June 20, 2025 This Saturday, the Monumental Mile in Indianapolis hosts the 2025 USATF Masters One Mile Championships. Masters athletes last toed the line here in 2023; five American records were broken. The course is flat, fast and record eligible! Several athletes again have a legitimate shot at the standing American Record. The Men’s race is at 9:50 AM with the Women starting at 10:05. The racing and the temperature, around 80F at race time, will be steamy!
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| Finish Line for the 2023 Championships in Indianapolis, hosted by Beyond Monumental's Monumental Mile. The 2025 finish line is a couple of blocks north of that year's. Photo courtesy of Beyond Monumental |
Records Watch. Jennifer St, Jean, 50, won the 45-49 group at the Fifth Avenue Mile last fall in 5:14. That is four seconds under the W50 record. That course is point-to-point and hence not record eligible; it also falls more than 1.6 meters over (about 1600 Meters). It is by no means certain that St. Jean will break the record, but it is definite that she will run her best! Will she get it? Jennifer Harvey, 57, beat Fiona Bayly, 57, here two years ago, winning by a fraction of a second, setting the AR at 5:25.
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| Jennifer Harvey left and Fiona Bayly right giving their all in 2023. Harvey got the win by a fraction of a second and the W55 American Record. |
Bayly enjoyed a three second win when they met at the Fifth Avenue Mile last year. The rematch is on! But will it be for the win or for the silver medal? They are joined by Michelle Rohl, 59, who holds the American W55 1500 Meter record on the track with her 4:47.62 from 2022. Her winning 4:53.57 at the USATF Masters Indoor Championships this past February suggests she can run under 5:30 on the roads. She did just that three years ago, winning the 2022 USATF W55 1 Mile championship in 5:12. Nancy Simmons, 65, won last year in Danville at 6:08.1. With a faster course, she may be able to find the two seconds and change she needs to break the record. Brian Lindsay has Neil McDonagh to push him for the Overall and M40 win.
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| Bryan Lindsay winning the 2023 Masters 1 Mile Title in Indianapolis Photo courtesy of Beyond Monumental |
If they both have good days, could the 4:22 record fall? Finally, Dan King has a shot at the M65 AR. He holds the M60 Record for the Mile on an outdoor track at 4:51.45. He ran nine seconds faster than the M65 record at the Fifth Avenue Mile. Fresh off his M65 win at Peoria in the 4 Mile, it will be fascinating to see how things go on Saturday!
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| Dan King finishes off his M65 Win that also earned him an Age Grading Podium award at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Overall Championships. MEN There will be fireworks on the Men’s side as Lindsay and McDonagh, winners of the 2023 and 2024 Overall title go head-to-head. Lindsay clocked 4:24.7 here in Indy while McDonagh’s 4:30.0, on a more technical course at Danville, gave him the win with room to spare. Lindsay, who has been devoting attention to coaching his offspring, has still found time for training. He ran 16:06 at the Choose to Move 5K in April. McDonagh clocked 4:01.57 in the 1500 Meters at the Indoor Championships in February.
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| Neil McDonagh winning the 2024 Masters Mile Championships, hosted by the Mile of Truth in Danville CA Photo Credit: Captivating Sports Photos |
Lindsay's teammate, Chad Carver, ran 15:49 at the Blueberry Stomp last September. Brett Anderson turned in a 4:35 in March at the Ad Astra Running Irish Mile in Lawrence KS. Anderson and Carver should push the defending champions and sort out the podium. It seems most likely that Carver will join Lindsay and McDonagh on the podium. With the home streets advantage, it seems the final order should be: Lindsay-McDonagh-Carver. It will be up to Anderson, or someone else, to prove that wrong!
