October 13, 2025
Welcome to my blog. I report on Masters Elite LDR. In addition to this current story on recent races, you can find recaps of all USATF Masters LDR and Cross-Country Championships since Fall 2014. I also report on Masters Athletes in major Marathons including Olympic Trials. I cover distance events at some USATF Masters Indoor and Outdoor Championships. I reported on the one World Cross Country Championship that included Masters competition, Australia 2022. I regularly cover the Non-Stadia Road Race Events at World Masters Athletics Championships.
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This will be the sixth time the Atlanta Track Club ATC has hosted the USATF Masters 5 Km National Championships. The first four years were hosted as part of the Atlanta's Finest 5K race in August. In 2024, the venue was switched from August to February as ATC hosted the event as part of its PUBLIX Atlanta Marathon Weekend in late February. This year there is another switch. The event will be hosted this year in October as part of ATC's PNC 10 Miler weekend on Sunday, October 19th.
According to the Atlanta Track Club event webpage [at:ATC PNC 10 Miler-5k] the 5K begins at 7:55 AM. The Masters Championship waves typically go off before the mass participation race. Last year there were separate starts for Women and Men, and I expect that to be the case again this year. If so, perhaps the Masters Women will go off at 7:40 and the Men at 7:50. But that is a guess. If entered, you must go by the Technical Instructions which will be posted before race day [at: USATF Masters 5 Km Championships]. [The USATF Masters website just referenced also has a link to register.] A 'Welcome to the Masters 5 Km Championships weekend' will also be emailed to all those registered for the Masters Championships. That will have the final details for things like Packet Pickup times, starting times and location, etc. The ATC website includes the times for Packet Pickup but the pickup times for the Masters Championship are often just on Saturday, the day before the race. That website also includes the course map, with an elevation chart. That is important because all races in Atlanta are either hilly or 'Atlanta Flat.' ATC makes an effort to provide the Masters athletes with an 'Atlanta Flat' course. Such a course includes hills, which are unavoidable in Atlanta, but keeps these toa minimum and, typically, includes some long stretches with no turns. This course apparently includes a fairly steep hill right after the 1 Mile mark and, after descending in rolls, another hill soon after the 2 mile mark. Again, there is a descent after and the final 300 meters or so appears to be fairly flat.
What about the weather/ The forecast is promising. The temperature at 7:45 AM is forecast at 64F with a dewpoint of 60 at start time, winds at 7 mph [gusting to 17]. There is a small probability of light rain between 8 and 9 AM. Even if so, clouds are expected to part and reveal the sun before 9 am. Weather for the Awards Ceremony should be super. ATC has always provided a large tent for the Masters athletes. My best guess is that will be the standard again. ATC has always done a first-class job of hosting this event. As you will see below, there are some terrific duels that will take place on the hills of Atlanta. Don't miss out on your chance to participate.
AGE DIVISIONS:
Based on registrations up through Saturday, October 11th at 12 Noon. Registration closes on Thursday, October 16th at 12 Midnight PT. I am not picking podiums at this time. it is likely that strong contenders will enter between now and the close of registration.
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| Lined Up For the Men's Start at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted at the Atlanta Track Club's Publix Marathon Weekend Photo courtesy of Atlanta Track Club-Photographers McPherson & Lara |
M40 There are no true speed merchants entered yet. The strongest runners appear to be Chuck Terry Willow Street AC and Rich Wilson GRC Tracksmith. In February 2024, when these championships were last held in Atlanta, Terry finished 4th in M40, clocking 16:49. This year, Terry also finished just off the podium at the Masters 10 Km Championships in late April and the 4 Mile Championships in mid-June. His times at those events, 34:25 and 21:28 respectively, suggest Terry should be ready to run in that same 16:45-17 flat range. Wilson finished 22 seconds behind Terry at the 10K Championships. But he posted a 16:25 5K at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run weekend. That could either signify that W39ilson is stronger at shorter events or is not as adaptable as Terry to rolling hills courses. The former explanation favors Wilson, the latter, Terry, in this upcoming contest.
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| Start of Women's Race at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted at the Atlanta Track Club's Publix Marathon Weekend Photo courtesy of Atlanta Track Club-Photographers McPherson & Lara |
W40 April Lund GYS Track Club returns to defend her Overall and W40 titles. She won in a sparkling 16:58 in 2024.
