like the weather would make a 2 Mile Time Trial meaningless. She surprised herself with a 1:38:00. She was essentially running here in Indy just to enjoy the camaraderie and a good run. The hills were a little steeper and longer than she was expecting but she made sure they did not throw her off. Aiming to stay under 7:30 pace, if possible, Delea managed that for every section except for the uphill section between 15K and Mile 11.5. When Delea finished in third, she also had the satisfaction of running a minute faster than the previous week over a tougher course. Cassandra Crane Genesee Valley Harriers NY finished fourth.

Podium

Fiona Bayly 1:24:52     Hronn Gudmundsdottir 1:32:28     Laura Delea 1:37:08

60-64 Veneziano finished fifth overall. At the same time, she claimed the win in her new division, 60-64, with eleven minutes to spare! 

Lisa Veneziano speeds toward a 60-64 Win, 5th Overall in the Women's Race and Top Women's Age Grade Score at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales 


Kris Huff Atlanta Track Club, a lynchpin of her team's 60+ women's team, is an active half and full marathon runner. Her most recent distance efforts before these championships included her 1:37:45 at the Cleveland Celebration Half Marathon in July and her W60 silver medal effort at the Masters Ten Mile Championships in August with a 1:11:56. This course was a bit more challenging than the Cleveland course. Huff was up to it; she ran the first 10K in 47:39 and was 1:12:42 at the 15K mark. Huff collected another silver medal. Leslie Nowicki Shore AC is a committed member of Shore AC, filling in for whichever team needs her. Her recent training efforts have led to improved fitness. Nowicki earned the bronze medal.

Podium

Lisa Veneziano 1:28:00     Kris Huff 1:39:42     Leslie Nowicki 2:06:45

65-69 Stella Gibbs Impala Racing Team was running for her team, but she also collected this win with no problem. Gibbs's most recent half marathon was a 1:33:02 at the Clarksburg Country Run in fall 2021. But she demonstrated her current distance fitness in August by finishing 2nd to Nora Cary in this division at the Masters Ten Mile Championships with a fine 1:13:45. In these championships, she passed the 10K mat in 44:50 and the 15K in 1:09:11. Gibbs enjoyed the division win with no pressure. 

Stella Gibbs heading for the Finish Line and a 65-69 Win at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales 
 


Lisa Vaughn Unattached IA clocked 1:53:51 at the University of Michigan Health Grand Rapids Half Marathon in October of 2023. This August Vaughn finished fourth in the division with a 1:26:35 at the Masters Ten Mile Championships in Flint. She ran a controlled pace, just under 9 minutes per mile at the 10K and 15K splits. That pace drifted a bit above 9 for the final, overall uphill, 3.7 miles. But she landed at 9:02 per mile, a very nice effort for a hilly course. Helene Myers Potomac Valley Track Club persevered to claim the bronze medal, enjoying the 90 points she acquired toward the Grand Prix.

Podium

Stella Gibbs 1:36:41     Lisa Vaughn 1:58:21     Helene Myers 3:40:11

70-74 Victoria Crisp Unattached TN ran 1:59:41 at the PUBLLIX Ft. Lauderdale HM in February and finished second at the Ten Mile Championships with a 1:21:55 effort at the ten-mile championships in Flint. That time suggested she has a much faster HM time in her than she recorded in February. As it turned out she had no rivals entered. But she ran nine minutes faster on this outing anyway! Crisp hit the 10K mark in 52:05 and the 15K mark in 1:20:08. 

Victoria Crisp at Mile 4.8. She went on to win the Gold Medal in the Women's 70-74 Division at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  


There was no stopping Crisp as she rolled to the win in 1:51:04!

Podium

Victoria Crisp 1:51:04

75-79 Andrea McCarter Atlanta Track Club, winner of the 75-79 Grand Prix title last year, found herself alone in this division. McCarter wanted to be sure to finish and not run into any trouble on the uphill section between miles 10 and 11. Her average pace at the 2.2 mile mat was at 14 minutes per mile. She increased her pace steadily to 12:36/ mile at the 10K mat and to 12:33 at the 15K mat. Despite it being uphill overall from there, McCarter finished smartly with a 12:14 per mile average. That was good for the win and 100 points toward her 2024 Grand Prix campaign.

Podium

Andrea McCarter 2:45:02

MEN 40-44 Davis, Guillen and Poray went 1-2-3 overall and in this division. 

