Welcome to my blog! I report on Masters Elite LDR. In addition to this current story previewing an upcoming race, you can find previews and 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. I cover other road races from time to time. 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.
December 6, 2025 The big switcheroo is on. Cross Nats in December and Clubs in January--Thank you World Athletics Cross Country Championships. USATF cannot have a Championship on January 11th and wait until early January to pick a team. So, this Saturday, Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland OR will host a bunch of races. It is Nike Cross Nationals Saturday with Runnerspace listing the two 5K events as:
10:05 AM Boys Championship Race 5 Km and 11:35 AM Girls Championship Race 5 Km.
In addition, USATF lists the following events for Saturday:
12:30 PM Men's 2 Km [Mixed Relay]
12:40 PM Women's 2 Km [Mixed Relay]
12:55 AM Men's 10 Km
1:50 PM Women's 10 Km
2:50 PM U20 Men's 8 Km
3:30 PM U20 Women's 6 Km
The reason to list all these is to show that the course will have 8 separate races, ranging from 2 Km to 10 Km, 48 Km in all, on Saturday, December 6th.
The Masters Championships are on Sunday, January 7th:
9 AM Masters Men 8 Km
10 AM Masters Women 6 Km
Note: All times are Pacific Time.
The weather forecast for Portland calls for light rain Thursday, Friday and Saturday with moderate rain on Sunday. This means that, as one runner put it, after 8 races the day before, the Master's races, and especially the Women's, will be 'a mosh pit!' Mud and rain gear will, likely, be the norm for the day! Temperatures are expected to be in the low 50's, with wind around 10 mph, gusting to 23 mph. In other words, it is classic Cross Country weather in the Pacific NW! Welcome to Portland in December! Last minute update--not much rain today, but steady light to moderate rain starting in the early hours on Sunday.
I have this synopsis of the course from someone who has spectated at several NXN races held on the same course. "I don't recall any cart path crossings and most of the course is flat and all grass. If memory serves me there are hills on the two fingers out past the 2k marker and 6k marker on the map (you'd do each twice on the 8k - you're going up fairways). Also, the final finish stretch has a tough series of short, steep terraces to climb." You can watch videos of any of the recent NXN championships to see for yourself.
***A huge shout out of thanks to Mike Scott for his dedicated efforts to record Masters Cross Country over the decades and to make the pictures widely available without charge. You will see many of his shots in this post.***
OVERALL RACES
WOMEN Carrie Dimoff Bowerman Track Club has had her way for the last two years at Masters Cross Country races. She won at Clubs in Tallahassee in December, 2023 in 21:17, and then again at Cross Nationals in Richmond VA a month later. Her 21:15 there beat back a challenge from Renee Metivier Team Red Lizard who finished second a half minute back. In Tacoma, Dimoff had it all her way again; she finished a half minute ahead of Jenny Kadavy HOKA Aggies that time. Metivier did not enter that race; Kadavy is not entered for Portland. In addition, we have AnnMarie Kirkpatrick Front Range Elite who won the 2022 edition of the Masters 5 Km Cross Country at Boulder CO in 19:21. Kirkpatrick ran in the Open race at Tacoma in 2024, clocking 23:11, about a half minute slower than Dimoff's time. It was also true that the Women's Open race followed three other races; the Masters Women enjoyed the first race, the least muddy race of the day.
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| Carrie Dimoff and Renee Metivier pulling the lead pack around the first loop of the 2024 USATF Masters Cross Country Championships in Richmond VA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
On the other hand, Dimoff ran much of the race on her own; Kirkpatrick was in the midst of the Open race, with ten runners finishing within a ten-second span. Dimoff knows this course; she won the Women's Community race at NXN last year in 19:09. Metivier has continued to ply her trade, finishing first Masters in the Women's race at the Sunapee Scramble [9.3 Miles Up & Down] this June, in 1:36:38. More recently, Metivier cooked a hot 16:52, finishing third overall and first Masters at the Sedona Turkey Trot 5K. In her most recent outing, Dimoff finished fifth overall and first Masters, in October, at the Portland Half Marathon with a 1:20:26 effort. Kirkpatrick just finished fourth overall and first Masters in the Fort Collins Turkey Trot [4 Miler] in 22:51. Note: Ft Collins is at 5003', Sedona at 4,360'.
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| Ann Kirkpatrick On Her Way to the Overall Gold Medal in the Women's Race at the 2022 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
All three appear ready for this meander through the mud! Kirkpatrick brings an added element of uncertainty to the outcome. With a third runner likely to be in the lead pack for much of the race, will that change the dynamic between Metivier and Dimoff? Dimoff is the champion until either Metivier, Kirkpatrick, or someone else knocks her off the top of the podium. Her three consecutive wins at Masters Cross Country Championships including two Club Championships, make her the favorite. But it is worth remembering that both Metivier [2022 Cross Nationals] and Kirkpatrick [2022 Masters 5 Km] own national Masters Cross Country championships. Still, Dimoff-Metivier-Kirkpatrick seems the most likely order of finish. it will be fun to see!