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Chad Carver Bryan Lindsay Neil McDonagh
WOMEN Hidi Gaff, who finished third overall in Indy two years ago in 5:22.5, will go for the gold medal this time. Gaff enjoyed a top ten Masters finish at the BOA Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago this March, clocking 30:22 for the 8K. She is familiar with the environment. She came back last year to win the Masters title in the Monumental Mile in 5:27. Her toughest competition will come from Lauren Hendrix. Her 5:26 placed her in the top twenty overall in the Women’s competitive division of the Macklind Mile in St. Louis last June. Dana Hayden, Dawn Grunnagle and Erika Holroyd, out of the 45-49 division, will make sure that the 'youngsters' earn their medals! Either way, one of them should help round out the podium.
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| Dawn Grunnagle claiming the W45 Silver Medal at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships hosted by the Atlanta Track Club on their PUBLIX Atlanta Marathon Weekend |
Hayden finished second in the 1500M this past February at Indoor Nationals in 5:10.5, equivalent, roughly to a 5:40 mile. She followed that with a 39:33 second place at the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K in April. Hayden also ran three 5K's this spring, in Virginia, ranging in time from 17:14 to 19:26. Grunnagle won the 40-44 division 10K Road Race at the 2019 World Masters Athletics championships. More recently she claimed the Silver 45-49 Medal at the 2024 Masters 5K Championships in 18:08. Last December, Grunnagle clocked 5:43.03 in the Mile at the Dallas Marathon. She followed that this spring with an 18:52 5K. Holroyd won the 45-49 gold medal at the Indoors 1500 Meters in Gainesville this February, ahead of Hayden, with a 5:08.73. In March, she ran a nifty 18:29 at the Haddonfield Adrenaline 5K. I will guess that the experience with the Indy course gives Gaff the edge over Hendrix. It looks close to a toss-up between these three. I will go with Holroyd based on the 5K time in March and the win over Hayden at the Indoor 1500M, but would not be amazed if it sorted out otherwise. That results in a likely order of: Gaff-Hendrix-Holroyd.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Hidi Gaff Lauren Hendrix Erika Holroyd
Age-Grading Championships. The Age Grading score identifies the best performance, adjusted for age, across all age groups. Those mentioned above are contenders for age grade glory. But there are others. Suzanne La Burt is rarely off the age grading podium. She won her division and finished third in age grading at the 10K Championships in April.
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| Suzanne La Burt finishing off her W60 record-breaking 12K Win at the 2024 Masters Championships hosted by USATF-NJ at their By Hook Or By Crook Run in Highlands NJ Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
Lisa Veneziano will push La Burt for the W60
win! In 2022, Veneziano finished ahead of La Burt in the 55-59 division at the Masters Mile Championships in Rochester.
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| Lisa Veneziano on Her Way to the W55 Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 10 Mile Championships, hosted by the Crim Fitness Foundation in Flint MI Photo courtesy of Crim Fitness Foundation |
Picking a likely order seems perilous. Even choosing a top three in age grading is tough. I will go with Rohl for the top spot, with Bayly, Harvey, La Burt, Simmons and Veneziano in a tight band. After that I will go with Bayly and then Harvey (since Bayly has the most recent edge in their Mile duels). That gives us a likely order of Rohl-Bayly-Harvey.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Fiona Bayly Jennifer Harvey Michelle Rohl
MEN In addition to those mentioned in the sections above, several others deserve consideration. At 79, Gary Ostwald’s 6:58/mile pace earned the second highest age grade at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in Peoria.
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| Gary Ostwald finishing off his 75-79 Win and Earning the Second-Best Age Grading Score at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Daniel Filip, 61, and Mark Zamek, 62. will battle for the M60 win; the winner has a shot at the age grading podium. Charles Novak, 57, last contested these Mile Championships in 2018, mounting the age grade podium that year.
