September 2, 2025. The 2025 Individual Grand Prix is based on points earned at seven USATF Masters national championships and a non-stadia event at the WMA Indoor Championships. Points from the best 5 events are totaled. A minimum of three races is required for an award. Points start at 100 and decline to 95 for second, 90 for third and so on down to 5 points for finished in 20th or below. The top three finishers are awarded Grand Prix plaques; the next twelve receive certificates.
The championships in the books, as of August 29th, include the 2024 Club Cross Country Championships, Tacoma WA, December 14 (Club Cross); and 2025 Championships: USATF Cross Country Championships, Lubbock TX, January 11 (Cross Nationals); 10 Km Championships, Dedham MA, April 27; 4 Mile Championships, Peoria IL, June 14; and 1 Mile Championships, Indianapolis IN, June 21. A sixth score for individuals comes from either the Cross Country (WMA Cross) or the 10 Km Road Race (WMA 10K) at the WMA Indoor Championships Gainesville FL March 16-30. Points for WMA are assigned according to finishing place among US competitors.
As with the Individual GP, points are awarded based on finishing position at USATF National Road and Cross Country Championships. No Team points are awarded at WMA, so no team points can be earned at those championships. A minimum of three races is required for an award. Points start at 100 and decline to 90 for second, 80 for third and so on down to 60 points for fifth. After that they decline to 55 for sixth, 50 for fifth and so on down to 5 points for 20th or below. There are cash awards for the top three teams and a clubhouse banner goes to the GP Winner.
There are two opportunities left to score: Masters 5 Km Championships, Atlanta GA, October 19 and Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships, (Masters 5 km XC) San Francisco CA, Nov 1. The pressure is on!
Masters Individual Grand Prix Point assignment is 100-95-90, etc.
LOCKED UP
W65 Suzanne Cordes has locked up the W65 GP win! Fifth last year, Cordes has 465 points from five events. She was top American at the WMA XC after winning Cross Nationals. She added a second place at the 4 Mile, third at the 1 Mile and fourth at the 10K.
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| Suzanne Cordes claiming the W65 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Susan Stirrat, a stalwart for her team, and 4th in the W65 GP last year, has also competed in five events and sits in second at 335 points. Stirrat is likely to compete in added events. If she does, Stirrat carries her points into the W70 division. If she is not needed for team points, she might do better in the GP by remaining in W65. Patrice Combs has 200 GP points from wins at Dedham and Peoria. Kitty Musante and Mireille Silva are in 4th and 5th with 185 and 165 points respectively. With Stirrat likely moving up to W70, Musante and Silva will battle Combs for the podium spots. It looks like the battle for 2nd and 3rd will go down to the wire!
W85 Joyce Hodges-Hite won the division with a perfect 500 points in 2023 and won again last year, with 395 points. This year, Hodges-Hite has the Grand Prix locked up with another perfect 500 point-year.
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| Joyce Hodges-Hite toughs it Out to get yet another W85 win, this time at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
She has five wins from two cross country and three road championships! No one else is in contention.
M45 2023 was David Angell’s first GP win in the M45 division, after winning M40 from 2017-2019. He won it last year with 480 points. Angell has locked up the M45 GP win this year with 430 points. He earned first place points at the WMA 10K and the 4 Mile Championships. It is a ‘three-peat’ for Angell! Will he get to four in a row next year?
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| David Angell leads the Men's Pack out from the start, on his way to an Overall, and M45, Win at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
M80 From age 75 to 79, Przemyslaw ‘Przemek’ Nowicki was a regular 'top five' finisher in the Grand Prix. After aging up to M80 in 2024, he finished second. This year, Nowicki has locked up the GP win with a total of 480 points! He finished second at Tacoma and earned first place points at WMA. Nowicki finished things off in style with second place in the 10K, a win in the 4 Mile and a close second in the 1 Mile Championships.