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| Eventual winner, April Lund white singlet, and Stephanie Pezzullo on Lund's left lead the 2024 Women's Field through the first 400 Meters. |
Lund appears to be in good form. She won the 3000M Indoors at the 2025 Masters Championships in 10:10.94. In August, she clocked 1:14.13 to win the Half Marathon in Bismarck ND. Michele Yates CO returns to chase her. Yates finished fourth overall and third W40 in 2024, with a time of 17:57. Yates seems to run trails primarily. She finished third overall at the 2024 Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boulder last year. Two other contenders for the overall podium are running out of the W45 division.
M45 Defending Champion, David Angell Roanoke Valley Elite, rolled his ankle three weeks ago in the middle of a 2 x 5K threshold workout, went down hard and wound up with his foot in a boot. That opens things up for Nathan Deeter Atlanta Track Club and Matthew DiPretore Greater Philadelphia TC. Deeter was fifth in M40 last time and DiPretore sixth in M45. But DiPretore's 17:06 enabled him to finish six seconds before Deeter.
W45 Jill Braley Atlanta and Dawn Grunnagle Texas finished 5th and 6th Overall, respectively and 1-2 in this division. Braley ran 17:58 in 2024; this year she ran an 18:11 on the same course. Grunnagle clocked 18:08 here in 2024.
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| Dawn Grunnagle crosses the Finish Line in 6th place Overall at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted at the Atlanta Track Club's Publix Marathon Weekend Photo courtesy of Atlanta Track Club-Photographers McPherson & Lara |
In February of this year Grunnagle ran a 39:34 10K in Dallas. This June, Grunnagle finished second overall at the Masters Road Mile Championships in Indianapolis; her time was 5:18.3.
M50 Right now, three Atlanta teammates, Steve Bell, Alan Black, and George Darden would look to battle for the three podium spots. Bell finished 4th here in 2024, running 17:02. Bell enjoyed a nifty 17:10 at the Macon Labor Day 5K, known for its fast times. He also ran 17:57 and 18:10 5K's in the spring.
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| Steve Bell Leads a Pack of Atlanta Track Club runners into the final 400 Meters at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted at the Atlanta Track Club's Publix Marathon Weekend Photo courtesy of Atlanta Track Club-Photographers McPherson & Lara |
W50 Rebekah Kennedy Central Park TC returns to defend the W50 title she won in 2024 with a 19:59 effort.
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| Rebekah Kennedy closing In on Her W50 Victory at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted at the Atlanta Track Club's Publix Marathon Weekend Photo courtesy of Atlanta Track Club-Photographers McPherson & Lara |
She has run a number of longer races this year including a 1:29:15 Half Marathon in the Project 13.1 race in March and a 3:12:53 Boston Marathon in April. In June she ran 32:57 at the NYRR Team 5 Miler. She followed that with a 19:58 at the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K in August. It appears, based on Athlinks, that Lorilynn Bloomer South Carolina, previously associated with Portland OR and the Bowerman TC, has moved to South Carolina. Bloomer has been the bronze medalist in W45 at the 2021 Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boston, and at 2022 Cross Nationals in San Diego, and in W50 at the 2023 Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee. This past fall in South Carolina, Bloomer ran an 18:49 5K, followed by an 18:14 5K. She will battle with Kennedy and Abby Dean Greater Philadelphia TC, who won here in 2023 with a 19:22 effort. The following year she was coming back from injury and finished third in 20:22. Since then, sub 20 5K efforts have been elusive for Dean. This past June she won the W50 division in the Masters 4 Mile Championships in 25:48, roughly equivalent to a 20:03. But the most recent 5K effort I can find for Dean is a 20:54 at the Mainline 5K in September. Will Kennedy manage the repeat win? Will Dean find the magic in her final year in this division? Bloomer looks to have the edge for the win, although a lack of 2025 results raises some doubts.
M55 John Fernandez OH won the M50 division here in 2024 with a sparkling 16:14!