John Poray takes the corner at Mile 4.8 On His Way to a 3rd Place overall Men's Finish (and 3rd in 40-44) at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  


Carver, Hurt, Yoder and Olson finished in fourth through seventh, just as they did in the overall Masters race.

Podium

Jesse Davis 1:08:04     Ramiro Guillen 1:11:51     John Poray 1:12:56

45-49 Mike Cole Indiana Elite AC, Shaun Hamilton Unattached IN, Shaun McGrath Unattached NY, and Michael Wilt Bat City TC TX had strong resumes in this division. Although Cole ran 1:15:56 two years earlier to set the Race record on this course, he was at a disadvantage this go round. This has been his Marathon a month year, not to mention, his time to run the Leadville Hundred just three weeks before this race. Hamilton has run two fine half marathons in the last year, not to mention a 2:53 effort at the 2024 Boston Marathon. He took the Masters win at the Boy Scout Half Marathon last August in 1:20:28 and won the 45-49 division at the Indy Mini Marathon with a 1:19:50. It would be a challenge for him to keep pace with McGrath and Wilt, both of whom own a recent 1:17 half marathon. McGrath claimed the Masters win in the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon in March with a 1:17:02 and Wilt landed on the Masters podium at the 3M Half Marathon in Austin TX in January with a 1:17:09. As it turned out, Hamilton, despite his best efforts, could not stay with McGrath and Wilt. He had a fine outing nonetheless, clicking off 37:40 at the 10K, and 58:04 at the 15K, on his way to a 1:20:14. Hamilton won the bronze medal, two minutes ahead of Cole's 1:22:40. =Wilt attacked the course from the starting gun, running for the first two miles with the second chase pack, a minute behind the leaders. McGrath was content to follow a hundred meters back. At the 10K mat, Wilt was still running in the top ten as he went past in 36:21. McGrath was barely within two hundred meters of Wilt. Did he feel like he had no chance to catch up or was he confident in his strategy? The gap stayed about the same over the next 5K with the 'Kill the Hill' hill looming ahead of them. McGrath was able to take the 330-meter 'Kill the Hill section 5 seconds faster than McGrath; only four Masters athletes covered it faster. He must have seen Wilt coming back to him. By the time they exited the park and were headed to the turn with just over a mile to go, the mat showed that McGrath had cut Wilt's lead from 47 seconds at the 15K mat to just 15 seconds at the 11.5-mile mat. McGrath was flying now; Wilt was struggling. McGrath passed Wilt with a head of steam and went on for the 45-49 win with 21 seconds to spare. 

Shaun McGrath heading for the 45-49 Men's win at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  
 

Wilt could not keep pace with McGrath but kept his race together over that final mile and claimed second with hundreds of meters to spare. McGrath had a great come from behind victory!

Podium

Shaun McGrath 1:17:34     Michael Wilt 1:17:55     Shaun Hamilton 1:20:16

50-54 This division race was hard to figure out. The one athlete with some consistency in his record coming into these championships was Jason Newport Unattached OH. Last September, Newport ran 1:23:34 at the Parlor City Half Marathon in Indiana. In March he clocked 1:03:41 at the Little Miami 10 Miler, and followed that up with a 50-54 bronze medal at the Masters Ten Mile Championships in August with a 1:03:15. All three of those times are consistent with something like a 1:23 half marathon. Robb Awe Indiana Elite AC, on the other hand, ran 3:16:25 at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in fall of 2022. But he ran almost 30 minutes faster the year before. Which Awe would show up? The only hint is a 36:10 effort at a 10K in April. That suggests, if he has logged the training miles since then that he would come in with something like 1:20 or better fitness. Two others looked like they might be competitive with Newport, or close to it. Mark Glover Indiana Elite took 3rd in 50-54 at the Carmel (IN) HM in early April at 1:25:14. But a month later he ran 1:28:42 at the Indy Mini Marathon. Andrew Hector Indiana Elite had run 1:25:29 at the Indy Mini Marathon in May, 2023, but six months later clocked 1:43:28 at the Monumental Marathon. With 11 months to recover from whatever was slowing him down 11 months ago, would he be ready to compete with Awe, Glover and Newport? After the first fast 2.2 miles, Awe, like Wilt from 45-49, was running in the 2nd chase group; his time was 13:09. Glover was 150 meters behind that group and Newport slightly more cautious another 35 meters back. Hector, it appeared, would run a strong race. But unless those ahead struggled on the hills, Hector, a good 400 meters behind Newport, would not be on the podium. Those gaps all grew bigger through 15K, as Awe split in 36:57 and 57:11. Glover, 250 meters behind Awe at 15K, started to narrow the gap on the hills. His time on the 'Kill the Hill' segment was ten seconds faster than Awe's and faster than anyone else outside the top ten. Awe struggled a bit but held things together. At Mile 11.5, he still had over a half minute on Glover. Things got tighter as they headed back in the final mile. But Awe held strong to the tape, claiming the win ten seconds ahead of his teammate. 