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| Przemek Nowicki braved a chill, rainy day to claim the M80 silver medal at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Morris Williams has 290 points from four events, including second place points at WMA Cross and a third place at the 1 Mile Championships in Indy. Jack Frame got started late but picked up wins at Dedham and Indy to stand at 200 points, in third place. He has already entered the 5K in Atlanta. If Frame also runs in San Francisco, he can pass Williams and move into second, but Nowicki is out of reach. Len Goldman earned 100 points from his win at Tacoma but is unlikely to run in another race other than the Masters 5 Km XC in San Francisco. Jan Frisby earned 85 points at Tacoma but a heel problem has sidelined him since then. If Paul Carlin (That's me!) should compete at the Masters 5Km XC Championships in Golden Gate Park on November 1st, I would age up to this division and would bring 310 points plus whatever points I might earn in Atlanta (in M75) into M80. I could not catch Nowicki but would likely factor into the race for #2 and #3 in the M80 GP. See analysis of M75 below.
ALMOST LOCKED UP.
W60 Suzanne La Burt got the GP win in 2023 on a tie-breaker over Mary Cass. The following year it was La Burt winning with a perfect 500 points over Cass's 480. They are at it again! La Burt has 390 points from four events, including the gold medal at WMA Cross and wins at Club Cross and the 10K. Mary Cass has 280 points from those same three events, where she finished behind La Burt. It is La Burt’s to lose. She can lock it up by winning one of the final two events. It looks like another 1-2 finish for La Burt and Cass.
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| Suzanne La Burt white Shore AC singlet-center toughing it out on a windy day as she won the W60 Division at the 2024 USATF National Club Cross Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Leslie Nowicki is third with 270 points from five events. There are two rivals who could edge her for third yet. Pamela Ricker, in fourth, has 235 points on three events. Kris Huff, who has finished ahead of Nowicki and Ricker at a race this year, is fifth with 230 points. Huff will, almost surely, race in the 5K championships in her hometown of Atlanta. Whether she would race in San Francisco is unknown.
W70 Cynthia Lucking and Helene Myers have competed in all six events held so far. Lucking leads with 470 points from her top five scores, highlighted by wins at Cross Nationals and the 1 Mile. Myers is second with 425 points. Second place at Cross Nationals and the 4 Mile were her highest scores. Lucking has finished ahead of Myers at each race. But if Lucking did not compete in either of the two final races, and Myers won them both, Myers could pass her. Lucking needs one more podium finish to lock up the GP win.
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| Cindy Lucking started her journey to a possible 2025 Masters National W70 Grand Prix Win by enduring challenging conditions at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA in December. Photo posted on C Lucking's Facebook account. |
Nora Cary, the W65 winner with a perfect 500 points last year is in W70 this year. Cary started out like gangbusters, winning the WMA 10K and the 10 Km Championship the next month. An injury sidelined her; she cannot catch the leaders. Donna May is currently fourth with 195 points from second place points at the WMA 10K and a win at the 1 Mile Championships. As noted above, Susan Stirrat will likely move up from W65 by competing at either Atlanta or San Francisco. She brings 335 points from five events and will compete for a GP podium finish in this division. If she runs at the two remaining events, Stirrat will top 400 points, no doubt.
W75 Andrea McCarter has won this GP division for the last three years. Kathleen Allen has the lead at present, ahead of her teammate, McCarter, 385 to 335. Both have four events. Allen’s total includes wins at Dedham and Peoria, and second place at Indianapolis. If Allen runs at Atlanta and comes in ahead of McCarter, as she did at Peoria and Indianapolis, she locks up the win. Jo Anne Rowland is in third with 195 points from a win at Lubbock and a second at Tacoma. Rowland is likely to run in San Francisco, her home base. Rowland could win but only if Allen and McCarter skip the final two events. Rowland could finish second if she competes in both and McCarter skips one. Otherwise, it is likely to be Allen, McCarter and Rowland in that order.
M40 Joseph Gray has 400 points from Club Cross, Cross Nationals, Gainesville, and Dedham. With one more win, he can achieve a perfect 500-point GP championship. If he does not win the event, he would still, almost surely, win the GP championships. If Gray passes on the final two events, he could still win the GP.