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| Chuck Novak taking the Win Ahead of Chuck Schneekloth at the 2018 Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by The Crim Fitness Foundation's Michigan Mile Photo Courtesy of Crim Fitness Foundation |
When the distance is a Mile, it is hard to pick anyone other than King to get the top Age Grade. Ostwald outdid him in age grading in Peoria. But this is a Mile. After those two, I will guess that Novak, the middle distance specialist, will come next in age grading. That gives us: King-Ostwald-Novak as a likely order.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Dan King Chuck Novak Gary Ostwald
Age Division Championships.
MEN M40 Lindsay, McDonagh, Carver and Anderson, listed as contenders for the Overall title are all from this division. Hence the likely order for this division is also: Lindsay-McDonagh-Carver.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Chad Carver Bryan Lindsay Neil McDonagh
M45 Chuck Schneekloth won the Overall Masters One Mile Championship in 2019 in Flint in 4:37. He won it by a whisker over Mike Madsen, who trains in Flagstaff and is the current M50 Road Mile record holder. This time, Schneekloth will need to beat another high-altitude runner, Anthony Bruns, out of Denver, if he is to take the M45 title. Schneekloth, a middle-distance athlete primarily, finished second in the M45 division at the Fifth Avenue Mile last September, clocking 4:47.5. More recently Schneekloth was the top Masters athlete in the 800 Meters on the track at Miles Mania in 2:05.09. Bruns clocked 16:17 at the Donut Dash 5K in April at altitude. Last summer Bruns ran a 4:14.05 1500M at the Boulder All Comers Track meet. It is probably relevant to mention that Bruns won the overall title at the 2021 edition of the Pearl Street Mile in Boulder CO in 4:36. That suggests a terrific duel for the win! Caleb Chambers, who ran 5:02 on this course last year and enjoyed a recent 5K outing in 17:11 appears to have a solid edge over Terry Goodspeed. As noted, I view it as a toss up for the win. But I will go with Bruns on the basis that he was running those times at altitude, and they would be a bit faster at sea level. Arguing against that is Schneekloth's experience at running the mile. For now, I will suggest a likely finishing order of Bruns-Schneekloth-Chambers.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Anthony Bruns Caleb Chambers Chuck Schneekloth
M50 Robb Awe, who just took the M50 title at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in Peoria at 22:03, might be the favorite.
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| Robb Awe Claimed the M50 Title at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
He also clocked a 17:00 at the Bolt for the Heart 5K last November. That speed should put him out of reach of all others except his teammate, Jasen Ritter, who clocked 4:47.01 on this course last year. Ritter reinforced the notion that he could be the faster by turning in a 16:21 at the Choose to Move 5K at the end of April. A month later though, he ran over 18 minutes at another 5K. Was that a flareup of an injury or a sign of a more enduring fitness problem? Or was he running with a friend or relative? For now, I will assume it was a temporary problem and put him as the favorite. Another teammate is Mike Cole. Cole also ran in that Bolt for the Heart 5K, finishing in 17:09. In 2019, Cole took second overall at the Masters 8K Championships in Virginia Beach. Last year Cole was running twelve marathons in twelve months so might have had heavy legs at that 5K. On the other hand, Cole has struggled with some injuries since last November. My guess is that he signed up primarily so their team could compete well in the M50+ division. Marty Stevens, another athlete from the Mountain West, ran 36:51 at Bolder Boulder this May. That would be faster at sea level but not fast enough to run for Stevens to run with Awe and Ritter, assuming full fitness. Jason Newport, who ran a sub-18 minute 5K last November, will be pushing those folks! I am going to guess that Ritter is recovered from whatever slowed him down Memorial Day Weekend. If so, he should take the division. Awe is at the top of his game and should come next. Let's go with Stevens for third. That gives us: Ritter-Awe-Stevens for a likely order.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Robb Awe Jasen Ritter Marty Stevens
M55 Chuck Novak has to be the favorite. In 2018 he was 2nd overall and first in M50 in the 1 Mile Championships in Flint MI, running 4:37. That was a technical course with both rises and falls as well as three soft turns and two hard turns. And he is still focused on middle distance. He won the M55 title over 1500 Meters at the Masters Indoor Championships this past February. His 4:26.91 suggests he should run well under 5:00. He ran 16:45 at a 5K on Memorial Day weekend. Christopher Harris will give him plenty to think about! He is fresh off an M55 win at the 10K Masters Championships in 35:20 Championships and a second-place finish over 4 Miles at the Masters Championships last week, in 22:11.