Robb Awe builds the lead he would hold all the way to the finish in winning Men's 50-54 at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  
 

Newport did not gain on them in that stretch but ran his own race, turning in a fine time for his second bronze medal at a national championship this year. Hector was fourth in 1:29:17.

Podium

Robb Awe 1:20:46     Mark Glover 1:20:56     Jason Newport 1:24:37

55-59 Craig Godwin Bowerman Track Club/OR is one of the 'Fast Fifties' of Masters LDR, at least %when he is not having a heart attack or recovering from one. A year ago, he had his third, and here he was travelling halfway across the country to compete in a national half marathon championship. We had to assume he was ready for a good run. Three years ago, he had finished 8th overall and first in 50-54 with a 41:23 at the Masters 12 Km championships. A year later he ran 1:18:52 at the Eugene Marathon. He had stern competition. John Fernandez Lake Erie Lightning/OH announced his presence at Masters National Championships in February, finishing third overall, winning his division in 16:13. Not just a speedster, Fernandez worked on his distance credentials, turning in a division winning 1:19:09 at the Capital City Health Half Marathon in Columbus OH. He collected the 55-59 gold medal at Flint, winning the championship in 58:35. That signified that Fernandez might be ready to improve on his Columbus HM. Scot Ursum CHT Elite MI won his division at the Amway Riverbank Run in May with a 1:40:49 and earned the bronze medal at the Masters Ten Mile Championships in Flint with a 1:02:04. Those are nifty times, but it looked like he would again be competing for the bronze. Teammates Jeffrey Conston Shore AC and Ken Ginsburg Shore AC, who finished 6th and 8th at the 12 Km championships in September would be giving chase. The main event did not disappoint. Fernandez and Godwin went off with the leaders. At the end of 2.2 miles, averaging under 6:15 per mile, they were leading the 2nd chase pack with Awe, out of 50-54. By the 10K mat, after the Boy Scout Road hill and the roller on 56th Street they had left Awe and the rest a hundred meters back. The duo sped through in 36:36! 

The 'Battle of the Black Shirts'! Craig Godwin #2618 gaining a temporary edge over John Fernandez on the turn which would close up again. Godwin took the win in 55-59, a few strides ahead of Fernan9dez at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  

The next 5 Km saw a long, flat stretch and then a drop down into the park again. Neither gave an inch. It would have been interesting to see how the two of them navigated a gnarly stretch of about 50 yards at speed, where the Parks Department had surprised everyone by laying down a bed of large, pointy stones in place of the wood chips that had been there. Whether that slowed them down or not, they were still hammering at 15K, crossing the mat in 55:42. On up 'Kill the Hill' in 1:10 for Godwin and 1:11 for Fernandez. That may have been the beginning of a push from Godwin that opened up a 40-meter lead on Fernandez with just 1.6 miles to go. But Fernandez is a fighter and, as he proved in Atlanta, has some closing speed. The gap was there, but Fernandez felt he could still close it. Over the bridge and left on Lawton Loop, Fernandez made his final move and almost closed the gap. Godwin looked over his shoulder with just a couple of hundred meters to go and Fernandez was right there. Godwin dug deep, sprinted with all he had left, and found himself the division winner! Fernandez must have ended his kick once Godwin answered and the gold medal was out of his grasp. He crossed the line six seconds later. Fernandez now had a full set of 2024 Masters National Championships medals, a silver to go with his bronze from Atlanta, and his gold from Flint. Godwin showed once again that a heart attack cannot stop him. That was his fastest half marathon in a while, and another 8th place overall at a national championship out of the 55-59 division. They spurred each other to an amazing race and achievement! Ursum ran a fine race, as expected. Early on, it was clear to him that he was racing for the final medal. Sub-40 at the 10K and sub-60 at the 15K mat, Ursum had no difficulty staying ahead of all other rivals, finishing third with no one in sight behind him. Conston finished fourth in 1:26:56, with Ginsburg fifth.

