December 13 2024 They are coming from the mountains, the plains, the seacoasts, gulf coasts and lake coasts-from Alaska to Florida, from New Hampshire to Southern California! Nearly 800 athletes have signed up for the three Masters Races at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships on. The Masters Races are at 9:30 AM [6 Km Women --231 entered]; 10:15 AM [8 Km Men 60+ --171 entered]; and 11:15 AM [10 Km Men 40-59 --373 entered]. But make no mistake! The Clubs from the Pacific Northwest are determined to defend the home turf and take as many podium spots as possible. Club Northwest, the host organization, has 87 athletes entered; adding in other clubs from Washington and from Oregon brings the Pac NW entry total to around 200!
The event will be held at Chambers Creek Regional Park near Tacoma WA this coming Saturday, December 14th; it is the largest gathering of Masters LDR athletes in the last two years. Club Northwest has organized a terrific championship that will be remembered for years to come.
A lot of runners do not like their courses to be too manicured nor their weather and footing to be too good. It does not seem challenging enough to be called Cross Country! For those who like their Cross Country races a bit gnarly, conditions should be good! The forecasted inch of rain, in total, for Thursday and Friday is now down to a half inch. That, along with temperatures in the mid-40’s on Saturday, and the light rain perhaps holding off until noontime, mean that a rainy, cold and perhaps sloppy run won't be quite so rainy and sloppy! The winds at 9-10 mph, gusting to 27 could make things interesting, especially if it is windier right by the waters of Puget Sound. Folks will be talking about this one for a long time as an epic Club Cross contest!
In the paragraphs below, I cover the Overall races in the order they occur--Women, followed by Men 60+, followed by Men 40+. In the later sections, I mix it up differently.
WOMEN'S RACE - OVERALL As always, the fields are stellar. The Women’s Overall race features Carrie Dimoff Bowerman Track Club TC, who dueled Renee Metivier last year over the first three kilometers, before pulling away for the victory; she stopped the clock art 21:17. Dimoff followed that up with another win at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Richmond, even hurdling a few hay bales along the way. Her 22:05 to win the Women's Masters race at Stumptown Cross in late October shows she is primed for another sterling effort. Dimoff, the Doha World Championships marathoner will be challenged by Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, Meriah Earle San Diego TC. Earle has taken the Overall championship at the two Masters Cross Country events she has contested, the 2019 Masters 5 Km Championships at Mission Bay in San Diego and at the rainy, windy Club Cross championships in 2022 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Earle, now in the 45-49 division, ran 2:39:46 at the Olympic Trials Marathon in February, garnered a Masters win at Carlsbad in 17:21; and ran a 1:15:34 Half Marathon at Grandma's in June. Kelly Calway GRC Tracksmith ran in the Open Championship at Tallahassee last year, clocking 22:38. That would have put her well inside the top ten in the Masters race but over a minute behind Dimoff. Her 38:14 in the 10 K Open race at Richmond equates, via age grading, to a 22:10 effort over 6 Km. That would have left her just outside the top 5 in the Masters race. In 2022 at Golden Gate Park, when the weather was rainy and footing soft, Calway finished much closer to Dimoff, just six seconds behind her in the Open race. Megan Heuer Club Northwest finished third behind Earle in the 2022 Championships. Jessica Hruska Crown Running was 4th in 2022 but finished 14th last year in Tallahassee. Both Heuer and Hruska have been under 19 minutes at 5K races this year, but not under 18:30. Jennifer Lutz Battle Road TC, the New England Cross Country champion this year. Lutz finished 9th in Tallahassee last year but may report to the starting line this year with better fitness. Her time at the New England championships at the 6 Km Attleboro course was 22:20. Last Spring she finished third at the Masters 10 Km Championships in Massachusetts with a 37:06 effort. Lutz was even faster in September when she cracked a 36:35 10K at Lone Gull. Maggie Shearer Cal Coast TC is coming back from injury after finishing second overall at both the 2021 and 2022 editions of Club Cross. Her 37:36 at the Dana Point Turkey Trot last month suggests she is getting back close to the fitness she enjoyed in 2022. Julia Webb Unattached finished 4th in Tallahassee last year and was just a half minute behind Dimoff and Calway in the Open race in 2022. This spring she clocked 37:12 at the Capital City 10K. Dimoff remains a strong favorite. After that the crystal ball is foggier. Earle has been such a strong marathoner and cross country runner that she seems almost certain to make the podium. Will this be Lutz's year to crack the podium or will Calway channel her 2022 self, stick with Dimoff most of the way and kick it home to the podium? Or will some less heralded runner handle the conditions better? We shall find out on Saturday. If pressed for a prediction, I would probably opt for a finishing order of Dimoff-Earle-Calway.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Kelly Calway Carrie Dimoff Meriah Earle
MEN 60 AND UP RACE - OVERALL Nat Larson Greater Springfield Harriers, the reigning Male Masters Road Runner of the Year, and holder of every 60-64 American record from the 1 Mile to the Half Marathon, has won the Men’s 60+ race the last two years. He enjoyed a 19 second margin in both races. He came in ahead of Steve Schmidt Ann Arbor TC in San Francisco two years ago in 29:24. Last year at Tallahassee, Mark Zamek Garden State TC tracked him as long as he could. But Larson pulled away to win in 29:34. Slowed by injury over the second half of this year, Larson seems likely to drop down to the 40-59 race to help his team and run a more controlled race. If so, the top contenders should be Schmidt, John Van Danacker TC Running and Kevin Ostenberg HOKA Aggie Running Club. They finished 5th, 3rd and 4th last year. Many observers felt Schmidt would have finished 3rd, or possibly even 2nd, but for a misdirection on the course. Zamek, is entered, but has been rehabbing a tendon and is not expected to be in top form. He is extremely competitive though; no one will count him out entirely. Van Danacker won his division at the Twin Cities 10 Miler in October, clocking 1:01:01. As long as Van Danacker has that fitness, he is a strong favorite for the win. Schmidt ran 1:01:49 to take second at the Masters ten Mile Championships in Flint at the end of August. The Crim 10 Miler is a challenging course but he one in the Twin Cities is also challenging I have heard. On the other hand, Schmidt's fitness has improved since then. It should be a good battle between Van Danacker and Schmidt. Ostenberg only finished seven seconds behind Van Danacker at Tallahassee last year. Ostenberg won his division at Carlsbad in 17:25 and nearly matched that at the end of last month, clocking 17:34 at the Feed the Hungry 5K. Dan King Athletics Boulder just broke the American 65-69 Record for the Mile (and the 1500 Meters along the way) this fall. He was off his best at Golden Gate Park and still finished in the top ten in this division. He won the 65-69 division at the Masters 5 km Championships in Boulder at the beginning of November. His 18:28 time, on the exact same course, was a half-minute faster than his winning 60-64 time in 2022. Pete Magill Cal Coast TC has had a storied career as a Masters athlete, winning many championships and setting many records. Magill wrote the book on fast 5K’s and, among other things, took top honors Overall at the 2010 Club Cross Championships in Charlotte NC. It may be that Magill is running mainly to help his team but one never knows what Magill might uncork. Magill finished 6th in this division at Golden Gate Park two years ago. Who knows? Maybe since he moved to Eugene, he has been chasing the ghost of Pre and getting fitter than he has been in years! Jacob Nur SRA Elite holds several 65-69 American road records and finished third overall in the M60 8Km race