There are a few other entries who could make the overall race interesting. Gretchen Hurlbutt Boise Betties finished 1st W45 in 23:35 at Tacoma; Alison Crocker Red Lizard finished 5th W40 in 23:42. It is probably too much to hope that Hurlbutt could repeat the effort she made at Clubs in Spokane in 2018, when she finished second overall.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Carrie Dimoff Ann Kirkpatrick Renee Metivier
MEN One can hardly plop down a national cross country championships the other side of the mountains from Bend OR and think that Max King Unaffiliated, Bend OR would not take up the challenge! King was the architect of the challenging course for the 2016 and 2017 national cross country championships in Bend. Although on a golf course, that course was on the slopes of a cinder cone. In addition to his Gold medals at the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships and the 2014 IAU 100 Km World Championships, King also claimed gold at the 2010 NACAC Cross Country Championships and was a USA team member at World Cross Country championships.
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| Greg Mitchell sunglasses and Oscar Bauman #527 Tucked in Behind Jacques Sallberg ear muffs On the First Switchback at the 2016 USATF Cross Country Championships in Bend OR Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Apart from King, Neil McDonagh Square State Striders is probably the favorite. His first try at a national Masters cross country championship resulted in a 16:50 fourth place finish at the 2022 Masters 5 Km Championships in Boulder CO, not far from his home in Colorado Springs. A month later, McDonagh finished 7th in the odd XC race at SF Clubs that year, which amounted to laps around the Polo Grounds 'track'. In Richmond at 2023 Cross Nationals a month later, McDonagh chased Ben Bruce around the turf, finishing second.
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| Ben Bruce far left and Neil McDonagh far right leading the Men's Race on the first loop at the 2023 USATF Masters Cross Country Championships in Richmond VA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
At Tacoma Clubs in 2024, McDonagh had to chase World Mountain Running Champ, Joseph Gray, beating everyone except the winner. A month before, McDonagh had done the same in Boulder at the masters 5 Km XC, where he took the 2nd spot behind Gray. This November, in Golden Gate Park, near his childhood home, McDonagh almost pulled off the win, just failing to nip Malcolm Richards at the finish line. McDonagh has earned a Masters Overall gold medal. He won the 2024 USATF Masters Road Mile title at Danville on a technical course [8 turns, two of which had a rough spot due to construction]. His time of 4:31 would have been much faster on one of the few fast record-eligible courses, as at Indianapolis, Pittsburgh or Des Moines. McDonagh was not pressed, winning by more than six seconds! his July, In 2024, McDonagh cracked a 15:21 at attitude in the Cookie Chase 5K in Denver. That speed can come in handy! With the terraced finish and a likelihood of a muddy pitch, it is unlikely that a finishing kick can win it from way out. McDonagh will not be able to let King or anyone else pull far ahead.
Who else might factor into the race for the podium? Ian Batch Team Red Lizard; Adam Schroeder Club Northwest; Erik Teig Mill City Running; and perhaps Roosevelt Cook Cal Coast Track Club or Jeremy Parks Unaffiliated, Broomfield CO, from M45, have something to recommend them.
Batch has not run Cross Country recently but in 2021, he took 1st in M35 at the Stumptown Cross USATF Pac NW Championships. His recent road efforts have been impressive. In 2024, at age 38, Batch finished 7th overall and 1st in M35 at Carlsbad with a 15:12! Later, in December 2024, he clocked 2:25:40 at CIM, the California International Marathon. Had he been 40 instead of 39 at the time, it would have been good for 2nd Masters. In March of this year, Batch's 1:09:11 at the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Half Marathon, netted 6th place overall and 2nd in 35-39. He finished a minute and a half ahead of the top Masters finisher. Schroeder finished 13th at Tacoma last year in 35:20. The year before in Tallahassee, Schroeder finished 8th overall at Clubs. The only athlete who came in ahead of Schroeder in Tacoma, who is entered for Portland, is McDonagh. It is reasonable to think that Schroeder has a shot at the podium. He ran 2:31:31 at Boston in 2024.
Teig is a newcomer to Masters national championships. But he ran at Spokane in 2018, at the age of 35, in the Open Clubs Championships, finishing 151st of the 425 finishers, in 32:30. He has exhibited both endurance and speed on the roads. His 1:10:50 half marathon earned him a second-place Masters finish at Grandma's in June. A month before that he was the top Masters finisher at the Brian Kraft 5K in 15:23. He finished off the summer, in July, by claiming the Masters title at the USATF-MN Road Mile, the Hopkins Raspberry Run, in 4:29.0.
Cook has been a force on the roads. He claimed the Masters win at Carlsbad in both 2024 and 2025, in 15:15 and 15:05, respectively.. This fall he finished third overall in the Dino Dash 10K in 32:27 and took top Masters honors at the Dana Point Turkey Trot in 32:10. At the age of 46, Cook still has wheels! Cook has led his Cal Coast team into Clubs each December for the last four years. His best showing was in 2021 at Tallahassee when he finished 4th overall. He finished 12th at San Francisco and 6th at Tallahassee in 2022 and 2023 respectively. He was just outside the top twenty last year at Tacoma. Perhaps he learned something at that race that will help him to a good outing here on Sunday. Cook has not raced at C=ross Nationals as often. But he finished 2nd Overall to Jacques Sallberg in 2021 when Cross Nationals was close to home, in San Diego. Cook prepped by taking the win at the Masters race at the USATF So Cal XC Championships.