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| John Fernandez On His Way to M55 Victory at the 2024 USATF Masters Ten Mile Championships Hosted by the Crim Fitness Foundation Photo courtesy of Crim Fitness Foundation |
Since then, he has won the Masters 10 Mile M55 National Championship with a 58:35 on a hilly Crim course. A month later he came out of a terrific duel with Craig Godwin with a fine second place M55 effort at the Masters Half Marathon Championships on another hilly course, this time in Indianapolis in early October. His time was 1:16:27. In June he ran a 17:00 5K in Ohio. He will face a challenger who does not often compete on the roads, east of the Mississippi, Ivan Lieben West Valley TC. Lieben was on the M50 podium at Club Cross events in Tallahassee in 2021 and at Golden Gate Park in 2022. In 2022 when West Valley was successfully pursuing the 50+ Team Grand Prix Championships, Lieben ran at Dedham, clocking 34:25 to finish 5th and finished 3rd at the 12K Masters Championships in September in 42:26. This year Lieben clocked 16:55 at the Carlsbad 5000 in early spring and 16:35 at the Oakland 5000 in July. The battle for the win should be between those two. David Guzik Connecticut and Christopher Harris Atlanta, both of whom seem likely to clock 5K's in the low 17-minute range, should battle for the bronze.
W55 In 2024, Fiona Bayly NYC won this division in 19:02.
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| Fiona Bayly Closing Out Her W55 Win at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships, hosted by USATF-NJ in Highlands NJ Photo by Jason Timochko |
Later that year, Bayly took the division crown at the 12 Km Masters Championship in New Jersey in 47:57. In August, Bayly recorded an 18:28 at the Asbury Park 5K; she followed that with a W55 win at the Fifth Avenue Mile. Rachel Hopkins Sirius Athletics finished second to Bayly here in 2024 in 20:10. A Rachel Hopkins of the correct age won the W55 division, in November of last year, at a 5K in Austin TX in 21:33. Hopkins was the Grandmasters Champion at the Milledge Mile in Athens GA in July with a 5:54. Based on current entries a Bayly-Hopkins 1-2 finish seems likely again this year.
M60 A couple of years ago I would have said this would clearly be a battle between Nat Larson Greater Springfield Harriers and Mark Zamek Twin Cities RC, with Larson the likely winner. I would figure that Larson's teammates, Scott Grandfield Greater Springfield and Mark Hixson Greater Springfield would battle for the bronze medal. This year it is less clear. Larson was his usual dominant self in April of last year, when he won the Masters 10 Km Championships in 34:59. Zamek was second in 36:08. But shortly after that Larson struggled with an injury. His next appearance at a national championship was in December, the Club XC Championships at Tacoma, when he finished a close second to Steve Schmidt in the 60+ Men's race. But then there was another long absence where, I presume, Larson was rehabbing. In late summer he returned to regional competition, His 28:55 in late August won the USATF NE 5 Mile Championship; that was roughly equivalent to a 17:40 5K. On Labor Day, Larson ran the 5K at the Faxon Law 20K, the USATF Open 20K Championship, winning this division in 17:17. It looks as if Larson is back, and not far from the top of his game. In fall of 2022, Larson set the 60-64 5K record with his 16:35 at the Boston BIG STEPS 5K. This will be his first trip to Atlanta for a 5K Masters Championship since his M55 win in 2019.
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| Nat Larson rounds the Final Corner on the Way to M55 Victory, Followed Closely by His Teammate, Mark Hixson, heading for the M50 Silver Medal at the 2019 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club at their Atlanta's Finest 5K. Photo Credit: Mike Scott |
A few weeks ago, it looked like Zamek would be heading into Atlanta with a full head of steam. After finishing second in M60 at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in 23:14, he clocked 17:28 and 17:35 5K's on two weekends in August. But in late September, after a hectic week with much travel, Zamek contracted Covid. While not as serious as it was in 2020, it still threw a monkey wrench in his training and plans for this race. Zamek still plans to compete but more as a team runner than for the podium. Still, with a runner as talented as Zamek, you never know. What about Grandfield and Hixson? The two teammates appear to be close in their conditioning. They were separated by just 14 seconds at the Masters 10 Km Championships in late April. Grandfield ran a 17:56 5K at a Father's Day race in June and clocked 29:57 at the Bobby Doyle 5K in August. Hixson ran 29:35 at the Branson 5 Miler in June and followed that with a 17:51 5K at the Faxon Law run on Labor Day. Hixson appears to have the edge, but it could go either way on a given day. Late-breaking news--Rick Lee Shore AC has entered. Lee is always a factor even in this, his last year in the division. He won the M60 championship here in Atlanta in 2023 in 17:31. Lee is rare in that he competes at a high level across all distances from the Mile to the Ultramarathon. He is the American Record holder for the M60 50 Km and 50 Mile distances. He just won the M60 heat at the NYRR Fifth Avenue Mile in a tick above 5 minutes flat. It looks like another great race in M60!