at Club Cross in 2022.This year has been a bit up and down. He won 65-69 at the Masters 1 Mile Championships in Danville in 5:23. A few weeks later he ran a17:33 5K at the Impala Stampede. But I find no Athlinks results for him after that. On November 17th, Nur ran in the Pacific Association Cross Country Championships, winning the 65-69 division over 8 Km in 32:29. But he finished almost a minute and a half behind Ostenberg. In San Francisco two years ago, he finished a minute ahead of Ostenberg. That information is not decisive, of course. Nur could have been playing it safe at the PA Championships; he won his division by a couple of minutes. It will be interesting to see what Nur is ready to run this Saturday. Paul Smith Bowerman TC, new to the division this year, took the top Masters spot at the Stumptown Cross Championships in Oregon in October, finishing just a minute and a half behind Todd Rose, one of the top 50-54 cross country athletes in the nation [See discussion of M50+ age division below]. It is perilous to compare XC times across different courses at different times. But it is probably worth mentioning that Smith's 29:21 is faster than Schmidt's time over the same distance at two different courses, in 2022 and in 2023. Smith ran a 28:56 5 Miler in May at the Capital City Marathon and 17:19 at the Bowerman 5K in July. Thomas Tayeri Peninsula Distance Club had the third best 60-64 Men’s time at Boston in 2023, 2:46:40. This year he had the top 60-64 time at Chicago, 2:48:29. Marathoners often do well at cross country; Richards and Davis from M40+, for example, were known primarily as Marathoners in their Open careers. I find no recent cross country results for Tayeri, I do find a 2019 College homecoming cross country weekend race for him. He finished 2nd in 19:28, sandwiched between two 16-year olds. I suspect Tayeri has a long-standing familiarity with Cross Country. Perhaps he is ready for a breakout Masters performance on the turf.
Without Larson heading the list, and Zamek running in the midst of tendon rehab, it is tempting to think the finishing order should be Schmidt-Van Danacker-Ostenberg, in that order. But there are imponderables. Zamek is incredibly competitive and is not in terrible shape for an 8K cross country adventure. Zamek's ability to run through pain has been part of his difficulty in extending his rehab period. I hope, for his sake, that Zamek runs sensibly. But I would not be amazed to see him on the podium at the end of the day. As the reader can see from the paragraph above, there are many potential challengers for the podium. And, no doubt, some that I did not mention. The two newcomers to M60+ Club Cross, Smith and Tayeri, seem likely to break up the trio. Schmidt tends to be a strong runner, pouring it on over the last two kilometers of an 8K XC race. I worry that Smith might get out fast, possibly with Zamek tracking him, and leave Schmidt too much ground to make up. If pushed to predict a finishing order, how about Smith-Schmidt-Tayeri?
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Steve Schmidt Paul Smith Thomas Tayeri
MEN 40 AND UP RACE - OVERALL
In the Men’s 40+ race, it looks like a matchup primarily between Joseph Gray HOKA & Club Northwest [?] and Malcolm Richards West Valley TC. But Jesse Davis Indiana Elite Athletic Club should also be in the mix. Richards ran as an Open runner at Tallahassee in 2021. That was his last Club Cross before becoming a Masters athlete. Had he run in the Masters division, his 31:16 would have been about a minute faster than the winning time. In 2022 at Golden Gate Park in that odd, for cross country, race around the antiquated, oversized (1200 meters or so per lap?] and gnarly track at the Polo Field, Richards finished 3rd in the Masters race, behind Sergio Reyes and a late surging Joshua Adams. Richards showed that podium finish was no fluke, In 2023 in Tallahassee, Richards ran away from the field, coming home in 32:08, a good half minute ahead of Davis. Richards appears ready for another good run. He ran a 1:06:10 half marathon at Rock n Roll San Jose. At the end of last month, he ran 15:07 at the Run to Feed the Hungry 5K. Davis won in Tallahassee in 2021, but at a slower time than Richards turned in for his Open race. He finished fifth to Richards's 3rd at Golden Gate Park and finished second to Richards last year. In good form, Davis just won the Masters Half Marathon championships in Indianapolis. A month later he took the Masters title at the Indy Monumental Marathon's half marathon race in 1:06:55. For Davis to win it will have to be fourth time's the charm! Gray is almost surely the favorite. With multiple US Mountain Running titles, Gray is also the 2013 and 2016 World Mountain Running Champion. He aged into the Masters ranks this year and was the victor at the Masters 10K and the Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships. Although more at home in the mountains, Gray is no stranger to cross country, having won the Open Club Cross Championship in 2013 in Bend OR, running for Club Northwest.
David Cisewski West Valley finished third behind his teammate and Davis last year in Tallahassee with a 32:58 time. At the Pacific Association Cross Country Championships this November, over 8 Km, Richards won the Masters race at 26:00. Cisewski was third in 26:45. David Clark Rose City TC was the first Masters finisher at the Stumptown Classic Cross County race in late November, finishing the 8 Km in 26:12, a good half minute ahead of the strong Bowerman contingent. Clark ran a 15:46 5K in early September and two weeks later clocked 48:28 in taking the Masters win at the Martin Luther King Dream 15K; that is age grade equivalent to a 31:38 10K. Clark seems primed for a good outing. Brian Flynn Garden State TC finished fifth last year in Tallahassee in 33:54 over 10 kilometers. He followed that with a second-place finish in the Masters 8 km race at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Richmond in early 2024. Later in the year he finished second at the Masters 12 Km Championships in New Jersey, running 39:12. Like Gray, Nicholas Kipruto US Army, is a newly minted Masters athlete this year. Kipruto had the 409th best 10,000 meter time listed on the World Athletics site for 2018 at 29:01.60. That is an impressive time. On the same site for the same year, I find Richards listed for the 798th best time at 29:36.25. Kipruto finished 27th in the Open competition at the 2017 USA Cross Country Championships in Bend OR with a 32:20 on that challenging course. That is impressive but Gray finished 9th that day in 31:02. What is his current fitness? Kipruto ran 53:58 to finish 5th Masters at the US Army Ten Miler in October. That is age grade equivalent to a 32:42 10K and/or a 1:11:24 half marathon. That is just one race, but it suggests that unless his fitness has improved, Kipruto may not make it onto the podium. Neil McDonagh Square State Striders won the Masters 1 Mile road championship this year and finished second to Gray at the Masters 5 Km Cross Championships in Boulder, clocking 15:49. McDonagh may be fitter this year. On the same course he traversed in 2022, McDonagh ran almost a minute faster. At Golden Gate Park, he finished 7th, just 12 seconds behind Davis. But one might argue that running on a track worked to McDonagh's advantage. Based on these data, there appears to be no reason to remove the favorite's mantle from Gray's shoulders. And Richards still looks good for 2nd place. After that it gets difficult. One could easily make a case for Clark, Davis, or Kipruto. If pressed for a prediction, I go with Gray-Richards-Davis.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Jesse Davis Joseph Gray Malcolm Richards
AGE DIVISIONS-- INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS
Note: The entries, especially, for M40-59 came in faster than I could keep up with them this year. It all happens in the run up to the Annual Meeting and the event itself, both of which take up much of my time. The Overall M40+, M60+ and Women's race analysis is data-based. But much of the analysis of 45-49, etc. age divisions is more impressionistic with large holes in the data. It is very possible for someone to fly in under the radar. But that is not always a bad thing; it can add to excitement!