Parks is a wild card. At 48, Parks does not have blazing speed. Still, he finished 4th Masters at the Pearl Street Mile in 4:46. He turned it on over 10K though! He ran a nifty 33:21 to come in second Masters at the Bolder Boulder 10K this Memorial Day. The course has its challenges, and it is at altitude. That would have been well under sub-33 on a flatter course at sea level.
King's presence makes it difficult to pick anyone else. As one of King's rivals put it, "King is a Monster!" But I will guess that McDonagh could come home with his first national Masters Cross Country win. I will take a wild guess that King might come second, followed by Batch. It will be a terrific race; the others listed above will make it a tough race to win! And, as always, someone may fly in under the radar. The likely conditions may give runners from Oregon and Washington a larger than usual 'hometown' edge.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Ian Batch Max King Neil McDonagh
AGE DIVISION RACES
Men 40-44 The main contenders were discussed above in Overall. I have McDonagh and Batch as 1-2. Let me add Teig to make up the 40-44 podium.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Ian Batch Neil McDonagh Erik Teig
45-49 Cook, King and Parks all inhabit this division. With King my top pick, I can go with Cook for second and Parks, my wild card, for third. See above for details. Could Ben Mangrum Tacoma City Running Club break up that trio? You bet! He finished fourth in this division in Tacoma, thirteen seconds behind Cook, last December.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Roosevelt Cook Max King Jeremy Parks
50-54 A dozen years ago at Clubs in Bend OR, Lee Troop led Greg Mitchell Bowerman Track Club and Ulrich 'Uli' Steidl Seattle Running Club across the finish line to finish 1-2-3 overall. Unaffiliated that first year, Mitchell shortly thereafter donned the BTC colors winning Clubs overall at Lehigh in 2014. Troop is busy organizing races in Boulder CO now, but Mitchell and Steidl are here to contend for the 50-54 title. Julian Marsh West Valley Track Club, and his teammate, Todd Rose, will also be in the podium hunt. John Foster Tree City Track Club and Mitchell's Bowerman teammate, Ahrlin Bauman, could also make some noise. Mitchell is the favorite, not only based on his prowess as arguably the top Masters Cross Country runner i the mid 2010's, but on recent achievements. He won this division a year ago at Clubs in Tacoma, finishing at 35:58, almost a minute ahead of the field.
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| Greg Mitchell On His Way to the Overall Silver medal at the 2017 USATF Cross Country Championships in Bend OR Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Mitchell's speed is still impressive. He uncorked a 16:13 5K in Caldwell ID and bettered that with a 16:05 at the Bowerman 5K in July. Unlike Mitchell, Steidl's recent outings suggest he is not as sharp as Mitchell. He finished 25th in this division at Tacoma last December in 39:26. On the other hand he was 4th in the Masters race and won the division over 8K, this year, at the USATF-Pac NW Championships in 27:50. Marsh finished 4th last year at Tacoma in this division at 36:59. This spring he finished 2nd M50 at Carlsbad with a 16:45. Rose was twelve seconds behind Marsh last year at Tacoma. A top West Valley Cross Country ace for years, Rose bounced back at Golden Gate Park this November, finishing 2nd in the division, a half minute ahead of Marsh. Bauman was further back in the field at Tacoma, running 39:20. But it is well to remember that Bauman won the division at 2023 Cross Nationals in Richmond VA, over 8K, in 27:28. Foster comes in from Boise with a 16:53 5K at Caldwell, finishing 40 seconds behind Mitchell, and a 36:31 10K at the Famous Potato 10K in May. Mitchell looks likely to win. After that irt seems most likely that either Marsh and Rose will take the next two spots. Since Rose won their last duel in San Francisco, Rose gets the nod until Marsh comes in ahead. That gives me Mitchell-Rose-Marsh as a likely finishing order.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Julian Marsh Greg Mitchell Todd Rose
55-59 It seems likely that Emmet Hogan Club Northwest will lead the way. But Craig Godwin Bowerman Track Club, Ivan Lieben West Valley Track Club and Chuck Mullane West Valley Track Club will try to upset that apple cart. Hogan led the way, among this crew, at Tacoma last December, stopping the clock at 37:19.