W60 Suzanne La Burt Shore AC [NY] won this division here in 2024 in 19:53. Later, in September, La Burt won the Masters 12 Km Championship in Highland NJ with a 48:39 that broke the W60 American Record.
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| Suzanne La Burt Claiming the W60 Win and a new American Record at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships, hosted by USATF-NJ in Highlands NJ Photo by Jason Timochko |
This year she took the W60 crown at the Masters 10 Km Championships in 40:12. Hronn Gudmundsdottir Impala Racing will challenge la Burt. Gudmundsdottir finished 2nd in W55 at the 2024 edition of the Masters 10 Km Championships in 41:24. In October of last year, she finished second W55 at the Masters HM Championships on a challenging course in Indianapolis with a 1:32:24. La Burt appears to have the edge. Gudmundsdottir appears to look good for second place. Gudmundsdottir races less often than La Burt, at least in terms of Athlinks results, but it is always a little worrying when an athlete has no race results appearing since October of last year.
M65 Unless something has thrown one of them off, it looks like John Glidewell Atlanta TC [AL] and Roger Sayre Twin Cities RC are locks for first and second, respectively. Glidewell won the M65 5K Championship in 2023, with an impressive 17:31.
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| John Glidewell #12237 Starting off on His Winning M65 Race at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted at the Atlanta Track Club's Publix Marathon Weekend Photo Credit: Pam Fales |
He repeated in 2024 with a 17:53 win. He appears poised to run around 18 minutes or under again this year. In the spring he ran an 18:03 5K and a 37:43 10K. He followed that with an 18:02 5K in July. Sayre finished second to Glidewell in 2024 in 18:24. Two months later, Sayre set a new M65 American 25K Record at the Amway River Bank Run with his 1:39:50. This April, Sayre won the M65 division at the Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA in 38:17. In June, Sayre's 24:31 enabled him to finish 2nd M65 at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in Peoria. Shortly after that race, Sayre moved from Colorado to the Twin Cities. He finished 2nd M65 at the Quad City Bix and, in September, won M65 at the City of Lakes HM in 1:24:38. Doug Keller Twin Cities RC and Ken Youngers Atlanta should battle for the final podium spot. Keller is a relative newcomer to the national circuit of road racing. His 24:59 earned him a bronze medal at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in Peoria in mid-June. That is roughly equivalent to a 19:12 5K. A week later, Keller finished 2nd at the Masters Road Mile championships in Indianapolis, clocking 5:32.4. The month before Peoria, Keller ran 18:44 at the relatively swift Brian Kraft 5K. This September he clocked a time that is probably a better predictor for Sunday; he ran 19:10. Youngers, who finished third in 2024 with an 18:55, has had some challenges this year. After finishing third at the WMA Indoor Championships Cross Country race, which Sayre won, Youngers did not appear in a race, that I know of, until August when he ran a 20:25 at the Mustard Seed 5K in Georgia. He followed that with a 19:05 on the speedy 5K course at the Macon Labor Day race. He is not likely to run that fast this coming Sunday. Youngers is, no doubt, running to help his team. If his training has continued to progress since Labor Day, he could break 19:30 and push Keller for third.
W65 In 2024, Stella Gibbs, from California, won the race with Patrice Combs Atlanta, Kitty Musante Shore AC [FL], Lesley Hinz Atlanta, and Cindy Williams Atlanta following in that order, in 22:01, 23:04, 23:15, and 23:48. Gibbs is not currently entered. The other four are. This year, Combs won W65 at the Masters 10 Km Championships in April. In mid-June she won the division at the Masters 4 Mile championships in Peoria in 28:16, roughly equivalent to a 21:55.
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| Patreice Combs Winning the Women 65-69 Title at the 2025 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Musante is a talented runner. She won her division at the Gate River Run, conquering the 'Green Monster' of the Hart Bridge in 1:13:12. At the Road Mile Championships in Indianapolis, Musante finished fourth, a good twenty seconds behind Hinz. But Hinz trains for the middle distances. The longer the race, the closer it is likely to get. In April, when the weather in Florida is still moderate, Musante ran a 22:04 5K. Over the summer her 5k times ranged from 23:05 to 23:39. Were the slower times due to summer heat and humidity or was the course in April simply a faster course? If the former is the reason, Musante might be able to push Combs; if the latter, Combs should win with a sizable gap. Hinz, as noted, beat Musante by 20 seconds in a road mile. But the 5K is three times as long. Also, the course will be 'Atlanta Flat'. Both distance and hills should work in Musante's favor. But Hinz could reverse the tables from the 2024 championship; there were only11 seconds between them in 2024.