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| Joseph Gray leading the Masters Men's field on his way to the Overall Win at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
The only athlete who can catch him is Bryan Hendricks, who has 230 points from four events. Hendricks would need 180 points from the final two events to get to 405 points. If Gray maxes out at his current 400 points and Hendricks scored those 180 points, he would edge Gray for the Grand Prix win. Hendricks is followed by Chuck Terry, Chris Brown, and Ben Lundell, with 170, 165 and 155 points respectively. Terry and Brown each need one more event to qualify for an award. Lundell has thee three events needed already. Thos three will battle for third place.
M55 John McMahon won the M55 GP in 2022. Scott Siriano won it in 2023 and 2024. Christopher Harris challenges for the win this year. He has 400 points from five events, highlighted by a win at the Masters 10K Championships and second place finishes at Peoria and Indianapolis. Siriano has 400 points from five events as well, highlighted by a second place at Lubbock and second place points at the WMA 10K. But Harris has come in ahead of Siriano at the three events where they have met this year. Even if Siriano would win the last two events, the highest total he could achieve would be 460 GP points. Harris seems almost certain to run in his hometown of Atlanta in October. If he finishes third or better at Atlanta, his total rises to 470 and no one can catch him.
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| Christopher Harris claims the M55 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
McMahon is third, with 305 points from four events, highlighted by a third at Peoria, a fourth at Indy and fifth place points at WMA Cross. He could still win it, but not if Harris finishes third or higher on his home roads in October. It seems more likely that he will battle Siriano for second in the GP. Frank Zoldak has beaten all three of those in front of him at one race or another. But he has competed in just two events. He finished second at Tacoma and won in Peoria. Even if Zoldak competed in the two final events, he could not challenge for a higher GP finish than third. John Prineas and Michael Mallon, with 170 and 160 points, from two events each, could also factor into the contest for top three in the GP.
M60 Despite being acknowledged as one of the top distance runners in his division, Mark Zamek's best Grand Prix showing was in 2019 when he finished second in M55. Zamek is positioned to end that drought this year; he claimed the WMA 10K gold medal and won at Cross Nationals. He added second place at the 4-Mile and 1-Mile championships for 460 points. He finished seventh at Club Cross when not at his best. If Zamek runs in one more championship and finishes fourth or higher, he puts the GP win in this highly competitive division out of reach at 475 points.
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| Mark Zamek claiming the Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
It is already out of reach for everyone but Scott Grandfield, currently third with 280 points from three events. He earned first place points at the WMA 10K and enjoyed third place finishes at Dedham and Indy. If Grandfield runs in the last two events, finishing second or first in both, he would pass the 460-point mark. If Zamek passed on the final two events, Grandfield would win. Lester Dragstedt is currently second at 370 points from five events. His maximum possible score is not as high as that for Zamek and Grandfield but it is close. He cannot win but he could pass Grandfield for second. Little is certain in this contest. Dale Flanders and his teammate, Mike Nier are tied for fourth at 260. If they compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco, both could be in the hunt for second or third in the GP.
M65 When he turned 65, Roger Sayre won the 2023 Grand Prix title. Last year, Sayre battled to a three-way tie, on points, at 475, with David Westenberg and Ken Youngers. Sayre and Westenberg shared the top prize on a tie-breaker with Youngers. Dan King has been focused on breaking records since he turned 65. He has also decided to make a run for the M65 GP win. King leads the GP this year with 400 points from wins at Club Cross, Cross Nationals, and the 4-Mile and 1-Mile championships.
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| Dan King on his Way to M65 Gold with three top M60 Athletes at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott Roger Sayre is just ten points back, from first place points at the WMA 10K and a win in the 10K championships, along with second-place finishes at two other events. If Sayre would enter the final two events and win both, he would top out at 495. |
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| Roger Sayre sprinting to the Finish Line and the M65 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
If King runs in at least one and wins it, his total rises to a perfect 500 and Sayre would be just short. Casey Hannan is in the third GP spot with 370 points from four events. Doug Keller is fourth with 260 points from three events; he could challenge Hannan for the GP third.