Note: Due to the large turnout and the press of many USATF-related tasks for Annual Meeting and the Club Cross championships, this preview will be a little more impressionistic with less data basis. My apologies, in advance, to anyone I should have found out about but did not. On the other hand, such athletes get to fly in under the radar, not necessarily a bad thing!
Individual Men 40-44 The analysis of the Overall race suggests that Gray, Richards and Davis might go 1-2-3, with the possibility that Clark, Kipruto or one of the other mentioned or unmentioned athletes could pull an upset.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Jesse Davis Joseph Gray Malcolm Richards
Individual Men 45-49 There is a line from the classic movie, Casablanca, uttered several times by Inspector Renault, sometimes to comic effect, "Round up the usual suspects!" When I looked down the list of 45-49 year old's entered, I immediately wrote down these six names. In their first five years as a Masters athlete, they were a threat for the overall Masters win at any USATF national championship they entered. Two, Blake and Cook are in their first year of the new age division; the rest are closer to 50 than to 45. David Angell Roanoke Valley Elite has won many overall Masters road titles and was on the 2018 Masters overall Cross Country podium in Spokane. Lehigh the following year was more difficult. After the Covid break, Club Cross has sometimes fallen in the middle of or close to a rehab period. Angell found some of the magic again earlier this year, finishing atop the 45-49 division and fifth Masters, overall, at the USATF Cross Country Nationals in Richmond. A month later he won the Overall title at the Masters 5 Km road championship in Atlanta. In August he again win the division but also collected a silver medal Overall at the Masters 10 Mile championships over a hilly course in Flint MI. His 55:09 time on that course was impressive. His most recent outing was a 25:49 8K at the Richmond Marathon last month. Eric Blake's Tracksmith Boston Hares first Club Cross was 2021. He already had an Overall win at the Masters 10 Km road Championships in 2019 and a silver medal from the 2020 Cross Country Nationals at Mission Bay in San Diego. He and Gilmore, in 2021, were on the Jesse Davis train until they weren't. Dropped on the final loop, Blake finished third in 33:14, nineteen seconds out of first. The next ear was the odd year at Golden Gate Park on the Polo Field track; Blake was not among the top few. This year he finished 3rd at the Masters 10 Km Championships behind Gray and another top Masters runner, Mario Vazquez, in 32:50. In June he took on the 'There's Only One Hill' Delta Dental Mt Washington race, 7.6 miles with an elevation gain of 4,650' finishing third overall behind Gray and a 27-year-old. Roosevelt Cook's Cal Coast first Club Cross as a Masters athlete was 2021 when, like Blake, he fell off the pace on the final loop, finishing fourth in 33:36. In January 2022, Cook finished 2nd behind Sergio Reyes at Cross Country Nationals. But Club Cross is always a deeper field. In San Francisco he finished just ahead of Blake but not in the top few. At Tallahassee last year he was 6th overall in 34:02. Cook has had a good year on the roads, the winning Masters athlete at Carlsbad in 15:15. He added a 1:09:43 half marathon at the HOAG OC Marathon in May. His 31:37 at the Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K last month shows he is ready. Neville Davey West Valley is the only athlete on this initial list with a Club Cross Masters title on his resume. At Lexington KY in 2017, on a cold day when the ruts on the path froze and were hard, the West Coast athlete showed he could handle adverse conditions, winning it all and leading his team to victory. Initially a middle-distance ace, Davey had won the invitational Masters 1500M at the Olympic Trials in Eugene the year before. Fourth the next year at Spokane, the next two were more of a struggle. At Tallahassee last year, he cracked the top ten again at the age of 48, no mean accomplishment. Davey, of course, stood atop the division podium. This will be Davey's last Club Cross before joining the 50+ ranks. He looks to make it a good one; his training appears to have gone well recently. He finished top ten at the Pacific Association Championships, less than two minutes behind the winner, Richards. Peter Gilmore West Valley has two Club Cross Silver medals, one behind Jacques Sallberg at Lehigh and one behind Davis at Tallahassee in 2021. His first Club Cross as a 45-year-old was in San Francisco; he took 1st in the age division but was just outside the top ten overall. Gilmore was first Masters at the Impala Stampede in June with a snazzy 15:39 5K. Aaron Totten-Lancaster Garden State TC has been a top Masters runner since 2016 when he finished 5th at the Masters 10 Km Championships in 33:22. Later that year he finished just inside the top ten overall at Clubs in Tallahassee. The next few years he was further back. After aging up over Covid, it was the same story at Tallahassee in 2021 and 2022. Last year at Tallahassee he finished fifth in the division on a 35:33 effort. Like Davey, in the last year of this division, Totten-Lancaster was able to land on the division podium in the 12 Km Masters Championships in September with a 42:27, age grade equivalent to a 35 flat 10K.
Blake and Cook should be competitive for the division win. Is one of the others on the list likely to join them on the division podium or is there someone new to consider? If it is someone from this list, I would go with Gilmore. So, if pressed for a prediction I go with Blake-Cook-Gilmore.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Eric Blake Roosevelt Cook Peter Gilmore
Team Men Note: Men's 40+ and 50+ teams declare up to 9 athletes and score the first five. Low score wins.
40+ The last three years it has been West Valley and Indiana Elite battling for the win. Indiana was the upstart team in 2021 at Tallahassee, taking the title from West Valley by a single point. Bowerman had won in 2016 and 2018 with West Valley taking the title in 2017 and 2019. Now there was a new team to tussle with. Indiana showed they were no fluke by taking the 2022 Masters Grand Prix title and then went into West Valley's backyard in 2022 and hoisted the Clubs trophy again, winning by 27 points. West Valley reversed the tables last year, winning in Tallahassee by 23 points. Both teams are loaded again and will likely battle for the win. The Tracksmith Boston Hares finished 3rd last year, just 15 points behind Indiana. They would love to move up!