M70 Rick Becker Atlanta [WA] and Jim Linn Shore [PA] look to be the ones to beat. Becker won M65 at the Masters Ten Mile Championships in August of last year in 1:03:16. In March of this year, he won the M70 10K Road Race at the WMA Indoor Championships in 40:39. That suggests a sub-20-minute 5K was not out of the question for Becker at that time. Becker would be a strong favorite were it not for a somewhat challenging spring and summer. In mid-May, in the middle of a strong training block, Becker had a bike crash in late May that put him out of commission for a while. He had to miss the 4 Mile Championships in Peoria. Becker was trying to return to hard training but was having trouble catching his breath and his resting heart rate dropped to the 20's. They discovered a heart flutter and after trying to restore normal rhythm, decided he needed a pacemaker. With the pacemaker in place, Becker resumed training in early August and gradually upped his intensity. His training has gone well but he has not yet tested his fitness in a race.
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| Rick Becker On His Wat to M70 Victory at the 2024 USATF Masters Ten Mile Championships, hosted by the Crim Fitness F7oundation in Flint MI Photo courtesy of Crim Fitness Foundation |
Linn's 19:43 won the M70 division here in 2024. He has enjoyed another terrific season of running in a very competitive division. He finished 2nd at the Masters 10 Km Championship in April with a 41:55. He replicated that in Peoria for the Masters 4 Mile championships; he was 2nd M70 again with a time of 27:12, roughly equivalent to a 20:59 5K. Linn turned things around for the Masters Road Mile Championships; he won M70 in 5:46.1. It could be a very competitive race between Becker and Linn for the win.
W70 Nora Cary Shore AC set W70 American Records earlier this year at five distances ranging from 5 km to 15 km. Her 5 km record was 20:56 at the B.A.A. 5K in April. Cary won W70 at the Masters 10 km national championships in April with a 43:20. Cary had some kind of challenge in May that may have kept her away from the 4 Mile and 1 Mile Masters Championships. But by mid-Summer, she was able to get within four seconds of the W70 1 Mile AR set by the legendary Jeannie Rice in 2019. On Labor Day she broke the W70 AR for 20 Km with her 1:29:11 at the Faxon Law 20K Race. It seems unlikely that anyone will press Cary for the win.
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| Nora Cary Pushing the Pace On Her way to W70 Victory at the 2024 USATF Masters Ten Mile Championships, hosted by the Crim Fitness F7oundation in Flint MI Photo courtesy of Crim Fitness Foundation |
On an 'Atlanta Flat' course, a record attempt is probably out of the question but never say never when a runner of Cary's accomplishments is in the equation.
M75 Based on current entries and recent history, the likely order of finish would be Jerry Learned Atlanta, Allen Joyce Atlanta and yours truly, Paul Carlin Ann Arbor TC. In 2024, Learned finished third in 23:35.
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| Jerry Learned Claims the M75 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
I followed in fifth at 25:41 with Joyce sixth at 26:26. Although I was generally ahead of Joyce in 2024, that has not been the case in 2025. At the 10K Road Race at the WMA Indoor Championships in March, Joyce finished third American in 55:00, with me 1:13 back. At the Masters 4 Mile Championships in June, Learned finished second in 29:41. Joyce was third in 33:47 and I finished two minutes later. It was the same finishing order at the 1 Mile Championships in Indianapolis. Learned ran a very competitive race, finishing second in 6:41. Joyce and I were a minute back but much closer this time, just four seconds apart. There are no recent Athlinks results for Joyce. I have two slow times this fall. One was in a Ten Mile race in September where I was supposed to be practicing a particular Marathon pace and focusing on fueling before and during the race. I also ran in a *very* hilly 5K race, running my slowest time ever. There is still time for stronger runners to enter, but that is the way it looks at present.