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| Christopher Harris captures the M50 Silver Medal at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Harris should be chased by John McMahon and John Prineas, who chased him to finish 3rd and 5th in this division at the 4-mile championships. Prineas may make it a bit more of a race than would seem likely at first. He took the 55-59 title at the Grand Blue Mile this April in 5:00.51. In 2022, McMahon claimed 2nd M55 in the Mile Championships in Rochester with a 5:01. Michael Resterhouse won his division at the Bayshore Marathon in 36:44. He also turned in a 17:43 5K in Orlando. If that was not 'magic', Resterhouse will definitely be a contender! My best guess for a likely finishing order is: Novak-Harris-McMahon. But Prineas and Westerhouse may have other ideas!
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Christopher Harris John McMahon Charles Novak
M60 Daniel Filip, who won the M60 championship last year at Danville in 5:19.5. In 2023, Mark Zamek finished 6th in this division in an off year in 5:20.1. Ordinarily that would point to an edge for Filip. His slightly faster time is more recent, and the Danville course is much more technical than the Indy course. But Zamek has been in and out of rehab over the last few years. My impression is that Zamek may enjoy better fitness now than in 2023. In any case, he finished second in the 4 Mile championships last week in 23:14. That suggests that Zamek can run under 5:20 on Saturday, despite being two years older than in 2023.
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| Mark Zamek finishes 2nd in M60 at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Lester Dragstedt has been podium-competitive for the last couple of years. He finished 3rd M60 last week at the 4 Mile Championships, just 24 seconds behind Zamek. But Scott Grandfield is entered. Grandfield ran a minute faster than Dragstedt at the 10K Championships in late April. Grandfield's teammate, Alejandro Heuck, is also dangerous. Primarily a middle-distance athlete on the track, he will do better than he did at the 10K championships where he finished a couple of minutes behind Dragstedt. Heuck finished 2nd in M60 at the Masters Indoor Track Championships, clocking 4:49.91, roughly equivalent to a 5:18 Mile. But that would bea track mile. Presumably road times are a tad slower. In 2022, Heuck came in fourth in M55 at Rochester in 5:10 with Grandfield fifth in 5:11. If Grandfield and Heuck are that close, it seems they should both come in ahead of Dragstedt. But that is 'on paper'. It could be quite close and come down to imponderables on the day. My best guess at order is: Zamek-Filip-Heuck. That gives both Grandfield and Heuck the edge over Dragstedt, with Heuck getting the edge over Grandfield based on that 2022 result and his experience at the distance. Dragstedt has been known to prove me wrong. Will this be another instance?!
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Christopher Harris John McMahon Charles Novak
M65 Dan King is considered a threat for an American Record and has a good shot at top age Grade. The division title would come along with those accomplishments or even near accomplishments. It could be that the two runners most likely to follow King across the line on Saturday are the same two who finished behind King last weekend at the 4 Miler. Doug Keller and Norm Larson are both fine runners, highly competitive at the national level. But few runners in his division can keep pace with King, especially over a Mile. Keller was 3rd last weekend in 24:59, with Larson fourth in 26:29. Tim Mylin could be the 'fly in the ointment.' In 2023, Mylin finished fourth in this division, just two seconds behind Joe Mora and 7 behind King. The trick is that I can find no results for Mylin since that time. It could be that he is just as fit now as two years ago, except for ordinary effects of aging. Or it could be that he has had some ups and downs since then that have kept him from competing. Since he is entered as unaffiliated it cannot be that he has entered just to help out on a team score. I have to presume he is ready to roll. That gives me a likely order of King-Mylin-Keller, with Larson just off the podium.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Doug Keller Dan King Tim Mylin
M70 Jim Linn finished second to Jack Pottle last weekend in Peoria, his first division loss in a while. With Pottle on the sidelines, Linn should be the favorite once again.