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| Emmet Hogan orange singlet, Orrin Schumacher #1121, and Bryce Lighthall #1733 Negotiate a Muddy Bend at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Mullane was 47 seconds back. Godwin was 55 seconds behind Mullane at 39:00. Lieben did not compete at Tacoma last year. But both he and Mullane competed in the Masters 5 Km XC national championships at Golden Gate Park. Mullane enjoyed the M55 silver medal in 17:45. Lieben claimed bronze ten seconds later. Lieben ran a nifty 16:35 at the Oakland 5000M in June; in October he finished 2nd M55 at the national Masters 5 Km [road] championships in Atlanta. Lieben's relative fitness must be close to what he had in 2021 when he finished third M50 at Clubs in Tallahassee and second M50 at San Francisco Clubs in 2022. Mullane has not been as fast on the roads, turning in 17:13 and17:27 at the Carlsbad and Morgan Hill 5K's. It has been back and forth between Mullane and Lieben on the turf. Lieben bested Mullane at the UC Santa Cruz X-C race in the USATF-Pacific series. Godwin, who has been running with a heart condition for years, has been tough on the roads, both with speed and endurance. He clocked 16:58 at the Scandia 5K and 34:31 at the Corvallis 10K in late September. He lost some fitness after that from 'life getting in the way' but managed a 35:47 at a Turkey Trot a week ago. That gave him the confidence to jump into the race here in Portland 'just for fun' as his Facebook post indicated. Taking all of that into account it seems that Hogan-Mullane-Lieben is the most likely order of finish, unless Godwin has even more fun than he anticipated. Mullane-Lieben could go either way but with Mullane topping Lieben at G=G Park, Mullane gets the nod for this one.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Emmet Hogan Ivan Lieben Charles Mullane
60-64 The years 2024 and 2025 have been relatively challenging for the top runner in this division, Nat Larson Greater Springfield Harriers. In 2016 and 2021, when Peter Hammer was in the first year of the age division and Larson was in his last, Larson finished 2nd to Hammer at Club Cross. Apart from that, Larson won his division at Clubs every year through 2023. In 2024, Larson did some rehab work in the middle of the year but had recovered enough by the end of the year to give Steve Schmidt a real challenge at Club Cross in Tacoma, finishing second, ten seconds back. This year, Larson suffered a skiing accident over the winter. It took a long while to heal and then some time to regain fitness. It looks like Larson has again timed it well for Clubs. He won his division at the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta on November 1st, winning by 20 seconds over Rick Lee and 24 over Mark Zamek Twin Cities Running Company.
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| Mark Zamek #907 Tracking Nat Larson On the Forst Loop of the Men 60+ Race at the 2023 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Will Larson be able to start another string of Club Cross wins. We will not learn that until January, in this topsy turvy Cross Country season. But we will have an indicator on Sunday. His chief challenges should come from Zamek and Paul Smith Bowerman. Last year, Smith pulled the field through the first portion of the race, opening up a significant gap. But, eventually, Schmidt and Larson were able to close and pass. Smith finished third M60 five seconds behind Larson. Smith has done well in his recent road efforts, with division wins at the Bowerman 5K in 17:27 and the Sound to Narrows 12K in 46:26. Will Smith try the same tactic this year? Perhaps going out hard is his best strategy. Zamek has tried going out hard against Larson. It almost worked at 2024 Cross Nationals in Richmond VA. Larson did not close until the final kilometer. But Larson finished three seconds ahead of Zamek. In December of 2023 at Tallahassee Clubs, Zamek tried the tactic of glueing himself to Larson for as long as he could. That did not work either, as larson was eventually able to pull away and enjoy a 19-second win over Zamek. Zamek has had an up and down last few years, rehabbing various recalcitrant appendages. His recent workouts have gone well. With a permanent home in Minnesota now and a winter home in Arizona, much of Zamek's recent training has been in Arizona. In the last week he has posted on Strava that this will be the first race since WMA in March where he has been 'fully fit and not sick (hopefully). Of course, a couple of days later he posted, "Adductors recovering nicely. At some point I am hoping to get in shape." My guess is that Zamek will try his Tallahassee strategy and see if he can make ti work this time. Of course, if Smith takes it out hard again this time, Zamek might be tempted to go out with him and see if they can work together and stay ahead of Larson. It should be a fascinating race to watch. Are those the only three contenders? Scott Lacrosse SRA Elite cannot be ignored. At Tacoma he finished a good minute behind Smith, in 9th. But at Golden Gate Park last month in the 5K XC nationals, Lacrosse was just thirteen seconds behind Larson in 2nd. Can Lacrosse break up those three? perhaps! I will go with a likely order of Larson-Zamek-Smith but other permutations are certainly plausible.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Nat Larson Paul Smith Mark Zamek
65-69 Until a week ago, I expected to be writing about whether Dan King Athletics Boulder would have recovered enough from his non-running-related injuries to compete for the win in Portland. I received a note from King recently that said he is out for Portland but hopes to be ready for Tallahassee. King had won 65-69 at Tacoma last year but had finished 2nd to Kevin Ostenberg at Golden Gate Park last month. With King pulling out while continuing to rehab, and Ostenberg not entered, it looks like a different trio will contend for the win. Doug Keller Twin Cities RC, David Westenberg Greater Lowell Road Runners, and Ken Youngers Atlanta TC have the best shot at making the podium.