Individual Men 50-54 The following names from the 50-54 entry list jump out at me: Nicholas Bowden Club Northwest, Richard Falcone Garden State, John Gardiner Cal Coast, Jaime Heilpern HOKA Aggie, John Howell Bowerman, Gregory Mitchell Bowerman, Todd Rose West Valley, Mark Yuen West Valley. Heilpern is, arguably, the favorite, and so gets first mention. He is, unarguably, the defending division champion. He finished 9th overall last year in Tallahassee as well as topping the 50-54 division podium with a 34:50. In fact, Heilpern has been on the division podium at every Club Cross Championship since Spokane in 2018. He also won in San Francisco. His recent road work suggest he is ready to contend for the win again. He ran a 16:04 5K at the Impala Stampede in June and followed that up with a 15:54 5000 at the Oakland Twilight. Bowden gets on the list because his club thought it important to keep him eligible for 'In Association' status by asking for him to be put on USATF Masters LDR's 'Moved' list. Bowden has some strong road credentials, but I am not aware of any recent cross country results. He ran 1:16:07 at the Lake Sammamish half marathon in March and followed that with a 2:41:07 at the Eugene Marathon a month later. Falcone finished 10th in this division in his first Club Cross Country outing in Tallahassee in 2021. But he followed that with a 3rd place division finish in San Francisco a year later. He enjoys two division silver medals from the 10 Km Masters Championships in Dedham off a 32:38 in 2022 and a 34:11 this year. Gardiner finished in the top ten overall at Club Cross from the 2012 edition in Seattle up through the 2018 edition in Spokane. In 2016 he finished 3rd at Club Cross in Tallahassee, with one of those ahead of him later accepting a USADA drug sanction. A bit off his game in the first couple of years after Covid, by last year in Tallahassee, he had moved up to 5th in this division with a 36:20. Gardiner has had a good year on the roads; his 16:36 at Carlsbad gave him 2nd in this division behind Rose. In early November he turned in a 16:29 5K at the Dinosaur Dash. Howell's Masters Cross Country efforts hit their high point in Lexington Ky in 2017 when he finished second overall to Davey in 33:02. But Howell also finished either 4th, 5th or 6th overall in Club Cross each other year from 2013 in Bend OR to 2018 in Spokane WA. Since that time he has been less competitive in his division. He was not in the top ten at San Francisco and did not compete last year in Tallahassee. How he will fare in this year's outing is anyone's guess. After finishing second to Lee troop at 2013 Club Cross in 2013, Mitchell was the top dog overall at Lehigh in 2014 in 31:59. In 2015 and 2016, he officially finished 2nd. But the winner both years later accepted a USADA sanction. That would have been three straight wins for Mitchell at Club Cross. That was his last top 5 finish overall at Club Cross. He has rallied in recent years. He placed fifth in his division in 2022 in San Francisco and in Tallahassee last year. Mitchell has had a good year on the roads and won his division at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boulder this November. Rose finished as high as 8th overall at Club Cross in Tallahassee in 2016. He remained in the top 20 after that. Once he aged up into the 45-49 division he has mostly been among the top 5 in his division at Clubs. Rose had an off year in 2022 but finished 3rd in the division last year in Tallahassee. This fall Rose went up to Oregon to take the M50 title at Stumptown Cross and then came back to take 2nd in 50-54 behind Heilpern at the Pacific Association Cross Country Championships at the end of November. He seems primed for another run at the podium. Yuen has been a top divisional runner for many years, a steady contributor for his team. He finished 2nd M45 at Clubs in 2015, with 6th place division finishes in 2017 and 2019. In 2021, Yuen took the M50 crown with a 34:07, winning by 27 seconds. In 2022 he finished 4th M50 in San Francisco. He fell back to 7th at Tallahassee last year. Heilpern seems a safe bet for the win. After that it gets trickier. Rose has a good shot at 2nd. Perhaps it would be Mitchell after that? Let us go with Heilpern-Rose-Mitchell and let someone else prove me wrong.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Jaime Heilpern Gregory Mitchell Todd Rose
55-59 Frank Zoldak Boulder Road Runners is the defending champion. In fact, running 34:52 over 10 Km, Zoldak nearly finished in the top ten overall. That is almost unheard of for someone in the M55 division. His 16:55 in early November at the Masters 5 Km Championships in Boulder left him 7th overall and 1st M55. Zoldak is the clear favorite to take the win in Tacoma. Craig Godwin Bowerman is one of the few athletes who could possibly challenge Zoldak. Godwin had his third heart attack in October 2023; he does not always make it to Club Cross. But when he does, he is typically competitive. In 2021 at the age of 54, he ran 36:17 in Tallahassee to finish 6th in M50. A year later in San Francisco he finished 3rd in M55. He missed Clubs last year but has had a good year on the roads this year. He won M55 at the Masters Half Marathon Championships on a hilly course in Indianapolis, holding off=a strong challenge to take the win in 1:16:10. His 16:34 at the Bowerman 5K in July netted the M55 victory. Emmet Hogan Club Northwest finished 10th at Tallahassee last year in 37:11. That was good for 10th in M50 but would have placed him 2nd in M55, although well behind Zoldak. Rusty Snow Santa Barbara Running & Racing might have a shot at the podium. He had no trouble winning M50 at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Richmond this past January. His 27:29 over 8 Km at age 54 left him 26 seconds ahead of Philippe Rolly, a pretty fair 51 year old athlete. Snow has rarely competed at Club Cross Country. He competed at the USA Cross Country Championships, finishing 3rd overall in St Louis in 2013; 2nd and 6th at the championships in Boulder in 2014 and 2015; and finally 5th at Bend OR in 2016. He finished 26 seconds ahead of Christian Cushing-Murray at that championship. He skipped XC national championships then until this year's effort in Richmond. Snow ran a 1:12:05 half marathon at the Ventura Marathon in February this year. Christian Cushing-Murray Cal Coast finished 5th in M50 in 2017 at Lexington and 2018 at Spokane. He missed Clubs in 2019 and had an off year in 2021 where he finished out of the top ten in the division. But in January of 2022 he finished 3rd M50 at Cross Nationals in San Diego. At San Francisco in 2022, Cushing-Murray finished 4th M55. A month later in Richmond VA, he finished 2nd at Cross Nationals in Richmond, finishing 27 seconds behind Michael Nahom. In early November he ran 17:29 at the Dinosaur Dash 5K. Michael Nahom Greater Springfield Harriers, as noted, won the M55 division at Richmond in 2023 in 28:29. A year later he ran a minute and a half slower on a chilly day, finishing 3rd in the division. In 2022 in San Francisco, Nahom finished 3rd in M55 at Clubs. Ivan Lieben West Valley, like Yuen, has been a steady runner near the top for his team for some time. At Lehigh in 2019, Lieben finished 4th M50. In 2021 he finished 3rd M50 at Tallahassee and the following year nabbed 2nd M50 in San Francisco. Injuries followed, throwing Lieben off for 2023. He is now out of rehab and has been gaining fitness. He ran 17:02 5K at the Impala Stampede in the summer and almost matched it at the end of November with a 17:06 5K in Oakland. He had the top M55 time at the Pacific Association Cross Country Championships in November. Lieben seems ready for a run at the podium. If Zoldak has not encountered any problems in the last few weeks, he should take the win. The rest is murky but let us go with Lieben for 2nd, followed by Snow.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Ivan Lieben Rusty Snow Frank Zoldak
Team Men 50+ West Valley enjoyed a dominant Team 50+ win in 2021 in Tallahassee, amassing only 29 points among its 5 scoring runners. Graden State finished 2nd with 62 points. The Central Mass Striders were next at 93, with Bowerman and Club Northwest tied for 4th at 121. That set the tone for the next two years. West Valley took the win but it was a little closer each year. In 2022 in San Francisco it was 39 for West Valley to 70 for Garden State. The Boulder Road Runners made the podium, almost pushing Garden State off the silver medal spot. Bowerman had a similar total to 2021 but did not have to share the 4th spot. Last year it was closer again. Boulder now had Zoldak leading the way. West Valley escaped with their third straight win, but just by three points, 56 to Boulder's 59. Afer skipping Clubs in San Francisco, CMS came back in Tallahassee with another third-place effort, this time just barely holding off Bowerman by a single point. CMS is skipping Clubs this year. Among other things, their #1 runner has been rehabbing for much of the summer and fall. Garden State is also out of action. My guess is that Club Northwest will be competitive this year and that Bowerman will continue moving closer to West Valley. Boulder still has Zoldak leading the way and has a very solid team. They did lose their #2 and #3 runners from last year so it will be hard for them to stay close to West Valley.