Podium

Craig Godwin 1:16:13     John Fernandez 1:16:19     Scot Ursum 1:22:21

60-64 With Steve Schmidt Ann Arbor TC a scratch due to a temporary illness, Rick Torres KorfEdge Running looked to have a clear path to the win. Torres ran 1:21:54 at the Carmel HM in early April and, in late April, clocked 1:23:25 at the Kentucky Derby Festival HM. His closest rival looked to be Steve Heaps Club Northwest who raced to a 1:24:58 HM at Lake Sammamish in March and a 1:27:36 at the Redmond Harvest HM. Rich Power Ann Arbor TC was in shape last year to be a threat; he clocked 2:57:45 at the new York Marathon and was three minutes faster at Houston two months later. This September, he finished at 49:16 in the Masters 12 Km Championships. That kind of time is consistent with a sub-1:30 HM but not a sub-1:25 HM. Mike Mertens Genesee Valley Harriers finished 2 seconds ahead of Power at the 12K and finished fifth in this division at the ten-mile championships in 1:06:22. Heaps was able to stay with Torres for the first three miles. But once they got into the hills it was a different story. Torres hit the 10K mark in 39:30 with a 150-meter lead on Heaps. Power and Mertens were battling anther 250 meters back. Power, off to a slow start, had closed to within a second of Mertens by that point. Torres pushed the pace the rest of the way, widening the gap to heaps until he finished with the gold medal three minutes ahead of Heaps. 

Rick Torres #2655 surging around an Open runner on his way to the 60-64 win at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  

Heaps was never threatened by anyone else, claiming the silver medal with over 400 meters to spare. By the 15K mat, Power had 60 meters on Mertens and lengthened that to 80 meters with 1.6 miles to go. Mertens narrowed the gap slightly over the final mile but Power had the bronze medal place with 23 seconds to spare. Larry Sak Ann Arbor TC was a minute and a half back in fifth. Torres enjoyed his first gold medal at a National Masters LDR Championship.

Podium

Rick Torres 1:23:20     Steve Heaps 1:26:25     Rich Power 1:28:28

65-69 Roger Sayre Boulder Road Runners has been one of the top runners in his age division for a long time. His recent long-distance running includes a 65-69 win at the 2023 Masters Half Marathon Championships in Syracuse. That course is hilly and was held that year in mid-April, on an unseasonably warm day. Athletes were advised to temper their ambitions and run safely.  Sayre still ran 1:24:23. This year in May, he lowered his American 25K Record for 65-69 with a 1:39:50 at the Amway Riverbank Run. That, too, is consistent with a half marathon effort under 1:25. Two other athletes had recent sub-1:30 half marathons but no others had HM's or other long race results suggesting they could break 1:30 by much. Tim Conheady Greater Philadelphia TC ran a 1:29:15 Half Marathon at the WMA Indoor Championships in March. In August he claimed the 65-69 bronze medal at the Masters 10 Mile Championships with a 1:08:34, roughly consistent with a 1:30 to 1:31 half marathon. Peter Danzell Greater Lowell Road Runners ran 1:29:32 at the Coit State Park HM last November and 1:31:19 at the New Bedford Half Marathon this March. David Westenberg would have had the best shot at staying with Sayre but had to scratch due to an injury. John Blaser Unattached IA had recent performances that were a little way off but showed he needed to be taken seriously as a potential podium contender.  Blaser clocked 1:35:21 at the Grand Rapids HM last November and finished 4th at the Ten-mile championships. behind Conheady.  Sayre went off strong, splitting the first 10K in 39:50, and the 15K in 1:01:05. Sayre claimed the victory with minutes to spare. 