M85 Roland Cormier has a commanding lead with 390 points from four events, including wins at the 10K, 4-Mile, and 1-Mile. David Turner is second in the GP with 200 points from wins at Club Cross and WMA Cross. If Cormier races at either of the final two races and finishes 18th or higher, he closes out the GP win at 405 points.
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| Roland Cormier showing some Young Fellows How it's Done as he heads for the Finish Line and the M85 Gold Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
If not, Turner could claim the GP title by winning M85 in his hometown of Atlanta and winning on the road in San Francisco. Adrian Craven won the M85 GP in 2023 with 300 points. Craven is currently in third with 180 points from two events. He looks likely to hold onto that spot if he and Turner both compete in Atlanta in October.
GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE.
W40 The leaders are tightly bunched, all with two of the three scores necessary for an award: Karen Bertasso 185; Alison Crocker 175; Chelsea Lenge Warren 175; Lauren Davis 165; and Jennifer Lutz 160. Two others, with just one event, bear watching, Katie Sherron 100 and April Lund 95. Bertasso leads from her third place WMA 10K points and her second place at the 10K Championship. Crocker scored points at Club Cross and Cross Nationals. Lenge Warren scored at Club Cross and WMA Cross. Davis finished third at Indy and added a sixth at Dedham. Lutz finished third at Dedham and seventh at Tacoma, arguably the two toughest events at which to score GP points.
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| Jennifer Lutz right receiving congratulations from the winner on her Bronze Medal Overall (and W40) Performance at the 2025 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Photo Credit: Boston Running Scene/Mark Mathis |
On the other hand, Lund and Sherron are the two strongest runners in this group. If either competes at both Atlanta and San Francisco, she will shoot up the GP table and could vie for first place in the GP.
W45 Alicia Martinez, third last year, leads with 265 points from three events. She earned third place points at the WMA 10K, finished fourth at the 4 Mile and third at the 1 Mile championships.
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| Alicia Martinez finishes fourth in W45 at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
W50 Abby Dean, the W50 GP winner in 2022 and 2023, leads at 380 points from four events, including wins at Cross Nationals and the 4 Mile.
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| Abby Dean, across the finish line with a W50 Win at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Hortencia Aliaga is second at 280, from three events. She earned second place points at WMA Cross and finished 2nd at the 1 Mile Championships, and third at the 10K Championships. Aliaga finished ahead of Dean in Dedham, their only head-to-head meeting. Jennifer Rodriguez and Jennifer St. Jean each have 200 points from two wins. Rodriguez claimed the gold medal at the WMA 10K and also won the 4 Mile Championship. St. Jean won at Club Cross in Tacoma and at the 1 Mile in Indianapolis. Either, or both, could move up by competing in the last two events.
W55 Amy McMahon leads with 355 points from four events, including second place points from WMA Cross, and the 4 Mile. Cassandra Crane is second in the GP with 335 points from five events, highlighted by second place points at the WMA 10K and third place at the 4 Mile Championship. Brenda Osovski is third with 240 points from three events, highlighted by fourth place points at the WMA 10K and a fourth place finish at the 4 Mile Championship. Others to watch include Jennifer Harvey and Kimberly Aspholm, currently fourth and fifth in the GP with 190 and 185 points respectively. Harvey finished second at Club Cross and the 1 Mile.
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| Jennifer Harvey left, bib #1183 leading a pack of top 50's and 60's athletes on her way to a W55 Silver Medal Performance at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Aspholm claimed the win at Dedham and finished fourth at the 1 Mile championship. They have room to move up if they compete in additional events. If McMahon would compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco, she is a lock for the W55 GP title.