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| Jim Linn brings it Home, Collecting the M70 Silver Medal at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
He also has past success at the mile on his side. In 2023, on this course, he finished second to a runner who, a few months later, accepted a USADA drug sanction. It is plausible to assume that Linn's 5:51.8 was the fastest time for a 'clean' M70 runner that day. Scott Lucking was just twelve seconds behind Linn at the 4 Miler. That is not a lot of daylight over four miles, three second per mile, on average. Lucking ran 5:46.94 in the 1500M at the Indoor Championships in February. Roughly equivalent to a 6:11 mile, he can certainly push Linn for the win. Harold Leddy is coming in with good fitness. Primarily a middle-distance runner, he finished just seven seconds behind Lucking at the 10K Championships at the end of April. He, too, competed at the Indoor championships, finishing a good twenty seconds ahead of Lucking in the 1500 Meters. Leddy should be able to beat Lucking. Can he beat Linn? It certainly seems possible. Reno Stirrat is always in the mix and finished just seven seconds at Peoria. Stirrat ran 6:20 at the Impact Zone Mile in mid-May. It seems like the three L's, Leddy, Linn and Lucking will all be close to 6 minutes or under. Doug Bell and Doug Chesnut finished third and fourth in this division two years ago. They will be competitive, but it will be tough to break up the four already mentioned. They will be focused on finishing well and tight together to maximize the chances of a team win. The most likely order of finish is Leddy-Linn-Lucking, with Stirrat just off the podium.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Harold Leddy Jim Linn Scott Lucking
M75 Gary Ostwald is noted as likely to finish on the Age Grading podium. He should win the division in a proverbial cakewalk. Don Morrison might have been able to push Ostwald but he was hospitalized for Lyme Disease a few weeks ago and is a scratch. We hope to see him back in action later this year. Jerry Learned finished second to Ostwald in Peoria last week and seems solid for second place. He won this division last year at the 1 Mile Championships in Danville in 6:41.9.
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| Jerry Learned finishes off his M75 Silver Medal Run at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Though Learned is not a middle distance specialist, he regularly runs the 1500-meter event at the MTF Track Championships and does very well. The most likely third place finisher is Victor Vasquez, who has run his 5K's this spring in the 23:30 to 24:30 range. He clocked a 48:34 to help Team USA to the M70+ 10K Road Race win at the WMA Championships. Keith Yeates could certainly give Vasquez a battle for third place. Yeates ran a 49:11 10K at the Masters Championships in April; he is not far off Vasquez's time. Yeates finished second in this division on this course two years ago. That course knowledge also works to his advantage. Should any of those run into difficulty, Allen Joyce, who finished a few minutes behind Learned at Peoria seems poised to move up. The most likely order of finish is: Ostwald-Learned-Vasquez, with Yeates just off the podium. But I would not be amazed to see Yeates on the podium as he was two years ago.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Jerry Learned Gary Ostwald Victor Vasquez
M80 The three entrants in this division all ran at the 10 Km Championships. Jack Frame won at 54:43, with Przemek Nowicki 2nd at 55:09. Morris Williams finished third, but well behind those two. My best guess is that Nowicki can win. He does not like hills and the James Joyce Ramble course has hills. Nowicki is also a regular participant at the middle distances on the track. This year he finished 2nd in this division in the 1500 Meter event at the MTF Indoor Championships. His 7:38.01 is roughly equivalent to running an 8:23 Mile. I thought that experience might give Nowicki the edge but then I saw that Frame won the M80 division at the Impact Zone mile in May, running 7:37.08. The more likely order of finish seems to be: Frame-Nowicki-Williams.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Jack Frame Przemek Nowicki Morris Williams
