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!
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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.
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| 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.
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Trina Painter finishes off the Women's Race with a Top Five Finish Overall at the
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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!
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| 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 |
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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 Boulder, Boulder 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!
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