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| David Westenberg #436 with Ken Youngers red singlet a Few Strides Back on the First Loop in the Masters Race at the 2024 USATF Cross Country Championships in Richmond VA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Youngers finished second to King last year in Tacoma with a 33:32 effort. Keller was another minute back, with Westenberg, running for his team when not at his best, another minute back from Keller. But Westenberg finished 2nd in the division at Clubs in San Francisco and 3rd in Tallahassee Club Cross in 2023. He won the 2023 M65 championships at the Masters 10K national championships in 39:19 and repeated in 2024 with a 38:57 effort. Westenberg's 2025 has been an up and down affair. Still, with an 18:53 5K in October, Westenberg is getting back closer to his usual form. Youngers always runs hard but, in advance, it is hard to know if all his systems will cooperate. At Richmond Cross Nationals in 2024, his back gave out and he lost a few spots in the final half kilometer. There have been other challenges. When he is on, he is very tough, like when he won the 10K M65 Championship in 2023 with a sparkling 37:48. Youngers captured 2nd M65 at Clubs both at Tacoma last year and the year prior in Tallahassee. But Youngers was not at this best in Atlanta this past October, finishing fourth M65 in the 5K Championships, a good half minute behind Keller. Keller followed up his strong finish at Tacoma last December with very solid outings this year. He ran 18:44 at the Brian Kraft 5K and claimed M65 Bronze at both the 4 Mile national championships in Peoria and the 5 k Championships in Atlanta. I will go with a guess at a finishing order of Westenberg-Keller-Youngers. But if Youngers runs better than he did at Atlanta, he is capable of reversing that order. Keller's teammate, Paul Brown TC RC finished ahead of Wesenberg at Tacoma last year. If any of the projected top three run into problems, Brown could well wind up on the podium.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Doug Keller David Westenberg Ken Youngers
70-74 The top five look to be Shore Athletics Club teammates, Kevin Dollard, Harold Leddy, and Jim Linn battling Jack Pottle Boulder Road Runners, and Tomas Rodriguez Cal Coast TC, with Reno Stirrat Shore AC a wild card. At the recent 5 Km national championships in Atlanta, Linn, Dollard and Leddy finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in a six second span, from 21:12 to 21:18. Rick Becker, who finished ahead of them has a strained hamstring that forced him to take time off. He hopes to compete next in Tallahassee. Dollard and Linn finished together at Tacoma last year, both clocking 36:42, with Dollard 16th in M65 and Linn 3rd in M70.
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| Jim Linn Leading the M70 Way, with Doug Bell, Douglas Chesnut, and Reno Stirrat in the background at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boulder CO |
Pottle was 21 seconds back in 5th. Linn has generally had the edge over Pottle but Pottle did reverse the tables at the 4 Mile Masters national championships in Peoria in June, coming in a half minute ahead of Linn. They have not raced each other since then. There are no recent results for Rodriguez on Athllinks, but he finished 3rd M65 at 2022 Cross Nationals in San Diego, behind Jacob Nur and Becker. He captured 3rd in M70 at 36:35 the following year at Tallahassee. We will learn if he has that kind of relative fitness now on Sunday. Stirrat finished 11th last year at Tacoma. This year he was training for the Marine Corps Marathon for much of the middle of the year. But that did not end well when his hip flexor started acting up. His recovery has proceeded well but he has not risked any speed training. At Tallahassee Clubs in 2021, Stirrat finished 5th, right behind Rodriguez and Dollard. Two years later in Tallahassee, his last in the 65-69 division, his time would have been good for a top six in M70. It would be great to see Stirrat competing for a good placing in Portland. But we all hope to see him enjoy a full recovery and be going for the M70 podium at Tallahassee. The most likely order of finish seems to be: Pottle-Linn-Dollard. Since Pottle had the edge over Linn at their last meeting in Peoria, I place him in the #1 spot. But anything can happen and the conditions are likely to make a difference also.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Kevin Dollard James Linn Jack Pottle
75-79 Doug Bell Boulder Road Runners finished fifth last year at Tacoma in M70. This year he is in the 75-79 division here at Portland. He is the co-favorite, along with David Crawford Club Northwest who has not competed as much as Bell on the national stage but finished nine seconds ahead of Bell last year at Tacoma. Crawford ran a 1:39 and a 1:49 Half Marathon this year. He was first M75 across the finish line at the USATF-PACNW championships, well ahead of Northwest teammates Leslie Sharpe and David Longmuir, in that order.
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| David Longmuir red singlet On His Way to the M70 Win at the 2017 USATF +Club Cross Country Championships in Lexington KY |
Bell won M70 at the 2021 Tallahassee Clubs championships; he finished 6th M70 at Tallahassee in 2023. This year, Bell finished fourth M70 at the Masters Road Mile Championships in Indy in 6:25. He also finished 6th at the Four Mile Championships in Peoria. Longmuir won Clubs M70 at Lexington in 2017. But he does not have that kind of relative fitness now. He was five minutes behind Crawford at PAC NW and well over a minute back from Sharpe. Depending on how things shake out, Jerry Learned Atlanta and Doug Winn Bowerman could wind up slugging it out for the bronze medal. Winn, in M70 then, took the honors at Tacoma last year, finishing a good minute and a half before Learned, M75, did. But this November at Golden Gate Park, Learned enjoyed the edge, claiming M75 bronze with a 23:45, a good 90 seconds ahead of Winn. If part of the reason for Winn edging Learned in Tacoma was the mud and rain, that goes in favor of Winn on Sunday. If the results was doe to Tacoma being over 8 Km and SF over 5 km, that also argues for Winn, although the gap was large. Winn also came in a minute and a half ahead of learn8ed at the Masters 10 Km Championships in April. Based on the preponderance of evidence, I will go with Winn. But Learned is a fighter! it won't come easy! The pick between Crawford and bell is tough. Crawford won at their last meeting but I feel that Bell's experience might come into play and allow him to reverse the tables from last December. I will go with Bell-Crawford-Winn as the more likely finishing order. But other permutations seem almost equally likely. Learned could, of course, crack the podium.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Doug Bell David Crawford Doug Winn
80-84 Przemyslaw 'Przemek' Nowicki Shore AC and Jeffrey Dumas Boulder Road Runners are probably the top two runners entered for this division. Nowicki has had an up and down time of it over the last few years. He appears to be on the up end of things right now. Nowicki, the winner of the 2025 M80 Masters National Grand Prix finished 2nd M80 this April in the 10 Km Masters Championships with a 55:07. He followed that with an M80 win in the 4 Mile Championships in Peoria with a 35:51 and a 2nd place finish in the Road Mile at Indy. He finished third at the 5 km Championships in Atlanta.
