October 18, 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. See the sidebar for easy navigation through the archives. [If you are using a mobile phone, please scroll to the bottom and choose 'View web version' to access the sidebar.] While there, please note the coffee cup logo. That is a way to express your appreciation for the work that goes into these articles.
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.
The Masters Men will go off at 7:55 with the Women following one minute later. 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 to a minimum and, typically, includes some long stretches without turns. This course apparently includes a fairly steep hill right after the 1 Mile mark and, after a rolling descent and a flat portion, another hill soon after the 2-mile mark. Again, there is a descent after. The final 300 meters or so appears to be fairly flat.
The temperature at 7:55 AM is forecast at 61F under cloudy skies. with a dewpoint of 55, with winds at 9 mph S [gusting to 24]. Moderate rain is forecast to start right around race-time and continue until early afternoon. As always, check the weather forecast again Saturday evening. As usual, ATC is providing a large tent for Masters athletes. 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 join them.
OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN April Lund GYS Track Club returns to defend her Overall title. She won in a sparkling 16:58 in 2024. 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 Colorado returns to chase her. Yates finished fourth overall in 2024, with a time of 17:57. Yates seems to run trails primarily as she has few road results available. She finished third overall at the 2024 Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boulder last year. As a trail runner in the Rockies, the hills work in her favor, not to mention the 8,000 feet of altitude. Jill Braley Atlanta TC and Dawn Grunnagle Dallas finished 5th and 6th Overall, respectively last year. Braley ran 17:58 in 2024; this March, she ran an 18:11 on the same course. Grunnagle clocked 18:08 here in 2024. This February, she ran a 39:34 10K. In June, Grunnagle finished second overall at the USATF Masters Road Mile Championships in Indianapolis, running 5:18.3. Two athletes out of older divisions deserve mention, Lorilynn Bloomer South Carolina and Fiona Bayly New York City. Both have sub-19 minute 5K's to their credit within the last year. Bloomer, in W50, previously associated with Portland OR and the Bowerman TC, has moved to South Carolina. Bloomer is known nationally more for Cross Country than roads. Bloomer has finished seventh overall at the 2021 Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boston, and 6th overall at 2022 Cross Nationals in San Diego. In early November last year in the Charleston area, Bloomer ran an 18:49 5K. Two weeks later, she followed it with an 18:14 5K. Bayly, now in W55, continues to be a threat for Overall podiums at the national level. She finished 2nd overall at the 2024 Masters Half Marathon Championships a year ago. Her 1:24.5 was achieved on a challenging course in Indianapolis. She finished 3rd overall at the 2023 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships in 38:10. And Bayly has speed. She finished 5th in the 2023 Masters 5 Km Championships in 18:37. This June, Bayly finished sixth overall at the Masters Road Mile Championships in 5:26.2. In August, Bayly recorded an 18:28 at the Asbury Park 5K; she followed that with a W55 win at the Fifth Avenue Mile in 5:23, three seconds faster than she ran in Indy.
Lund is not only the defending champion; she is the favorite to take the win. After that it appears to be a tight contest between Bloomer, Braley, Grunnagle, and Yates, Yates-Braley-Grunnagle was the order in 2024. Bloomer could break in there somewhere. Bayly is a long shot for the Overall podium but could get there on a good day. Let's go with a likely finishing order of Lund, Yates, and then Braley.
Podium Picks In Alphabetical Order:
Jill Braley April Lund Michele Yates
MEN 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. In my early preview, I noted that no Speed Merchants had entered. By that I mean no one who had a recent 5K around 16 minutes flat or under. That is no longer true. Richard Bouckaert NOLA qualifies but he is much more than a speed merchant. He made his national debut as a Masters athlete in Tacoma, where he finished sixteenth overall at Clubs in 35:31. A month before that he ran 16:01 in his hometown Crescent City 5K. This year he has finished third Masters at the Houston Marathon in 2:29:36 and first Masters at the Indy Mini Marathon in May, with a 1:12:00. Two weeks before the Mini, he clocked 33:26 to finish first Masters at the Crescent City 10K. Two other new registrants will push him, Jonathan Charlesworth West Valley Track Club, and Nicholas Kipruto Colorado. They will renew their acquaintance. At Tacoma, all three finished between 16th and 21st, within thirteen seconds of one another. Kipruto was 19th at 35:40, with Charlesworth 21st at 35:44. Charlesworth has the fastest recent 5K; he clocked 15:29 to finish 3rd Masters at the fast Carlsbad 5000. That's 4:59/mile speed! And, with its revamped course, Carlsbad is probably no longer, "The World's Fastest 5K.' But it is still pretty flat and plenty fast. Interestingly, I cannot find a recent 5K result for Kipruto. Kipruto is strong on the X-C+ course. In addition to Tacoma, he finished 2nd overall, over 8 Km at Cross Nationals in Lubbock, clocking 27:13. Apparently, his time would have been faster, but he stopped to check on a fallen rival before continuing to the finish. This past January he finished 23rd at the Armed Forces XC Championships in San Antonio, over 10.25 Km, in 33:03. The only recent relevant road result I find for Kipruto is the Army Ten Miler last October. He was fifth in the Masters category in 53:58. That is better than 5:24 per mile, for ten miles!! He should be able to give Charlesworth a run for the win! Bouckaert appears to be a step slower but on a given day, could pull the upset. He can take confidence from finishing in front of both at Clubs in Tacoma. That gives me a likely order of Charlesworth, Kipruto, Bouckaert.
Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Richard Bouckaert Jonathan Charlesworth Nicholas Kipruto
AGE DIVISIONS:
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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 As noted in the Overall section, Bouckaert, Charlesworth, and Kipruto, out of M40, are the likely top 3. I suggested Charlesworth -Kipruto- Bouckaerdt as the likely order. Should any of those run into difficulty, Chuck Terry Willow Street AC and Rich Wilson GRC Tracksmith could move up. 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 Wilson is stronger at shorter events or is not as adaptable as Terry to rolling hills courses. The former explanation favors Wilson, the latter, Terry.
Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Richard Bouckaert Jonathan Charlesworth Nicholas Kipruto
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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. That gives us Lund-Yates as the likely 1-2.
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. That suggests giving the nod for the win to DiPretore but it should be close.
Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order
Nathan Deeter Matthew DiPretore
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. Braley should be able to hold off Grunnagle for a repeat win. With Braley and Grunnagle likely to take the top two spots, Dana Hayden, Rhia Kilpatrick and Emily Noble should battle for the bronze. Hayden has the strongest recent 5k at 18:45 5k. She finished 2nd in W45 at the Masters Road Mile championships last June in 5:25 and ran 39:30 at an August 10k. Kilpatrick finished 4th in W45 here in 2024 in 19:48, coming in three seconds slower than Noble, who claimed 7th in W40. Let us go with a likely finishing order of Braley-Grunnagle-Hayden. Noble and Kilpatrick will surely push them for a podium spot.
Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Jill Braley Dawn Grunnagle Dana Hayden
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. But Dean did come ahead of Kennedy at the 10k road race held at the Masters Outdoor Championships in Huntsville this summer. 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. It looks like a finishing order of Bloomer-Dean-Kennedy is as likely as any.
Podium Pucks in Alphabetical Order:
Lorilynn Bloomer Abby Dean Rebekah Kennedy
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. Let’s go with Fernandez as the closest thing to a ‘defending champion’, the winner of M50 with a faster time than the winning M55 time. Then Lieben. Then Harris as he holds the ‘Home Roads’ advantage. But Fernandez vs Lieben and Guzik vs. Harris for 3rd will be battles to watch.
Likely Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
John Fernandez Christopher Harris Ivan Lieben
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. Who will push Hopkins? Melissa Landers-Potts ran a 21:14 4K in August 2024 and followed that with a 21:57 5k in February in South Carolina and a 20:05 in April. Melissa Chiti finished 5th here in 2024 in 21:23. But her more recent outings include a 47:03 10K in June. It seems as if Bayly and Hopkins going 1-2 in W55, followed by Landers-Potts is the more likely outcome.
Likely Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Fiona Bayly Rachel Hopkins Melissa Landers-Potts
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!
Larson looks to be back and is favored to win. Lee is perhaps the most likely to follow Larson across the line. But Grandfield, Hixson, and Zamek could upset that calculation. If I go with Hixson over the other two, I am left with Larson, Lee, and Hixson.