Individual Women 40-44 The analysis of the Overall Women's Race above suggests that Dimoff, Calway and, perhaps, Lutz, should be favored for the 40-44 podium.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Kelly Calway Carrie Dimoff Jennifer Lutz
45-49 From the Overall analysis, it appears that Earle should be favored for the division win with Shearer second. After that it is complicated. Gretchen Hurlbutt Boisie Betties finished 2nd overall over 6 Km at Spokane in 2018, in 22:05. She followed that up four years later with 8th in Women 40+ in San Francisco. Her most recent outing on Athlinks is a 3:19:38 at the Eugene Marathon, That could be a sign that Hurlbutt is not in top condition for a national championship. But it could also be that was not run at top effort. Hurlbutt is not known as a marathoner. Two other contenders run for The Janes Elite squad. Nancy James-Klinger Janes Elite finished third overall at Lehigh in 22:45. James-Klinger claimed the masters title at the Southern California XC championships last month. She clocked 24:28 for 6K, finishing ahead of several of her teammates. Her teammate, Vivien Hyman Janes Elite, finished third in this division last year in Tallahassee. She did not participate in the So Cal Association XC Championships but ran an 18:10 5K in July to enjoy the Masters win at the Surf City 5K. Perhaps James-Klinger is the one to go with but I will opt for Hyman. That gives me a predicted order of Earle-Shearer-Hyman.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Meriah Earle Vivien Hyman Maggie Shearer
Team Women Note: Women's teams declare up to 5 athletes and score the first three. Low score wins. 40+ A different team has won each of the last three years. The Boston Athletic Association won in 2021 with 30 points to 34 for the Cal Cost Track Club. Club Northwest and the Gulf Winds TC tied for fourth with 50 points. The next year in San Francisco, none of those teams were in the top 4, even though two of the four are west coast clubs. San Diego TC took top honors with 21 to 25 for Team Red Lizard. The Janes Elite were third with 33 and Garden State 4th with 46. There was more carry over to the 2023 championships in Tallahassee. Red Lizard moved up a spot to take the win with 23 points. Cal Coast re-emerged but was edged by Bowerman 32 to 34 for 2nd place. Garden State fell back to 4th. One would anticipate that Red Lizard would win as the championships are not far away from their Portland OR base. But Metivier, their top finisher from last year is not competing this year. That works in Bowerman's favor as Dimoff is back. One suspects that Club Northwest will be gunning for a podium finish on their home turf.
Individual Women 50-54 Lorilynn Bloomer Unattached and Jennifer St. Jean Central Park TC appear to be the strongest runners entered. Bloomer has run in the past for the Bowerman TC, winning the Masters race at 2020 Cross Nationals in San Diego with a 24:14. Two years later, Bloomer finished 6th overall in the Covid-delayed 2nd Cross Nationals event in San Diego. Bloomer ran 24:22 to finish 3rd in 50-54 at Clubs in Tallahassee last year. Primarily a middle-distance track athlete, St Jean began college coaching recently and that may have encouraged her to expand her repertoire. St Jean is a gifted athlete who trains hard. Even though 49 at the time, she won the 45-49 division of the Fifth Avenue Mile this year at 5:14. At Outdoor track nationals in 2023 she finished 2nd in 45-49 at 800 meters in 2:22.23 and claimed the win in her primary target, the 45-49 1500 M run with a 4:54.78. Although I find no XC results for St Jean on Athlinks, I understand she has trained on grass and ran either a XC event or a time trial on a 5 Km XC course, clocking in under 19 minutes. Gwen Lapham Club Northwest could also factor into this race. In 2015 Lapham finished 2nd in W45. In 2021 she finished 3rd in W50 in 23:55. The next year, Lapham ran 24:13 to finish 6th in San Francisco. But Lapham must be in her last year in the division before aging up; it is tough to make the podium at Club Cross in your last year. On the other hand, no one else has matched those times. Samantha Forde Impala and Carla McAlister Cal Coast will make sure Lapham earns it. For now, I will go with Bloomer-St Jean-Lapham.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Lorilynn Bloomer Gwen Lapham Jennifer St Jean
55-59 Karolyn Bowley Boston Athletic Association is probably the favorite but there are a number of strong runners in the field. Bowley took the division crown at Tallahassee in 2021 with a 22:53. A year later, she finished 2nd in the division in 23:38, 19 seconds behind the leader. A year later in Tallahassee she was back on top with a 24:01. She is the defending champion and has won two of the last three Club Cross events. This will be her first Club Cross event as a 55-year-old. Aeron Arlin Genet HOKA Aggie always seems to be in the mix for a podium finish. She finished 5th in W50 at Lehigh. By the time she ran again at Clubs in 2022 at San Francisco she finished 2nd in her new W55 division. Last year in Tallahassee she finished 3rd in the division with a 25:34 time. Two years ago, Amy Halseth Prado Racing ran 19:38 at the Crazy 8's 5K XC. This September she ran 19:47 at the Ursula Rains Balboa Boogie 5K XC to finish 10th overall and first in 50-54. A couple of months later at the San Diego-Imperial Association XC Championships, Halseth ran 26:45 to take the division win as a newly minted 55-59 division runner. In early June, Halseth turned in a 1:24:24 half marathon at Rock n Roll San Diego. Jennifer Harvey Central Park, known initially for her middle-distance prowess, chose to also run marathons and cross country. Last year she won the Masters Road Mile Championships for this division, edging Fiona Bayly to claim the 55-59 American Record of 5:25. Last year Harvey finished 2nd at Tallahassee with a 25:04. This year Harvey finished 2nd in this division at Berlin in 3:12:10. That was shortly after finishing 2nd in W55 at the Fifth Avenue Mile in 5:31. Harvey also ran a 19:33 5K. My best guess at this point is a finishing order of Bowley-Harvey-Halseth with Genet poised to mount the podium if she has the better day.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Karolyn Bowley Amy Halseth Jennifer Harvey
Team Women 50+ Sirius Athletics has been on the Club Cross 50+ podium each of the last three years. They took gold at Tallahassee in 2021, followed by bronze in San Francisco in 2022 and bronze again at Tallahassee in 2023. Sirius, out of Georgia, edged the Janes Elite team by 5 points in 2021. Garden State was third at 31, followed by Club Northwest at 40. The following year, Northwest surged to the top, winning by a huge 13-point margin. Garden State was 2nd at 29, followed bySirius at 36 and Impala Racing 38. In 2023, Garden State and Sirius held onto 2nd and 3rd with 19 and 32 points respectively. The Central Park Track Club replace Northwest in the gold medal position with 16 points, and the Atlanta Track Club replaced Impala in 4th with 41 points. Central Park looks strong for the victory. With St Jean and Harvey likely to lead the way, Rebekah Kennedy is likely to give them a pretty tight 1-2-3 pack. Ani Go provides strong support should there be any glitches. Northwest will give them a strong challenge, but it does not seem like Fletcher, Lapham and Holly McIlvaine quite line up with CPTC's crew. Prado will push all the way but Halseth does not seem to have strong enough support for Prado to challenge those top two teams.