Roger Sayre, in a class by himself, on the way to 65-69 Victory and the Men's Silver Age Grading Medal at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales 

Danzell put a half minute gap on Conheady and Blaser in the first mile and grew the gap gradually throughout the rest of the race. His silver medal effort on a tough course confirmed his standing coming into the race. Blaser was right with Conheady when they passed the first timing mat. After the Boy Scout Road hill and the rolling hill on 56th Street, Conheady had opened a small gap of 20 meters. Conheady got into a rhythm over tha mostly flat stretch outside the park and then down into the park, crossing the 15K mat in 1:08:05, with Blaser a hundred meters back. It was not dramatic, but Conheady was gradually adding to the gap. In the end, Conheady snagged the final podium spot with a minute and 14 seconds of cushion. Sayre added another feather to his 2024 cap!

Podium

Roger Sayre 1:24:31     Peter Danzell 1:31:12     Timothy Conheady 1:33:49

70-74 Denny Kurtis Ann Arbor TC and Joe Reda Unattached WI met at the Masters 10 Mile national championships in Flint this year. Kurtis finished first in 1:11:40, a minute ahead of Reda. Last fall Kurtis won his division at the Detroit Free Press Marathon in 1:37:15. Reda's record is just as strong. Last August he clocked 1:36:13 at the Madison WI Mini Marathon. Three months later he ran 3:15:50 at the Indy Monumental Marathon. Earlier this year, Reda won national championships at the 1 Mile and 10K so he knows how to compete! How would the rematch go? Doug Chesnut Boulder Road Runners and Don Morrison Greater Philadelphia TC would be in the mix as well. The distance is toward the long end of their range but they finished sixth and seventh at the ten mile championships a couple of minutes behind Reda, with just 42 seconds between them. Although I say it is toward the long end of their range, both have competed at long distances before. Chesnut ran a 3:48 marathon in the fall of 2022 and Morrison jumped into the PUBLIX Atlanta Marathon the day after competing in the Masters 5 Km Championships; he ran a very respectable 1:42:15 on a course with a few hills! This time, Kurtis got off the mark the fastest and had ten seconds on Reda at the first 2.2 Mile split, and another four on Chesnut. Morrison was focused on keeping to his own race plan, well back from those three. By the time they negotiated the first set of hills and were back on the flat at the top of the course, it was very tight. Kurtis, Reda, and Chesnut crossed the 10K mat in a pack at 44:59! The stretch from there to the 15K mat is flat, followed by a downhill stretch starting before the 12K point, and steeply downhill around 8 miles, followed by another mostly flat portion at the bottom of the park. Somewhere along there, Reda must have heard footsteps behind him but no longer next to him. By the 15K mat, Kurtis was 15 meters back, easily within striking distance, but not right there. Chesnut had drafted another 60 meters back. Chesnut is tenacious but may have needed to save something for the upcoming hills. Reda was ready for the hills. By the time they passed the 11.5-mile mat, Reda had added another 26 seconds to his gap on Kurtis. The gap between Kurtis and Chesnut had grown to 49 seconds. Morrison, in the meantime, was focused on running a good half marathon, six minutes behind Reda, but right on the pace he wanted. Reda took the win, with Kurtis in second, a good half minute back, and Chesnut third another minute and a half later. Morrison was fourth with a well-paced time very close to his Atlanta half marathon time, at 1:42:25. After tough outings at the 10 Mile and 12 Km Championships, Reda had another national championship! 

From Left: Denny Kurtis and Joe Reda locked in combat just before Mile 5. Reda and Kurtis would finish 1-2 in the 70-74 Division at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  

Kurtis is, no doubt, already looking forward to a rematch, either on the turf or the roads! Already known at national championships as a strong cross country and 1 Mile to 10K runner, Chesnut showed again that he can slug it out on the roads at longer distances too!