M50 This GP division has been strongly contested in the past, but that is not the case this year. Six athletes have two events; no one has three. In 2022, the winner had to defeat an athlete with 455 points for six events. Gregory Putnam's 465 took the GP win with a ten-point winning margin. If none of the following run one additional event or more, we likely have no M50 Champion. Robb Awe leads the way; his 4-Mile win in Peoria pairs with his fourth-place finish in Indy for 185 points.
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| Robb Awe Captures the M55 Win at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Jason Newport is 15 points behind Awe. His points come from a third-place finish in Peoria and a fifth place in Indianapolis. Richard Falcone is third in the GP at 130 points, highlighted by a fourth place at the 10K Masters championships. Ahrlin Bauman has 105 points; he earned first place points at WMA Cross. Joe Silliman's 80 points have his sixth-place finish at the One Mile championships as a highlight. Frederick Dolan, the M50 GP winner last year, has seen limited action this year. He has 75 points from a seventh at Lubbock and had just participation points at Club Cross, most likely due to some kind of injury where he was running just for team points. Awe, Newport, and Falcone have the inside track for the win.
M70 Rick Becker won the division crown at Club Cross and Cross Nationals. Then he captured the Gold medal at WMA Cross. His training was going well; he was entered for the 4-Mile Championships. Everyone expected him to win it and climb to 400 points. Three weeks before the 4-Mile championships, Becker suffered a shoulder injury from a bike crash. He was starting to make progress but then ran into an arrythmia problem that required a pacemaker to be installed in August. He is training now again but it is an open question as to whether he can be competitive at Atlanta and San Francisco. If he is done at 300, Becker will not make the GP podium. If he can compete at close to full fitness in the 5K and Masters 5K XC, he could win the GP with 500 points. No one would be likely to bet against Becker getting the GP win. But there are six other athletes with 360 or more points vying for the title. Jack Pottle has the overall GP lead with 460 points from five events. Pottle has a win in the 4-Mile and added second place points at Cross Nationals and WMA Cross.
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| Jack Pottle gets the M70 Win at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Apart from a Becker come-back, the biggest threat to a Pottle GP win is James Linn, currently in third with 380 points from four events. Those points include a 1-Mile win and second-place finishes in the 10K and 4-Mile. Scott Lucking, with 425 points from six events is second in the GP now. His highlights include second place points at the WMA 10K and third-place finishes at the 4 Mile and 1 Mile championships. Doug Bell is in fourth place with 370 points from six events. Bell graduates to M75 next year and will be a threat for the M75 GP win.
M75 In 2022, Jerry Learned amassed 460 points to edge Gene Dykes and Doug Bell, tied at 445. In 2023, Gary Ostwald edged Learned, 490 to 475. Learned has had another good year in 2025 but so has Ostwald. Learned leads currently at 455 from five events, including second place points from WMA Cross, the 4-Mile and 1-Mile. Ostwald has 400 points from four events, including first place points at WMA Cross and wins at Cross Nationals, the 4-Mile and 1-Mile. He could yet achieve a second consecutive 500-point GP win!
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| Gary Ostwald far right running with Top M65 and M70 athletes On His Way to the M75 Win at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Paul Carlin, your author, is in third place with 310 points from four events. Three individuals are likely to get past me to make the M75 GP top three. Allen Joyce and Rick Katz are tied for third at 265 points from three events. Joyce has come in ahead of me at the WMA 10K, the 4 Mile and 1 Mile Championships. Katz and I have not met this year but he has often come in ahead of me in the past. Both have plenty of upside potential if they compete at one, or both, of the final two events. Don Morrison suffered a January Cross Country skiing accident and had a bout with Lyme Disease (from a tick bite) in May. Morrison has, nonetheless, accrued 260 points from three events, leaving him currently in fourth. If Morrison is healthy and competes in the final two events, he could move up into second, or even first if Ostwald is done for the season. As I write this, I am 79 years and 10 months old. I turn 80 this fall. In principle, I could compete in the Masters 5 Km XC Championships in San Francisco. If so, I would move into the M80 category and I would bring my 310 points, plus whatever points I earn in Atlanta. My birthday is shortly after the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta. At present I have a conflict with the November 1st event. It is most likely that I wind up this year in M75 and compete in M80 next year.