M85 Roland Cormier is coming off an M85 win in Peoria, covering the 4 Miles in 43:23. He finished second earlier in the year in the 1500Meters at the MTF Indoor Championships; his time was 9:10.86, roughly equivalent to an 11:11:05 mile. Adrian Craven has not competed recently at national championships. But he ran 11:30.7 to win this division here in Indy two years ago. Cormier should take the win with Craven second.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Roland Cormier Adrian Craven
WOMEN W40 Gaff and Hendrix look good for the division win as they are favored for the top two spots overall. Lauren Davis finished sixth in this division at the 10K championships in April with a 46:49. Brooke Novak, who ran a 7:00 mile in May and a 24:52 5K in May will try to prevent that from happening. The most likely order of finish is: Gaff-Hendrix-Davis.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Lauren Davis Hidi Gaff Lauren Hendrix
W45 Holroyd, Hayden, and Grunnagle, from this division, are expected to contend for the overall win. Holroyd was picked for the podium in a very close call, so is the favorite to win this division. It is hard to see much difference in the records of Grunnagle and Hayden. Hayden has a slightly faster effort in the 1500M than Grunnagle's road mile but one would expect a track mile to be faster than a road mile. I will give the edge to Hayden on the basis that her three 5K's are all faster than Grunnagle's effort in December. The likely order in a close finish is likely to be: Holroyd-Hayden-Grunnagle.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Dawn Grunnagle Dana Hayden Erica Holroyd
W50 Jennifer St. Jean who has a legitimate shot at a record, as discussed above, is the favorite. Hortencia Aliaga will make her earn the gold medal. Aliaga has two sub-6-minute road miles this spring, one a 5:58 and the other at the Impact Zone Mile, a 5:35.03 in mid-May. She turned in a 19:22 5k at the Fitzgerald Lager run earlier this month.
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| Hortencia Aliaga wins the W50 Championship at the 2024 Masters Championships hosted by USATF-NJ at their By Hook Or By Crook Run in Highlands NJ Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
It looks like quite a duel between Jennifer McCann and Gabrielle Panepinto for the third spot on the podium. McCann ran 6:07.9 at the Grand Blue Mile in late April, following that with a 6:17 at the TMC Downtown 5K in Arizona at the end of May. Panepinto ran 6:03 at the Brooklyn Mile last August and 6:08 at the Impact Zone Mile. It could go either way based on the GBM for McCann and the Impact Zone for Panepinto. But the other result favors Panepinto so I will go with that. The more likely order of finish seems to be: St. Jean-Aliaga-Panepinto. McCann could well prove that wrong.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Hortencia Aliaga Gabrielle Panepinto Jennifer St. Jean
W55 This is the most tantalizing race of the day. There is a rematch between Bayly and Harvey, with an overlay of Track record holder, Michelle Rohl. Friendly rivals from New York City, Harvey took Bayly by a fraction of a second at the 2023 Masters Championships on this same course. Last fall it was Bayly's turn to prevail by a few seconds at the Fifth Avenue Mile. But Rohl looks to be coming in with a slightly faster possibility than either. See details in 'Record Watch' above. All three are fierce competitors but only one can win tomorrow and that one is most likely to be Rohl. After that, I go with Bayly over Harvey.
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| Michelle Rohl left takes it Out Hard with the Eventual Overall Winner; Rohl takes the Silver Overall Medal, the Gold W55 Medal and the Age Grading Gold Medal at the 2022 USATH Masters Mile Championships, hosted by the Genesee Valley Harriers at the Rochester Mile in Rochester NY Photo courtesy of GVH |
Bayly is the more recent winner in their mutual showdowns. It is hard to imagine anyone else can stay with those three. Kimberly Aspholm won the division at the 10 Km Championships at the end of April and enjoyed a 6:01.02 outing at the Impact Zone Mile. Aspholm is having a terrific year, but the winner will surely be under 5:40 and probably under 5:30. Amy McMahon finished second in the division in Peoria with a 28:43 and ran 5:49 at the Fifth Avenue Mile last September.