Individual Men 60-64 The analysis of the overall 60+ race suggest a finishing order of Smith, Schmidt and Tayeri has some good things to recommend it. If so, the same order would prevail in this age division. Van Danacker, Ostenberg and Zamek could work their way past one or more of those athletes onto the podium.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Steve Schmidt Paul Smith Thomas Tayeri
65-69 Four names from this division jump out at me. Dan King Athletics Boulder is a record setting middle distance specialist who was an outstanding cross country runner before he turned his attention to the track. Earlier this fall he broke Masters Hall of Famer, Gary Patton's, 65-69 American 1500M and 1 Mile Outdoor records on the track. He also won the 65-69 division at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boulder CO. King first came to my attention when he won the 2915 USA Cross Country 55-59 championship in 2015 in Boulder CO. A mile-high altitude resident, King excels when a race is at altitude. But he can win on the flat too. He had a string of M60 Cross Country wins from the 2021 Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boston, through 2021 Clubs in Tallahassee at 29:56 onto a win at the USA XC Championships in San Diego in 2022 and finishing up with the 5 Km Masters in Boulder. Not only did he win the 5 Km XC national championship this year, he also won the gold medal for Cross Country at the World Masters Athletics Outdoor Championships in Sweden. Jacob Nur holds American 65-69 Records at 5K, 10K, 10 Miles and the Half Marathon. Once he tried the turf, he did very well. Nur won the 65-69 division at Boulder in 2022, running just 16 seconds slower than King's winning 60-64 time. Two months later, Nur was able to come in ahead of King at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. King definitely was not at his best. But Nur did finish third overall in the Men's 60+ race. He is a formidable competitor. He has had some physical issues of some sort. It does not appear that he ran any major half marathons or marathons this fall. Indeed, I find no race results for him on Athlinks since June. He did run in the Pacific Association Cross Country Championships in late November. He won his 65-69 division but finished a minute and a half behind Kevin Ostenberg, whom he beat at Clubs in San Francisco two years ago. It will be interesting to see if Nur can run at ful strength or if he will be competing for team, not individual, honors. Two other athletes deserve mention. David Westenberg Greater Lowell is first and foremost a middle-distance track athlete. Like King, he has set American Records. He is the current holder of the 65-69 Indoor Mile and 1500M records. He joined King and Roger Sayre in Sweden this summer. King finished 1st, Sayre in third and Westenberg in 5th to take 65-69 Team Gold for Team USA in Cross Country. Earlier in the year he won the 65-69 division at Cross Nationals in Richmond with a 31:17 on the 8 Km course. Westenberg had an Achilles flareup this fall. As Westenberg wants to do well on the track, my guess is that he is running primarily for his team and will run a hard, but controlled race, rather than an all-out race to finish as high as possible. Ken Youngers Atlanta has had a good year. It did not start out well. In January at Cross Nationals he fell from 2nd place to 5th place in the final kilometer when his back went out on him. He had finished 2nd the year before at Richmond. In August he finished 2nd at the Masters Ten Mile Championships on a hilly course in Flint Michigan with a 1:05:00. A month later he won the 65-69 division at the Masters 12 Km Championships with a 47:06. He finished 2nd in M65 last year at Clubs in Tallahassee and seems primed to make the podium again. Given my speculation on Westenberg and Nur, it seems as if a King-Youngers-Nur outcome may be the most likely. If those two are not competing for individual honors, then it may be that Doug Keller TC Running, who finished 5th in this division in Tallahassee last year or Jay Littlepage Athletics Boulder, who finished 2nd to Youngers at the 12 Km Championships, will find themselves on the podium.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Dan King Jacob Nur Ken Youngers
Team Men 60+ The only constant in the last few years is that TC Running will be on the podium. They won in 2022 and took bronze in both 2021 and 2023. Every other team that landed in the top 4 in any of these Club Cross championships has been a 'one hit wonder.' TC Running is back with another serious team. Unless Van Danacker is off, they should have enough fire power to land on the podium gain and possibly move up from third. Tony Young, Paul Abdalla and Steve Heaps should be able to lead Northwest onto the podium. Athletics Boulder brings back the same three-man team that took second in 2021. But now they are all 4 years older. Can they work the magic again? I imagine Atlanta will keep Rick Becker on the 60's team even though he is now eligible for the 70's as well. With Ken Youngers still running strong in the second half of his 60's, that gives Atlanta a shot at the top spot. With Zamek promising to run a controlled race and without their #2 and 3 runners from last year, Shore AC has little hope of repeating as 60+ champions. Even if Westenberg is not at full fitness, Greater Lowell may be able to make some podium noise at the end of the day.