DIVISIONS WITH NO GP WINNER.
W80 The last year this division had a GP champion was in 2019 when Madeline Bost won and Tami Graf finished second. Four athletes have points from a single event. W80 American record Holder from the 1 Mile to the 10K, Jan Holmquist won the 10K Championship. Meg Ludlum won at Club Cross. Susan Sajdak won at the 4 Mile championship in Peoria. Joan Tremberth finished second in the 10K championships behind Holmquist. It seems unlikely that any will compete at any more events.
M90 Lawrence Cole, 91, won the 10K at Dedham. He has raced at Dedham before but has not recently competed at other championships. It would be astonishing if Cole competed at the Masters 5 km Championships in Atlanta and the Masters 5 km XC Championships in San Francisco. He needs both those events to acquire the three events needed for an award.
That is it for the individual Grand Prix contests. The outcomes of some individual GP contests are bound up in the team races. Several athletes who make important contributions to their teams are also in competition for individual GP awards. The team decision to compete, or not, in Atlanta and San Francisco, make a difference in the individual's choice.
Masters Club Grand Prix Point assignment is 100-90-80, down to 60, then 55, 50, etc.
W40+ Red Lizard Oregon leads with 200 points from wins at Tacoma and Lubbock. They are followed by Impala San Francisco Bay 150, with Atlanta Georgia and the Boston Athletic Association tied at 105. Red Lizard, Impala and Atlanta will all likely have at least three events completed by the end of the season. Red Lizard and Impala will, almost surely, compete in the Masters 5 Km XC at Golden Gate Park. Atlanta is equally likely to compete on their home roads at the 5 Km Championships in October. Whichever team or teams compete in both events are in the mix for the GP Championship. The B.A.A. does not often compete much outside of New England unless it is for Club Cross.
W50+ Impala has the lead at 240 points, from a fifth at Tacoma, a win at Lubbock and third at Indianapolis. Central Park Track Club New York City follows at 200 from wins at Tacoma and Indianapolis. Garden State Track Club New Jersey follows at 190 from a win at Dedham and second at Indy. Shore Athletic Club New Jersey has 160 points from second at Dedham and fourth at Indy. Impala will compete in San Francisco for the 5 Km XC. In most years CPTC would be done with those two events. CPTC would have to decide it is a worthwhile endeavor to compete for either the 5 Km Championships in Atlanta or the 5 km XC Championships in San Francisco. They would need their strong runners to commit to two additional travel event this year. If they made that choice they would score well and might even be able to win the GP championship. Garden State and S-hore are also very much in the mix. It could go down to the wire!
W60+ Shore AC, going for their second straight W60+ GP win, has the lead in a tight contest with Atlanta. Shore finished fourth at Tacoma but added a win at Dedham and second place finishes at Peoria and Indy to tally 350 points. Atlanta was sixth at Tacoma and third at Dedham but claimed wins at Peoria and Indianapolis. They trail by just twenty points. Liberty Athletic Club Greater Boston won in 2023 and finished second last year. They are currently third with 150 points. If Shore does not travel to both Atlanta and San Francisco, that gives Atlanta a shot. Most likely both will compete in Atlanta and then make final decisions about San Francisco once that outcome is known.
W70+ Atlanta has locked up their second consecutive W70+ win. They have 370 points from a fourth at Club Cross and wins at the 10K, 4 Mile and 1 Mile championships. Impala, the San Diego Track Club California, and Red Lizard finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd at Club Cross. Those teams need to compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco to qualify for an award. Any who do so are likely to finish on the GP podium.
W80+ Last year. Atlanta fielded the first ever Women’s 80+ team at the 5K. But they did not travel away from home to any championships. So far this year, no teams have scored W80+ points.