Podium

Joseph Reda 1:35:53     Dennis Kurtis 1:36:27     Douglas Chesnut 1:37:58

75-79 The top contenders were Terry McCluskey Ann Arbor TC, Jerry Learned Atlanta TC and me, Paul Carlin An Arbor TC. Steve Gilbert Unattached IN, a local runner, would try to see how he stacked up against national competition. McCluskey has been gradually rounding into condition after taking it relatively easy off the circuit during Covid and for a while afterward. A strong marathoner in his day and up into his late sixties, McCluskey won the 70-74 division at the 2019 Naples Florida Half Marathon in 1:33:24. Back on track this year, McCluskey claimed the Masters Ten-mile championship in Flint with a 1:23:14. Learned prefers his races shorter. Buthe has also answered the call when his beloved Atlanta Track Club needs his help. He ran the Masters national half marathon championship in 2018, shortly after a fall on the stairs, caused, if I recall correctly by a wayward pooch. And he competed a couple of times in the 15K at Tulsa; he took 2nd in 1:12:59 to my third in 2018 and we reversed it the next year, with me in 2nd at 1:13:40 and Learned third. Learned explained to me at the 12 Km championships that he was not planning on running at the half marathon championship, that it would not be wise. But his Atlanta TC needed a third runner for their 60+ team. Of course, Learned answered the call. But then the other runners on that team ran into a snag and, at the last minute, found they could not make it. Learned ran, instead, on the 40+ team. But make no mistake, Learned has been running very well for the last couple oof years since handling a health issue. A regular on the podium or just off, Learned won the 75-79 Grand prix last year when he aged up and he has it locked up this year as well. He won the division at the 12 Km championships in New Jersey in September with a 1:00:40. I was almost 40 minutes back, in third. In fact, I have not come in ahead of Learned since the warm and hilly 2023 half marathon championships in Syracuse. My 1:55:10 brought me in about five minutes ahead. Learned was not fully recovered from his health issue at that time. One's fourth year in an age division is always going to be difficult in some ways. I was unhappy with my last two championship races, the 10 Mile and 12 K, in terms of the quality of the effort. Ironically, they were my two best finishes this year as I collected a silver medal in the ten mile and a bronze in the 12K. For the first time ever, I doubted, in both races, whether I would be able to complete the entire race. In both cases I did. But I was not competitive for the win, finishing five minutes behind McCluskey in Flint and almost 4 minutes behind Learned in New Jersey. 

When the gun sounded, McCluskey took off with the young pups from the 70-74 division. Learned was a little more cautious, and I was behind them both, with Gilbert trailing the three of us. McCluskey covered the first 10K in 50:01, and the 15K in 1:16:49. He had a gap of a kilometer on Learned and I was another kilometer behind him. I could say that I was timing it so I would have a glimpse of the overall winner, Davis, emerging from the park, heading south as I was still heading north, with plenty of zip in his step but that was pure serendipity! None of us ran into any trouble we could not handle the rest of the way. McCluskey ran brilliantly, victorious in a time much faster than would have been predicted from his win in Flint just 6 weeks earlier. Clearly, McCluskey's training is paying dividends. Watch out for him if he opts to run any of the Cross Country races this winter. 

Terry McCluskey, leading a couple oof Open Runners on his way to the 75-79 Division Victory at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  
 

McCluskey tends to run even better on the turf than on the roads! Learned ran a fine race, struggling a little, perhaps, over the last couple of miles, but capturing the silver medal with minutes to spare. I had a hard time on the hills. It is odd. When I was in my late 60's, new to the circuit, and running 1:30 half marathons, I would occasionally train in Fort Harrison Park, running the 'Kill the Hill' segment multiple times. I did not remember it being as steep as it seemed this time. Could a decade really make that much difference? Surely not! [Well, maybe...]. It turned out to be my slowest half marathon ever, more than a half hour slower than my winning effort in 2014 when I was 68. But I finished and earned the bronze medal. Gilbert took fourth a dozen or so minutes later.

Terry McCluskey 1:46:34     Jerry Learned 1:56:36     Paul Carlin 2:02:58

Podium

80-84 Harold Rosen Unattached MD sent an email to USATF last year that was forwarded to me. He had won his 80-84 age division at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run, the USATF Ten Mile Championship. He did not understand why USATF was referring to the winner of the Ten Mile Championships in Sacramento as the 80-84 national champion when he had run a faster time at the USATF 10 Mile Championship. After explaining that USATF has a separate Masters National Championships circuit, Rosen wrote a very cordial note back, thanking me for the information. Perhaps not surprisingly, Rosen turned up at the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta. Also, perhaps not surprisingly, he finished first among six competitors with a minute and a half cushion. And now, here he was again, competing at his second National Masters championship. This time he had only one rival. Przemek Nowicki Shore AC entered, in part to help his team, but also to acquire some Grand Prix points. He would have a chance for a good finish in his brand new 80-84 division if he could score points here. He knew he was not in shape to run a good half marathon. He adopted a strategy of mixed running and walking. Nowicki was aiming to compete and finish the race. Had there been genuine competitors, eager for a possible win, few, if any, would have stayed with Rosen. He crossed the 10K mat in 56:42 and the 15K mat in 1:27:47. 