Individual Women 60-64 Suzanne La Burt Shore AC has owned this division since she turned 60. She has not been beaten on the turf or the roads. She won the 5Km Masters XC at Boca Raton in October of 2023 and followed that with a Clubs 60-64 win at Tallahassee. She won the Masters national road championships at the 10K 40:58, the 10 Mile 1:05:54 and the 12 Km 48:38, setting an American Record in the latter. Mary Cass Liberty AC has chased la Burt at a lot of those races. She has not been far behind, but she has not been able to stay with La Burt all the way to the finish line. Those two are likely to go 1-2 again. Eileen Brennan-Erler Impala, Kris Huff Atlanta and Mary Swan Greater Philadelphia TC might well battle for the final podium spot. In Tallahassee last year, Brennan-Erler ran 28:02 to finish 6th in W60. Huff was 9 seconds back, finishing 14th in W55. Swan finished 2nd in this division at Cross Nationals in Richmond in 2023. Her time that year was 26:36, over a minute faster than Huff's W60 4th place the following year. The extreme cold in 2024 probably explains part of that difference but it is hard to know how much. Let m go with a predicted order of La Burt-Cass- Swan.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Mary Cass Suzanne La Burt Mary Swan
65-69 Teammates, Kathi Sleavin Club Northwest and Kelly Kruell Club Northwest appear to be the stronger runners among a somewhat evenly matched field. Sleavin ran 26:43 in Tallahassee in 2021 to finish 5th in 60-64. Her 27:13 in San Francisco left her 6th in 60-64. Kruell had an off year at Tallahassee in 2021, running 32:46 and finishing 13th W60. She rebounded to run 28:15 and finish 10th in W60. Trisha Kluge Ideal Performance Athletics ran 29:07 at San Francisco in 2022. Donna Grocki Shore AC has run fast on the roads recently. She has a 22:37 5K and finished 3rd in 65-69 at the 12 Km Masters Championships with a 55:14. But I can find no recent cross country results. On the other hand, she has run in many triathlons over the years; triathletes often do well in cross country. I will go with a likely order of Sleavin-Kruell-Grocki.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Donna Grocki Kelly Kruell Kathi Sleavin
Team Women 60+ Club Northwest finished 2nd in 2021 and won in 2022 in San Francisco. Bu tthey did not contest the 2023 championships in Tallahassee. Greater Philadelphia TC won in 2021, but they have not competed at Club Cross since that time. The Impala Racing team has finished 2nd the last two years, losing to Northwest in 2022 by 3 points and losing to Shore AC last year by a single point. Shore could wind up on the podium again but they will have a difficult time winning without Nora Cary, who finished 3rd to La Burt's 1st last year. Grocki's addition helps but Shore will give away a few points form that swap. Impala has also lost some strength. It may be that Liberty AC, returning from a 1-year absence, has the strongest team. They have Cass to lead the way. If Victoria Bok can stay reasonably close and Alda Cossi runs a good steady race that may be enough for a podium finish. Alyssa Tower, Michelle Neal, and Lisa Knoblich appear to be a strong enough group that Northwest might claim the title with a tightly packed team effort.
Individual Men 70-74 Rick Becker Atlanta Track Club enters as the new kid on the block. At Tallahassee last year, Becker, then 60, won the 65-69 division by over a minute. Over the years, Becker has had many stirring wins where he decimates the field. If he can bring that kind of effort as a newly minted 70-year-old, no one will be close. At times it seems Becker, the three-time Masters Harrier of the Year is unbeatable. But San Francisco showed us that was not true. Whether it was the soft ground and sloppy footing or the wrong choice of shoe or spike, I do not know. But Becker finished 6th in his division that day. Seven years earlier, on this same course at 2015 Club Cross, John Barbour Greater Lowell Road Runners had dogged Becker's heels the whole way until Becker finally pulled away, in the final kilometer, for victory. In 2022, Barbour was flying at the end, and came in 4th, the better part of a minute ahead of Becker. Becker knows that Barbour will challenge him. In a note I saw, Becker indicated that he welcomed Barbour being in the race because he 'brings out the best in me.' Barbour finished 2nd at the Masters 10 Km Championships in 43:23 at the end of April. He ran a minute faster later, in September, at the Lone Gull 10K. Others that Becker will need to contend with include Jim Linn Shore AC, who has been running very strong this year. He came in second, officially, at Cross Nationals in Richmond. But the runner who came in ahead of Linn accepted a USADA Sanction for doping at the 5K in Atlanta. So Richmond was a win. He also won at Atlanta, in a fine 19:43. He won at the 12 Km championships and at the Masters 5 Km XC champs in Boulder. Becker's flight got cancelled so he was not able to compete in Boulder. It will be interesting to see if Linn can run with Becker, and probably Barbour. It will be one of the many fine races within the race to keep an eye on. Rick Pfeiffer Jamul Toads has been a steady presence in M70, finishing 2nd at Tallahassee in 2021 behind Doug Bell Boulder Road Runners, in 36:29. Pfeiffer was 3rd in 2022 in 35:18 and 3rd again the next year in 35:58. He will have his work cut out for him to get on the podium again. Bell, too, could threaten for the podium. He fell back in 2022 and 2023, but he could rebound. His running partner, Douglas Chesnut Boulder Road Runners, tends to run with Bell setting the pace. But if Bell should falter, Chesnut has shown that he can pass and run a fine race on his own when necessary. Jim Foster Syracuse TC could also factor into the podium race. He is a strong Cross Country runner when he is fit. Foster finished 6th in the 55-59 division at Lehigh in 2019. He faltered a few years later in 2022 at San Francisco but rebounded to finish 4th in M70 at Tallahassee last year in 37:04. Thomas Cushman HOKA Aggie finished 2nd last year in Tallahassee, ahead of Pfeiffer and Foster. Whether he can do that again is a question. The only Athlinks result that I find is a 48:30 10K in March of this year. That does not inspire confidence. Doug Winn Bowerman can never be ignored, not even in the last year of an age group. He is not a regular at Club Cross but when he is there, he makes a difference. In San Francisco he finished fifth off of a 36:14. That was his first appearance since 2018 in Spokane when he won the 65-69 division at the age of 68. And yes, of course, he won the 70-74 division at Stumptown this year! His time of 38:14 over 8K means he will be in the thick of the podium chase, no doubt! If pushed for a prediction, I would tend to go with Becker-Linn-Barbour being as likely as any.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
John Barbour Rick Becker James Linn
75-79 Gary Ostwald Boulder Road Runners, Ron Wells Jamul Toads and David Dunbar Jamul Toads appear to be the ones to beat. In 2021 at Tallahassee, Wells won this division with a 37:58. Ostwald did not enter. Dunbar ran 36:33, finishing third in M70. In 2022 in San Francisco, Dunbar ran 37:44, finishing 8th in M70. Ostwald came from behind to nip Wells at the finish line, 38:28 to 38:29. At Tallahassee in 2023, ran 38:56 to finish 9th in M70 in his final Club Cross in that division. During 2023, Ostwald turned form being one of the guys with a chance to win to the guy who usually wins. This time Ostwald beat Wells again; but not by a single second, by well over a minute, 37:38 to 38:54. And, for the first time, Ostwald came in ahead of Dunbar. Rick Katz Boulder Road Runners and Jerry Learned Atlanta finished 3rd and 4th last year, over a minute behind Wells. It appears that the most likely prediction would be for a finishing order of Ostwald-Dunbar-Wells. Wells, it should be mentioned has been running very well this year with several 5K road efforts under 23 minutes.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
David Dunbar Gary Ostwald Ron Wells
Team Men 70+ The Boulder Road Runners won this in 2021 and 2023. The Jamul Toads took the honors in San Francisco in between. They were three points behind Boulder last year in Tallahassee. Syracuse was third last year after being fourth the year before. The San Diego Striders finished 2nd in 2021 to give way to Club NW who earned the silver medals in San Francisco. Atlanta and the River City Rebels were awarded the bronze medals in '21 and '22. Boulder and the Toads bring the same rnners this year as last. They should battle for podium spots again. Club NW fields a much stronger team than they sent to Tallahassee last year. David Longmuir Northwest, a very strong Cross Country runner in the M75 group was #2 runner last year. This year he is on the B team. Sharpe was less than 20 seconds behind Winn at Stumptown, so we know he is fit. In San Francisco, Sharpe and Scott Harvey finished in the top ten but they needed a third runner up with them to be in tight contention for the win. My guess is they have found that third runner, and possibly a fourth, this year in one of the two David's, David Crawford Northwest and David Parsons Northwest. Let us hope one is willing to go by Dave and the other by David so intrateam communication is smooth and easy! They can both crack 45 in a road 10K and 1:40 in a half marathon. It will be a heck of a team race!