M40+ The Genesee Valley Harriers Rochester NY won in 2023; Atlanta edged Shore last year, 215 to 190. So far this year, the Indiana Elite Athletic Club and the Garden State Track Club have two events completed. Indiana claimed the M40+ GP Championship in 2022; they lead with 180 points from Club Cross and the 1 Mile Championships. Garden State finished fifth in Tacoma and picked up a fourth-place finish in Indy for 1130 points and second place. If either competes at either Atlanta or San Francisco, they get the third event they need to win an award. Thirty other teams have just one event. It seems unlikely that any of them will compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco. But you never know.
M50+ In 2023, Atlanta, GVH and Shore went 1-2-3. Last year the order was Atlanta-Shore-GVH. A few of the mainstay GVH runners have aged up to 60+ from 50+ and they are emphasizing their 60+ team this year. Atlanta and Shore are in a battle again. Atlanta finished 10th to Shore’s 11th at Club Cross. Shore and Atlanta went 1-2 at the 10K, 3-2 at Peoria and 3-4 at Indianapolis. Shore leads 290 to 285. Those two will likely battle to the wire, competing at both Atlanta and San Francisco. May the best team win! The Boulder Road Runners Colorado are in third place with 160 points from a fifth at Tacoma and a win at Peoria. If they compete at either Atlanta or San Francisco, they qualify for an award.
M60+ Shore won this division in 2022 and finished second the next two years behind Atlanta. Shore and Atlanta are in the mix again but a little lower down. The Twin Cities Running Club committed to the Grand Prix this year and leads with 380 points. That includes wins at Tacoma and Peoria along with seconds at Dedham and Indy. GVH is second in the GP at 310 from the same four events. highlighted by seconds at Tacoma and Peoria. Atlanta, follows at 220 from a third at Tacoma, and fourth place finishes at Dedham and Indy. Greater Springfield Harriers Massachusetts GSH are at 200 from wins at Dedham and Indy. Ann Arbor Track Club Michigan and Shore follow at 155 and 140respectively. Twin Cities does not have it locked up yet. If they do not compete in at least one more event, GVH, Atlanta, and GSH could all deny them the win by scoring well at both of the last two events. Ann Arbor and Shore could still make the podium but cannot finish higher than second. Twin Cities is in the driver's seat for the GP win; they just need to finish it off!
M70+ The Boulder Road Runners Colorado won the M70+ GP in 2022 with 490 points. They took the title the next two years with perfect 500-point scores. Whether they will get to 500 again this year is an open question. But Boulder has locked up the GP win with 490 points; no one can catch them. They won at Tacoma, Lubbock, Peoria and Indy. Shore was able to nip them for first at Dedham; otherwise they would be at 500 again. Atlanta is second in the GP with 285, highlighted by a second-place finish at the 1 Mile Champs and thirds at the 10K and 4 Mile. They are followed closely by Shore at 250, with the win at the 10K and second place at the 4-Mile. Ann Arbor is fourth at 130 from a fifth at the 10K and fourth at the 4-Mile champs. That is the most likely order of finish although Shore could pass Atlanta for the GP second place. It depends on whether the team’s top runners are healthy and able to commit to both the 5K at Atlanta and the 5 Km XC in San Francisco.
M80+ Atlanta won the 80+ GP in 2022 with 390 points from 4 events. In 2023, Atlanta won with 280 points from three events. They were not able to repeat in 2024. This year, Shore has the lead and a good shot at a win. They have 200 points from wins at Dedham and Indianapolis. If they can manage to compete at either Atlanta or San Francisco, Shore AC will claim the M80+ GP win! The San Diego Striders and the New England 65 Plus Runners Club teams are in second and third with just one event each. San Diego won at Tacoma and New England finished second at Dedham. It seems unlikely that either team would compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco to get the three events they need to qualify for an award.
That's the way things look now. In a couple of months, we will know the final GP standings. Because of the topsy turvy Cross Country season, necessitated by the timing of the WA Cross Country Championships, we will have to wait until January 11th for the Grand Prix Awards ceremony in Tallahassee.
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