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| Amy McMahon finishes off her W55 Silver Medal Run at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
There will be just as stirring a battle for fourth and fifth as for the podium spots. Rohl-Bayly-Harvey for the likely order.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Fiona Bayly Jennifer Harvey Michelle Rohl
W60 When Suzanne La Burt and Lisa Veneziano met in 2022 at the Masters 1 Mile Championships in Rochester, Veneziano took honors, 5:40 to 5:58. La Burt has raised her game since then, but Veneziano is still very strong and likely to take the win on Saturday. La Burt ran 5:56 at the Big Bang Mile last August and followed that with a 5:44 at the Fifth Avenue Mile. Veneziano finished third here two years ago in 55-59 behind Bayly and Harvey in 5:35. I do not find a recent mile for Veneziano but she ran an 18:42 5K at the Brian Diemer run last weekend. Suffice to say, she is fit! Judy Stobbe looks good for third, although she will definitely be pushing Veneziano and La Burt for the win! Stobbe ran 5:45 at the Fifth Avenue Mile last September. Her 5:32.8 1500Meter effort at Indoor nationals in February converts roughly to a mile in just over 6:00. Stobbe clocked 22:25 at the Washington Heights 5K in early March. Stobbe will have to fend off Pamela Ricker who ran 22:35 at the Fitzgerald Lager 5K in June! It should be close between those two. I give the edge to Stobbe because she is a middle distance runner on the track. That gives us: Veneziano-La Burt-Stobbe as the likely finishing order.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Suzanne La Burt Judy Stobbe Lisa Veneziano
W65 As noted in the Records Watch section above, Nancy Simmons has a legitimate shot at the AR of 6:06. She finished 2nd in 60-64 last year in Danville in 6:08.1. The course in Indy is definitely faster. Whether that translates to a new record or not is anyone's guess, but Simmons is likely to be close to or under 6:00! Lesley Hinz looks good for second place. She finished third W65 in Danville last year, running 6:34. This May, Hinz clocked 6:19 at the Grand Prix Mile in Georgia in May. The Danville course is technical. The GP Mile is probably a better indicator of current fitness for a road mile. Suzanne Cordes ran 6:43 to finish 4th in W60 at Danville last year. The same comments about Danville for Hinz apply to Cordes as well. She will probably not be able to keep up with Hinz but seems likely to run around 6:30. Either Cordes or Kitty Musante are likely to take the W65 bronze medal. Musante ran 6:35 at the Fifth Avenue Mile last September and clocked 22:04 at the Northey 5K in Florida in April. Cordes's 29:21 for 2nd place in W65 at the 4 Mile Championships last weekend converts roughly to a 22:45 5K.
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| Suzanne Cordes Claims the W65 Silver Medal at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
It looks like another terrific duel for third place! I will give Cordes the edge but it could go either way. That give us a likely order of: Simmons-Hinz-Cordes, with Musante looking to prove that prediction wrong!
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Suzanne Cordes Lesley Hinz Nancy Simmons
W70 Ivy Bell looks solid for the win. Her 6:50.0 at the Spring Street Mile in Manchester CT on May 17th was followed a week later by a 6:54 at the Newtown Savings Bank Mile. Donna May could have the best speed of the other competitors. She followed a 26:37 at the Running Wild 5K in Florida last August with a 24:59 at the Matanzas 5K in January. May competed in the 2018 Masters 5 Km Championships, finishing second in W60 in 24:23. Cindy Lucking is running well and could give May a real battle for 2nd place; she is typically on the podium this year. Lucking finished third at the Masters 10K Championships this April in 56:41. She took the win in Peoria last weekend, running 37:23 over 4 Miles. Both should convert roughly to a sub-27-minute 5K.