Harold Rosen passing two Open Runners on his way to the 80-84 Division crown at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  


He went on to win in 2:03:12. Nineteen minutes later, Nowicki finished 2nd.

 This is, in fact, the first time since 2017 that someone has entered the Masters Half Marathon national championships in the Men 80-84 category. In 2017, at the OC Marathon, Richard Wiliams won the 80-84 half marathon in 2:18:51. It is the first time since 2016 that there have been two entrants at the Masters Half Marathon championships. The real competition could come next year if Doug Goodhue finishes off his recovery from knee surgery. Last October he ran 1:57:41 at the Detroit Free Press HM. Jan Frisby can compete with Rosen at almost any distance up to ten miles. But Frisby has not run the half marathon distance that I know of in recent years. Either way, Rosen ran a fine race and enjoyed his second Masters National Championship this year.

Podium

Harold Rosen 2:03:12     Przemyslaw Nowicki 2:22:26

AGE GRADING CHAMPIONSHIPS Based on net time

MEN Craig Godwin, in winning his stirring battle with John Fernandez, won the Age Grading competition at the same time. His 1:16:12 net time at age 57 earned the only 90% plus Performance Level Percentage PLP.  Roger Sayre, winner in 65-69 at age 66. earned the silver medal; his 1:24:28 net time had a PLP 1.42 percentage points below Godwin. Jesse Davis, the overall winner, was a rare 40-something medalist in the age grading championship. His 1:08:04, at age 42, was good for an 89.30%, just 0.16 percentage points behind Sayre. Fernandez, despite being just two years younger than Godwin and five seconds slower on net time, fell to fourth. 

Roger Sayre starting on 13.1 Miles-At the finish he would own the 65-69 Division Title and the Silver Age Grading medal at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales  


Off the podium but still in the money, Fernandez's score was 89.12%. Rick Torres, out of 60-64, was in the last prize-winning spot, 5th; his 1:23:16 at age 61, scored an 86.37 PLP.

Top Age Graded Performances Across All Men's Age Divisions

Craig Godwin 57 1:16:12 90.88     Roger Sayre 66 1:24:28 89.46     Jesse Davis 42 1:08:04 89.30

WOMEN Lisa Veneziano and Fiona Bayly both won their age divisions with excellent efforts. Veneziano's 1:28:00 net time, at age 60, graded 26-hundredths of a percentage point higher than Bayly's 1:24:51, at age 57. Three years makes a lot of difference in age grading tables. Veneziano won the gold age grading medal and Bayly the silver. 

Lisa Veneziano sprints to .the Finish Line to collect the top Age Grading Prize and the 60-64 Division title at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships hosted by the Indy Half at Fort Ben Photo Credit: Pam Fales 


Stella Gibbs captured the 65-69 division crown; in so doing, she ran 1:36:39 net, for a 91.76 PLP, about two percentage points behind Bayly. Victoria Crisp enjoyed a great solo run in 70-74. Her net time of 150:53 at 72, merited an 88.88 PLP.  Not n;;y did Hronn Gudmundsdottir team up with Gibbs to lead the Impala Racing team in the 50+ Women's team competition, she also snagged the final age grading prize. Her 1:32:24, at age 59, earned an 88.40 PLP.

Top Age Graded Performances Across All Women's Age Divisions

Lisa Veneziano 60 1:28:00 94.05     Fiona Bayly 57 1:24:51 93.79     Stella Gibbs 65 1:36:39 91.76

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

Even though many of the Grand Prix races are tight and, as yet, undecided, the turnout from Clubs was comparatively light. Some teams that expected to score, based on entries, found that one or more of their athletes could not make the event, due to illness, injury or other conflict. The schedule may have played a part. Masters Outdoor Championships ran right into WMA Championships and then the 10 Mile, 12 Km and Half Marathon championships followed in the next six weeks. Also, many of the teams are more focused on the turf and the track than the roads. Perhaps they figure it is easier to get their team to commit for the Masters 5 Km XC, even if it is at altitude.

W50+ There was just one complete Women's team that finished. The Impala Racing H Gudmundsdottir, S Gibbs, A Newman, G Wahl had a four-athlete W50+ team that won the division unopposed in 4:57:05, or an average across the three scoring team members of 1:39:02.

Team Division Winner

Impala Racing 4:57:05 average = 1:39:02 

No complete teams finished in any other Women's ten-year age division.