Individual Women 70-74 Donna Chan Impala finished 6th in this division in San Francisco with a 33:11. Her 24:55 5K won the division at the Impala Stampede this year and she finished second in the division at the Sactown 10 Miler this year with a 1:38:47. Cindy Lucking Atlanta finished second in this division in Tallahassee last year with a 35:31 Her 26:51 5K also picked up the silver medal in Atlanta in February of this year at the Masters 10 Km Championships. In early November she traveled to mile high Boulder to grab another silver medal in 32:15 at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships. The oxygen debt can be tough on us flatlanders, but Lucking got it done! [And I can testify that during the Men's race, she was 2/3rds of the way up the toughest hill, encouraging all of the runners passing by!] Ernestina Martin San Diego TC finished third in the 65-69 division at San Francisco two years ago in 29:16. Her 23:41 earned her a gold medal at the Carlsbad 5000 in April! She won a Cross Nationals title in San Diego a few years back. She enters as the favorite. Sharon Moore Genesee Valley Harriers is competing for GVH again. That livens things up in this division. Among other things, Moore has run a 43:31 5 mile and nabbed the bronze medal at the Masters 10 Mile Championships on a hilly course in Flint MI in 1:28:06. That is age grade equivalent to a 53:02 10Km, especially off of a hilly course, for a runner who does not specialize in longer races. Moore has always run well on the turf. At the Niagara Association XC Championships [Pete Glavin XC Series #4] Moore clocked 44:15 over 8 Km to take the Women's 70+ crown. At an earlier 6K race in the series, Moore took the win in 33:16! Suzanne Ray Team Red Lizard is also competing at national championships again. When I saw her at the 1 Mile Road Championships in Indy in 2023, she made it clear she had not fully recovered from an injury but would run a controlled race/jog to score points for the team. She took third in 7:55! She is further along now. I am sure she would have hoped to be averaging 7:55 per mile for a 10K by now. That may be a little out of reach but she did run 54:45 at a 10K in October. If her fitness has continued upward, she will definitely be in the mix. The most likely order of finish seems to be Martin-Lucking-Moore, but watch out for Ray!
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Ernestina Martin Cindy Lucking Sharon Moore
75-79 Jeanette Groesz Team Red Lizard is one of the best 70+ long distance runners in the country. She can be beaten on the roads by the very best among the 'over 70's'. It is very, very tough to beat Groesz on the turf. At 73, she won the 70-74 division in San Francisco with a 29:50. A year later, in her last Clubs in that division, she won again. Her 30:43 gave her the win with minutes to spare. She enters as a strong favorite for the win. This year she ran 52:02 at the Bigfoot 10K and clocked 2:02:46 for a half marathon! The only runner in the field who can stay anywhere near her is Jo Anne Rowland Impala Racing. Rowland has been a top Masters runner for years. She finished 4th in San Francisco with a 32:36. She won her division at the Impala Stampede this year with a 26:13 and win this division at the Masters 10 Mile Championships in Flint with a 1:29:43. Kathleen Allen Atlanta Track Club and Irene Herman Impala Racing will likely battle for the third spot on the podium. At San Francisco in 2022, Allen had the edge, finishing 51 seconds ahead of Herman in 38:24. I will go with a likely finishing order of Groesz-Rowland-Herman.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Jeanette Groesz Irene Herman Jo Anne Rowland
Team Women 70+ Martin will try to lead her San Diego team to victory. The Impalas will counter with a more balanced squad. Red Lizard's string of victories could be over. They have won the division in each of the last three years. Groesz and Ray should fare well, but Impala and San Diego will hope to put several runners between them and Groesz's latest recruit, Pauline Kinneman.
Individual Men 80-84 Jan Frisby Boulder Road Runners is one of the favorites if everything is holding together./. He started calendar 2024 as a 79 year-old, finishing 5th in that division in 43:07 at Cross Nationals over 8 Km in Richmond. By the time the Masters 10 Km Championships rolled around, Frisby was ready to acquire M80 Grand Prix points. He wone the division in Dedham with a 51:57 and edged Martin by a single second at the finish line for the 1 Mile Road victory. Frisby ran into some minor injuries that did not stop him from competing but severely restricted his training. By the fall he was firing on all cylinders again and took the victory in Boulder at the 5 Km XC. Len Goldman Tamalpa Runners only finished 4th at the 1 Mile Road Championships, but that was in the 75-79 division. He had a faster time than Frisby at 6:57. Goldman also ran a 23:01 5K last summer at the Impala Stampede. A strong turf runner, Goldman finished 6th in the 75-79 division at San Francisco with a 39:31. I will 'put the target on his back' as the favorite. Martin finished 12th in this division at San Francisco with a 45:31. He ran 25 and change at the Stampede in 2022. Jon Phillips Club Northwest ran a 26:05 at Carlsbad and a 55:04 10Km. Przemek Nowicki Shore AC has recovered from some health and other problems that were slowing him down. He recently ran a 53:59 10K. I will go with Goldman-Frisby-Phillips as the likely order but if Nowicki's minor vision problem does not hinder him on the course, he is a very fast closer.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Jan Frisby LenGoldman John Phillips
85-89 David Turner looks to be the favorite. Turner finished 3rd in M85 at the Masters 5K Championships in Atlanta with a 28:54. He also traveled up to Boulder to snag the M85 gold medal at the 5 Km Masters XC Championships. Richard Zerbe Club Northwest counters with a fine 38:45 5K at a Resolution Run 5K this past January. Unless there is a surprise it will be Turner winning with Zerbe in the silver medal spot.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
David Turner Richard Zerbe
Team Men 70+ Len Goldman let me know that one of their runners is a scratch so there will be no Tamalpa 80+ team. They had hoped to do battle with the San Diego Striders and, possibly, the Atanta Track Club. Atlanta did not send a team. With Impala incomplete, all the Striders need to do for the win is get their three athletes to the start and the finish--not always a sure thing at any age!
Individual Women 80-84. The sole entrant, Meg Ludlum Club Northwest, needs to finish to claim the gold medal.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Meg Ludlum
85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite Atlanta Track Club is starting to amass the Grand Prix points she needs for another title. The sole entrant, Hodges-Hite needs to make it to the starting line and finish to earn her 100 points.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Joyce Hodges-Hite
It will be fascinating to see if the weather and course conditions result in any surprising upsets!
Best of luck to one and all-run smart, run safe and run hard!
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