W75 Kathleen Allen Atlanta TC won the W75 division at the Masters 10 Km Championships in 1:03:06 [EQ 31:00]. She did the same at the 4 Mile Championships in 41:06 [EQ 31:52]. She finished second at the Road Mile Championships in 9:49.3. All three suggest a time in the low 30-minute range seems likely for Allen. She will be challenged by teammate, Norma Hudnall Atlanta TC, who runs steeplechase and other middle-distance events on the track and cross country. Hudnall finished 4th in W70 in the 2024 5K Championships, running 27:46. Hudnall will probably not match that on Sunday, but it is likely she will arrive at the finish line in less than a half hour and that should be enough for the win.
M80 Lynn Rathjen Nebraska is a seriously fast middle distance runner. In 2020, when he was 75, Rathjen ran a sub-6-minute mile on an out and back Road Mile course (with a right angle added) in Lincoln NB. Now 80, Rathjen went to the Masters Indoor Championships and set records in the 800M, 1500M and 3000M. His 3000M time was 12:48.44 and his 1500M time was 5:47.29. Although he has not run many 5K races, at least according to Athlinks, it seems like Rathjen has got to be the strong favorite. There are two other speedy runners entered, teammates Przemek Nowicki Shore AC and Jack Frame Shore AC. At the Masters Road Mile Championships in June, Frame and Nowicki went 1-2 in 7:36.3 and 7:38.8.
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| Przemek Nowicki On His Way to the M80 Silver Medal at the 2024 Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Mike Scott |
Nowicki won the M80 division in the Masters 4 Mile Championship in 35:51, suggesting an equivalent 5K time of about 27:45. But this June he also ran a 25:45 5k at a fast race, the Fitzgerald Lager 5K. Frame has not run that fast but his 5K's have been pretty consistent in the mid 26-minute range this summer and fall. Despite the longer distance and hillier course, Rathjen enters the favorite. Frame and Nowicki should have another good duel for 2nd and third.
W80 In 2024, Catherine Radle Atlanta TC beat her teammate, Myrna Barnett Atlanta TC, by 15 seconds in 36:00. At the Masters Road Mile Championships in Indianapolis this June, Barnett turned the tables, beating her teammate by 11 seconds in 11:03.3. The previous month, Barnett won this division over the same course in Atlanta in 34:19. It appears that Barnett enters with a slight edge, but history shows that the race is likely to be close.
M85 David Turner Atlanta TC finished third in the M80 division in 2024 with a 28:54. His opposition this year comes from Roland Cormier Shore AC. Turner came in just six seconds ahead of Cormier in the M85 3000M contest at the USATF Master Indoor Championships in February, clocking 18:03. Cormier had led until Turner took over with two laps to go. At the WMA Indoor Championships, both athletes raced in the Cross Country event. Turner finished as first American with Cormier third. Turner's 38:59 was a minute and a half faster than Cormier's time. Cormier won the M85 title at the Masters 10 Km Championships in 1:34:23. I understand there were extenuating circumstances and Cormier did what he needed to do for the win. A better indicator of his current fitness is his M85 win at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in Peoria. His 43:23 equates roughly to a 33:39 5K.
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| Roland Cormier right of picture Heading for the Finish Line and His M85 Victory at the 2025 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
A week later, Cormier, clocking 9:14.7, added the M85 Road Mile title to his collection. Cormier is on a roll, but Turner is the defending champion and has a recent victory over Cormier on the track. On the other hand, this is a longer race, with hills. The length should work in Cormier's favor, but Turner has showed in the past that he can handle hills. It should be a good duel to watch.
W85 Joyce Hodges-Hite Atlanta TC is the defending W85 champion from 2024, in 50:08. So far in the 2025 Grand prix year, Hodges-Hite has won her division title at: Club Cross in Tacoma; Cross Nationals in Lubbock TX; 10K Championships in Dedham MA; 4 Mile Championships in Peoria; and the Road Mile Championships in Indianapolis. Needless to say, Hodges-Hite will win her second straight W85 Grand Prix Championship.
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| Joyce Hodges-Hite gamely finishes off her W85 Victory at the 2025 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
But she is challenged this Sunday by Barbara Belanger Massachusetts. Belanger has not competed before on the national Masters championship circuit. But she is fast. She won the Fairhaven Fathers Day 5K in Massachusetts in June with a 39:50. Belanger ran three other 5K's this past spring in times ranging from 40:37 to 41:55. That is enough speed and enough consistency to make Belanger the favorite for the win.
That is the preview for now. In a few days, I will post my final preview, after registration has closed and I have had time, I hope, to research all entrants, especially those who are new to me.
Sources: USATF Events website, my archives, Athlinks, Strava, and Facebook.
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