The only truly competitive division on the Men's side was 40+.

M40+ The hometown Indiana Elite Athletic Club entered two teams, an 'A' J Davis, J Poray, M Olson and a 'B' C Carver, C Galloway, M Cole team. After thinking about dividing their squads for maximum internal competition, they decided to put their strongest runners on the A team, just in case the Atlanta Track Club's F Weir, C Cadiou, T Gresham team turned out to be stronger than anticipated. As it turned out it was a little closer between A and B teams. Carver, on the B team, must have surprised even himself with his fine 1:13:40, almost five minutes faster than his recent HM outings. Even so, the A team's athletes finished 1st, 2nd and 4th in the team standings. Their cumulative time was 3:36:00; they won team gold. The B team nabbed third, 5th and 6th in team scoring for a total time of 3:59:36. That was good for team silver. Atlanta had a good team for 50+ but dropped everyone to 40+ so that the team could include their athlete under the age of 50. Their total time was 4:32:15 for the bronze medal. Those 80 points for third place moved Atlanta into the 2024 M40+ Club Grand Prix lead. Other teams like Indiana and Shore can pass them but only if they finish ahead of them at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boulder.

Team Division Podium

Indiana Elite Athletic Club 'A' 3:36:00 1:12:00     Indiana Elite Athletic Club 'B' 3:59:36 1:19:52     Atlanta Track Club 4:32:15 1:30:45

M50+ The Indiana Elite R Awe, M Glover, A Hector entered a strong team in this division. The Shore Athletic Club team J Conston, K Ginsburg, P Nowicki was short of 50+ runners. Luckily, Przemek Nowicki, who just aged up to the 80-84 division, was willing to run a Half Marathon, even though he had not really trained up for it. That meant that the two 50+ runners who made it to the event could run on a team and that Shore could earn Grand Prix points. The first two runners to finish were from Indiana Elite; the next two were from Shore. If Shore had had another competitive runner, the team contest might have been close. But Nowicki's only aim was to finish so that Grand Prix points were earned. Shore was 13 minutes behind after the first two runners on each team had finished. In the end, Indiana had the win with a cushion of well over an hour. But Nowicki finished, to make sure that Shore got their silver team medals and the 90 points toward the Grand Prix championship. That moved Shore solidly into 2nd place in the M50+ Grand Prix ahead of the Genesee Valley Harriers.

Team Division Podium

Indiana Elite Athletic Club 4:10:59 1:23:40     Shore Athletic Club 5:19:29 1:46:27

M60+ The only club to field a complete team was the Ann Arbor Track Club R Power, L Sak, S Fiske, W Freeman, M Mester. Although originally entered and incorrectly listed on the Team Results sheet after the race, Schmidt was a scratch; he did not compete. Unopposed, they won in a very nice 4:31:30. Their top three finished within four minutes of one another around 1:30. Their total was 4:31:30, four minutes faster than their team time in the 2023 HM Championships where they finished 1st among three teams. Ann Arbor's 100 points locked up their third place finish in the 2024 M60+ Club Grand Prix.

Team Division Winner

Ann Arbor Track Club 4:31:30 1:30:30

M70+ As with 60+, Ann Arbor D Kurtis, E Matsuo, T McCluskey, A Pratt, P Carlin was the only complete team competing. They won in 5:05:50; that was faster than the winning M70+ times at the Masters Half Marathon Championships in 2022 and 2023. In both 2022 and 2023, there were three complete teams entered. The 100 Grand Prix points that Ann Arbor earned here at the Half Marathon, moved them into 3rd place in the 2024 M70+ Grand Prix ahead of Shore AC. Shore could still pass them at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships. Ann Arbor will need to score well there to protect their lead.

Team Division Winner

Ann Arbor Track Club 5:05:50 1:41:57

 The Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben was a great success. There were some thrilling performances! 

Thanks to Pam Fales for the complimentary photos; She takes great pictures in the midst of making sure everything is running smoothly for the USATF  Masters Championships. 

If anyone is still looking for photos to purchase, there are, apparently, pics available for a price at finisherpix.com.

The last scoring event for this year's Masters National Grand Prix is the Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO, to be held on November 2, 2024. For details, see: 

https://www.usatf.org/events/2024/2024-usatf-masters-5-km-cross-country-championship