Likely Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Mark Hixson Nat Larson Rick Lee
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. Late Breaking news: La Burt will not run in Atlanta after all. She tweaked her plantar fascia at a recent race and can’t risk making it worse and losing the fall/winter season. 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. Gudmundsdottir appears to look good for the win.. 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. Kris Huff finished 4th in W60 in 22:07 in 2024. Last fall, Huff finished 2nd in the Masters ten mile championships and followed that with a W60 2nd place in the Masters HM in Indianapolis. This spring she won W60 in Peoria with a 28:00 4 Mile.. Pamela Ricker ran a 22:41, a 21:18, and a 22:50 5k this Spring, Summer and Fall. She and Huff should have a good battle to see who gets silver and who gets bronze. It appears as if Gudmundsdottir, followed by Ricker, followed by Huff is a plausible finishing order.
Likely Podium Pucks in Alphabetical Order:
Hronn Gudmundsdottir Kris Huff Pamela Rucker
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. That gives me Glidewell then Sayre, then Keller.
Likely Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
John Glidewell Doug Keller Roger Sayre
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. 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. My best guess is Combs, followed by Musante, followed by Hinz.
Likely Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Patrice Combs Lesley Hinz Kitty Musante
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. After those two, the crystal ball is murkier. Perhaps it will come down to a race between Brian Cummins and Kevin Dollard. Cummins finished 4th in M70 at the Masters 10 Km championships in April with a 42:47 time.he ran 20:09 here in 2024 in his last year in the 65-69 division. Dollard was a bit behind Cummins in the 10k championships, clocking 43:18. Dollard was also 27 seconds behind Cummins at the 2024 5K championships. So let’s go with Becker-Linn-Cummins as a likely finishing order. This assumes Becker’s new pacemaker functions as well as it has in recent workouts.
Likely Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Rick Becker Brian Cummins Jim Linn
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. Margaret Taylor looks good for the Silver Medal. She has a 26:05 at the Macon Labor Day 5K and 27:03 at the Atlanta’s Finest 5k , on the course that hosted the 5 K championships in 2018 and 2019. Trenice Mullis Dubow looks a little stronger than Terry Ozell for third place. Dubow came in 4 minutes ahead of Ozell at a 4 Miler in May. Cary, followed by Taylor and then Dubow seems likely.
Likely Podium Pucks in Alphabetical Order:
Nora Cary Trenice Mullis Dubow Margaret Taylor
M75 Based on current entries and recent history, with Don Morrison added to the entry list leaves it a 2-runner duel for first between Morrison and Jerry Learned. In 2024, Learned finished third here 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 Allen Joyce finished sixth at 26:26. At the 10K Road Race at the WMA Indoor Championships in March, Joyce finished third American in 55:00. At the Masters 4 Mile Championships in June, Learned finished second in 29:41. Joyce was third in 33:47. Learned ran a very competitive race, finishing second in 6:41. Morrison has come back from a difficult first half of 2025. Just when he moved up to M75 and would have been at or near the top of the division, Morrison suffered a Cross Country skiing accident that knocked him out of commission for a bit. Just when he was back most of the way, he had a bout with Lyme Disease. But now he is really back. After running 46:38 at the 10K Championships, he ran 23:21 in a 5K at the end of June. He ran a 5 Miker in the 4th of July in 38:09. He dropped his 5K time to 21:49 at a 5k on October 11. It looks like Morrison is ready to roll to his first M75 national championship. After Morrison, Learned has a substantial advantage over Joyce. And in recent months I have not found a way to stay with Joyce. So the likely order is Morrison, Learned, Jovce Likely Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order: Allen Joyce. Jerry Learned. Don Morrison |
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.
Likely Podium Pucks in Alphabetical Order:
Kathleen Allen Norma Hudnall
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. Frame was the winner in the latest matchup with Nowicki so he gets the nod for 2nd: Rathjen - Frane -Nowicki.
Likely Podium Pucks in Alphabetical Order:
Jack Frame Przemek Nowicki Lynn Rathjen
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.
Likely Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Myrna Barnett Catherine Randle
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. Turner had the edge in their most recent matchup so Turner then Cormier is the resulting prediction.
Likely Podium Picks in Alphabetical Order:
Roland Cormier David Turner
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.
Likely Podium Pucks in Alphabetical Order:
Barbara Belanger Joyce Hodges-Hite
That is the in depth preview.
(I composed today’s entry on my I-phone because of unexpected laptop difficulties. So there are some stylistic inconsistencies. It also took longer than on my laptop so some entries are not as fully justified by reported races as I would like. It is clear there will be many hard fought duels and battles on the roads. National 5K champions will be crowned!
Sources: USATF Events website, my archives, Athlinks, Strava, and Facebook.
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Kudos to Paul's iPhone for meeting the challenge. Its tiny keyboard has held up wonderfully.
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