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| Cindy Lucking gets the W70 Win at the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Miriam Paulus is also in the hunt. Her 27:48 at the Sugar Maple 5K is not as fast as May's 5K's nor as fast as Lucking's converted 10K time (sub 27). But she then recorded a 7:52.06 at the Dash for Cash 1 Mile. May and Lucking will need to be on their toes or Paulus could catch them out. The likely order seems to be: Bell-May-Lucking.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Ivy Bell Donna May Cynthia Lucking
W75 Kathleen Allen should have no trouble tomorrow. She won this division in Peoria last weekend in 41:06. In late April she won at the Masters 10 Km Championships in 1:03:06. Joanie McMullen may have the edge over Andrea McCarter if she has the same relative fitness now that she had in 2019. That is the last result I can find for McMullen, a 35:23 effort over 3.3 miles at the Pecan Classic. If I convert that to a 32:54 5K, that ages up via age grading to a 36-minute 5K in 2025 and to something like a 1:14-ish 10K. McCarter clocked 1:16:43 at the Members 10K in April in Georgia. Considering all of the uncertainty, it looks like a toss-up between McCarter and McMullen. I will give the edge to McCarter on the basis that she has been competing regularly for Atlanta while McMullen has not. The likely order then is: Allen-McCarter-McMullen.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Kathleen Allen Andrea McCarter Joanie McMullen
W80 Myrna Barnett is the favorite. In February, Barnett won the W80 1500M run at the MTF Indoor Championships in Gainesville, clocking 10:30.11. hat is roughly equivalent to an 11:30-ish Mile. Her 35:19 5K on March 1st at the Atlanta Publix Marathon weekend is better than either of Catherine Radle's two 5K efforts last year. Radle clocked 38:00 at Atlanta's Finest 5K last August and turned in a faster 37:25 5K at the Invesco QQQ Half Marathon in November. The third entrant, also a teammate of Barnett and Radle, Susan Hartman, has no recent results that I can find. In 2018 and 2019, Hartman competed in the 1 Mile Championships in Flint MI, clocking 14:06 in 2018 and 14:59 in 2019. Her main goal on Saturday will be, no doubt, as it was in those earlier years, to finish so that Atlanta has a complete scoring team. If so, they walk away with the win and 100 Grand Prix points. The likely finishing order seems to be Barnett-Radle-Hartman.
Likely Podium in Alphabetical Order:
Myrna Barnett Susan Hartman Catherine Radle
W85 Joyce Hodges-Hite keeps showing up to compete. She is the sole entrant in 85-89 and will take the win if she finishes. And Hodges-Hite is always focused on finishing! She took the W85 win at the Masters 10K Championships in April with a 1:59:02 time. She won another gold medal last weekend at Peoria, running 1:12:25.
Likely Winner: Joyce Hodges-Hite
Teams The Atlanta Track Club should take the
W70+ and W80+ team titles. They battle the Shore Athletic Club for the
W50+ win. In W40+, it is a three-way shootout among the Central Park TC,
Garden State TC and Impala Racing. The M60+ and M70+ divisions have
the most teams competing. Atlanta will be in the hunt for both of those titles.
The Twin City Running Club won in Peoria and is the M60+ favorite. But Greater
Springfield Harriers, Shore, and Genesee Valley Harriers will make
them earn it! Boulder Road Runners extended their M70+ winning
streak in Peoria last week. But Shore brings a stronger team to the 1 Mile
Championships. and could challenge.
Note: I learned from one of his teammates that USATF's Sport 80 registration platform was acting up. Atlanta's David Black was unable to enter even though he was trying before the close of registration. Atlanta could move up in the M60+ team race, but TCRC should still win. USATF staff entered him manually, but he does not show up on the Sport80 entry list. I know there were at least two others who needed assistance registering on the last day, but they both showed up on the entry list. I do not know if there are any others,
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