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| Przemek Nowicki In Pursuit of Len Goldman -- On his Way to the M70 Silver medal at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Last December, in Tacoma, Nowicki finished second to Leonard Goldman in M80, only 21 seconds back. But Nowicki had an off day in San Francisco in early November, finishing 4th in M80 at the 5 km Masters XC, two and a half minutes behind Goldman. Goldman is not entered here, nor are any of his Tamalpa teammates. Probably Tamalpa decided to focus on Tallahassee. Dumas has two Boulder RR teammates and it is hard to know, for sure, what their relative standing is. Thomas Lemire has faster 5K and 10K times than Dumas. But at the 2024 Masters 5 km XC Championships in Boulder, Dumas finished fourth in M75, a good two minutes ahead of Lemire. William Repphun was a half-minute slower than Lemire at the Bolder Boulder 10K, clocking 57:04. It should be a real co8ntest! I will go with Nowicki over Dumas and Dumas over Lemire but other orders are certainly possible. If Repphun has a good day, he could wind up on the podium. Ed Bligh Atlanta is running well these days. He finished fourth in Atlanta just a minute and a half behind Nowicki. Bligh is very solid and could do well if anyone else runs into problems.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Jeffrey Dumas Thomas Lemire Przemyslaw Nowicki
85-89 Roland Cormier Shore AC is unopposed. He has not competed in any recent Club Cross championships. But he did finish 2nd in M80 at Tallahassee in 2021 and won M80 at the January 2020 Cross Nationals in San Diego.
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| Roland Cormier On His Way to M80 Gold at the 2020 USATF Cross Country Championships on the Mission Bay course in San Diego CA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Projected Winner:
Roland Cormier
Women 40-44 The projection for the overall podium was: Dimoff-Metivier-Kirkpatrick. All three are from this division so it is the same podium prediction for this division. Crocker is the athlete most likely to upset that prediction. See Overall analysis for details.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Carrie Dimoff Ann Kirkpatrick Renee Metivier
45-49 Gretchen Hurlbutt Boise Betties is the favorite. She won the division at Tacoma last year at 23:35. Seven years ago in Spokane, Hurlbutt walked away with the Overall silver medal from a 22:05 effort. Vivien Hyman Janes Elite, Jessica Hruska Crown Running, and Laura Breymann Club Northwest followed Hurlbutt across the finish line last December. Hyman finished 4th at 24:25. Just seven seconds back, Hruska finished 15th, one place and seven seconds ahead of Breymann. Those three were tightly matched last year with just 14 seconds between them. Run the race three times and there might have been three different finishing orders. Hyman finished sixth overall at Tallahassee in 2023 at 22:34. Hruska finished almost a minute behind Hyman.
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| Gretchen Hurlbutt white singlet Bides Her Time in the Lead Pack in the Early Going, with from left Meriah Earle, Maggie Shearer, and Kate Landau #1041 at the 2018 USATF Cross Country Championships in Spokane WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
That suggests an edge on the turf for Hyman. Hruska won the overall Masters title at the 4 Mille Championships in Peoria this past June with a 24:47 effort. Breymann prepped by winning W45 at the USATF PACNW Championships. There seems to be no compelling reason to think last year's order might not repeat itself: Hurlbutt-Hyman-Hruska. Breymann seems thoroughly capable of upsetting that projection and finishing on the podium. After those four, Cambria Wu Janes Elite is the contender most likely to move up.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Jessica Hruska Gretchen Hurlbutt Vivien Hyman
50-54 The top three contenders look to be: Carla McAlister Cal Coast, Holly McIlvaine Club Northwest and Ingrid Walters Janes Elite. McIlvaine and McAllister went 2-3 in this division last December in Tacoma at 25:08 and 25:27, respectively. Walters did not compete at Tacoma but is in the mix due to her recent road efforts and history at national XC championships. At Tallahassee in 2021, Walters finished 2nd W50 in 23:53. Walters finished further back the next year, 11th W50 at Clubs in San Francisco.
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| Ingrid Walters Leading World Record Holding Track Star, Michelle Rohl blue singlet, among others |
This November Walters ran 18:49 at the Dino Dash. McAlister did not run any recent fast 5K's that I can find. But she did turn in a nifty 10K effort, stopping the clock under 40 minutes at 39:14. The only recent results I can find for McIlvaine are on the turf. She won this division at the PACNW Championships. But neither of the others competed there. At Tallahassee in 2023, McIlvaine came in a minute and a half behind McAlister. But one could imagine McIlvaine was 'taking one' for the team. In San Francisco in 2022, McIlvaine, age 39, finished 10th in W45 in 24:16, finishing before either Walters or McAlister did. Based on that history, I will go with a likely finishing order fo McIlvaine-McAlister-Walters. Merlene Farrell finished 27 seconds behind McAlister at Tacoma last December. She finished just three seconds behind McIlvaine this November at the PAC NW XC Championships. If any of the first three do not show up with their 'A' game, Ferrell could vault past onto the podium.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Carla McAllister Holly McIlvaine Ingrid Walters
55-59 At Tacoma last year, Deborah Fletcher Club Northwest finished 10th W50 in 27:31. Thirty-four seconds later, Wendy Terris Team Red Lizard finished 7th in W55. Tania Fischer Janes Elite finished three seconds later in 8th. Jennifer Tobin Boise Betties merits consideration. She has not competed in any of the recent national Championships but she did finish 9th in W50 at age 54 in the 2022 San Francisco Club Championships.
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| Tania Fischer Runs Through the Snow Melt, Leading Her Janes Elite Team to W50+ Victory at the 2017 USATF Cross Country Championships in Bend OR |
She finished a half minute ahead of Fletcher, 52 seconds ahead of Fischer and a full minute ahead of Terris. It is hard to gauge her current fitness. In December 2024, she ran a 44:19 6-Miler, roughly equivalent to a 45:54. Fischer's 21:28 at the Dino Dash in November suggest she has more current road speed. Fletcher matches that with a 21:27 5K in May. Terris, like Tobin, has no recent road race results. Even though Terris has no recent evidence to bolster her candidacy, I will stick with last year's order in Tacoma as the likely order on Sunday: Fletcher-Terris-Fischer. Even though there were only a few seconds between them, it appears that conditions will provide something of a home course advantage for Terris. That may be enough. Will Tobin be able to recapture her 2022 form? If so she could break up that threesome!
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Tania Fischer Deborah Fletcher Wendy Terris
60-64 After skipping the Masters 5 km XC Championships in San Francisco last month, Suzanne La Burt Shore AC has entered these championships. She skipped last month's frace to complete rehab on a pesky plantar fascitis issue. Trained up again, La Burt seems ready to compete for the win. That is exactly what she did one year ago in Tacoma when she finished first in 26:05, fifty-one seconds ahead of Patricia Bellan.
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| Suzanne La Burt Surges Up to the Finish and the W55 Silver Medal at the 2023 USATF Cross Country Championships in Richmond VA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Even though Bellan is not entered here, that ordering is significant because Bellan took the W60 win at the Masters 5 km XC last month. The top finisher from that contest entered here is La Burt's teammate, Pamela Ricker, who finished 3rd W60, a good minute behind Bellan. Michelle Neal Club Northwest and Ramona Young Santa Cruz TC, who are entered here, were the highest finishers otherwise. But both finished a good two minutes behind Ricker. Margi Bell Prado Racing is the runner entered here who finished closest to la Burt last year inn Tacome. Bell finished 5th in W55 with a 27:25, only 80 seconds behind La Burt. Neal finished almost three minutes behind Bell. Eileen Brennan-Erler Impala Racing and Kris Huff Atlanta both finished ahead of Neal last year in Tacoma and could break onto the podium if it is their day. It looks like the most likely order of finish is La Burt-Ricker-Bell.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Margi Bell Suzanne La Burt Pamela Ricker
65-69 Trisha Kluge Ideal performance Athletics won W65 at Tacoma last December by over a minute. That could make her the favorite. But neither Joanie Siegler Golden Valley Harriers nor Jennifer Teppo Team Red Lizard, who went 1-2 in San Francisco at the Masters 5 Km XC last month were at Tacoma. Siegler finished a minute and fourteen seconds ahead of Kathi Sleavin, who competed at both races.
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| Jennifer Teppo #1055 Pushes In the Early Stages to Run with the 40+ Athletes On Her Way to the W60 Gold medal at the 2018 Club Cross Country Championships in Spokane WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Sleavin finished a minute and 35 seconds behind Kluge at Tacoma over 6 Km. So the margins of victory are comparable. But at San Francisco in 2022, Siegler took the W65 win, running a minute and a half faster than Sleavin who ran almost two minutes faster than Kluge. No doubt that was an off day for Kluge. But I recognize Siegler for having on days for both San Francisco in 2022, San Francisco in 2025. Teppo won the W60 championship in Spokane Clubs in 2018. But she was25 seconds behind Siegler last month. Based on those data, I will go with Siegler-Kluge-Teppo as a likely order of finish. Other than those three, Gail Hall seems most likely to make a dash for the podium. She won W65 at the PAC NW XC Championships last month in 27:09.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Trisha Kluge Joanie Siegler Jennifer Teppo
70-74 To my astonishment, and theirs too, probably, Susan Stirrat Shore AC and Helene Myers Potomac Valley TC are the only two entrants in this division. The drawing power of Cross Nationals is never as strong as Cub Cross. But it seems surprising that no one from Red -Lizard, Northwest, or Impala out of San Francisco would enter. Stirrat is typically several minutes faster than Myers. The likely order of finish is Stirrat-Myers.
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| Susan Stirrat On Her Way to the Bronze W65 Medal at the 2023 USATF Cross Country Championships in Richmond VA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
Stirrat finished second in the W65 Masters National Grand Prix last year and Meyers second in W70. Both will be happy to pocket some early points.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Helene Myers Susan Stirrat
75-79 Jeanette Groesz Red Lizard is dominant on the turf. She won W70 at San Francisco in 2022 and repeated at Tallahassee in 2023. Last year in Tacoma she won W75. Her victory margins in 2023 and 2024 were over four minutes. The margin in 2022 was smaller, just 1:19, because Marathon Record holder, Jeannie Rice, was in the field. No one of that caliber is entered here and Groesz should win again by a wide margin.
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| Jeaneette Groesz, W75, Leading Donna Grocki, W65. Groesz was on her way to the W75 Gold Medal at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
All of the entrants in this field competed at Tacoma. Arlene McCarthy Impala Racing was the only runner apart from Groesz, in this field, to break 40' last December. She seems likely to claim second. Irene Herman Impala Racing, known perhaps more for her administrative and leadership skills than her running, is, nonetheless, a strong competitor. It is closer between Herman and Kathleen Allen Atlanta. But Herman did finish almost two minutes ahead of Allen. That seems a large enough margin to conclude that the edge goes to Herman. That yields a likely finishing order of Groesz-McCarthy-Herman, with Allen pushing to break that trio up and land on the podium.
Top Podium Contenders in Alphabetical Order:
Jeanette Groesz Irene Herman Arlene McCarthy
80-84 No entries.
85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite Atlanta, the winner of the last three W85 Masters National Grand Prix titles, finds herself the only entrant.
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| Joyce Hodges-Hite Sets Out on Her W85 Gold medal Jaunt at the 2023 USATF Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in Boca Raton FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott |
She will need to finish the race, but she can take her time and collect the win.
Projected Winner:
Joyce Hodges-Hite
AGE GRADING CONTEST
Women At Tacoma last year, Jeanette Groesz and Suzanne la Burt finished 1st and 2nd in age grading. Trisha Kluge was ninth. At San Francisco last month, Joannie Siegler and Jennifer Teppo finished 2nd and 4th, with Pam Ricker ninth. Renee Metivier is one of the few top runners competing on Sunday who did not compete at Tacoma last year or San Francisco last month. But there is little reason to think she would outpoint Dimoff by much in age grading and Dimoff is a long shot for the top five. Siegler and Groesz seem almost sure to be on the podium. Siegler came in ahead of Groesz at San Francisco in 2022. Although, arguably, that could be considered a home course for Siegler but not Groesz while the course in Portland might be more of a home course for Groesz. That could be an equalizer. La Burt and Teppo seems likely to battle for the final podium spot. La Burt scored 86.65 at Tacoma last year; Teppo was at 86.64 at San Francisco last month. A slight nod goes to La Burt because conditions in San Francisco last month were much more conducive to good times than they were in Tacoma.
Men At Tacoma last year, Nat Larson, Greg Mitchell, Emmet Hogan, and Neil McDonagh scored between 83.11 and 83.34. Ken Youngers was only 0.2 percentage points behind McDonagh at 82.90. Scores for San Francisco were higher due to the good conditions. Larson outpointed lacrosse by two percentage points. McDonagh was 0.3 percentage points behind Lacrosse. Todd Rose was almost a full percentage point behind McDonagh. When Mark Zamek was closer to larson , as may be the case on Sunday, his age grading score was higher. He finished 5th to Larson's 2nd that year, with Youngers in 8th. If David Westenberg comes in with relative fitness similar to San Francisco 2022 or Tallahassee 2023, he could break into the top five. Larson has to be the favorite for the win, with both Rick Becker and Dan King out on rehab.
TEAMS
It is hard to say much about teams in advance because I do not know how Captains will organize their teams. Who will actually show up and be sharp? Will a Captain choose to drop someone down from 50's or 60's to a lower division?
General Impressions--
MEN M40+ Declare 9, score 5 The top 40's team will likely be Team Red Lizard. They have a solid group of seven from 40-44 and 45-49. Club NW starts out with three legitimate 40-44 guys. But then they have to bring Emmet Hogan down from M55. They do not lose much there. But then they have to decide if they are willing to weaken their 60+ team in order to get the 5th athlete they would need for M40+. Central Oregon has the horses, with six athletes from 40-44 and 45-49. They do not quite match up with Red Lizard. They are likely to finish either second or third, depending on what strategy Northwest adopts. Bowerman could only make up a 40's team by decimating their 50's team, which seems highly unlikely. Cal Coast could very likely% throw all of their athletes into M40+. Or they could keep a small number of their elder statesmen out to field a 70+ team along with a 5-athlete 40+ team.
M50+ Declare 9, score 5 This will feature a real battle between Bowerman and West Valley. Both have substantial strength and want to win this one for bragging rights. This is the team race to watch!
M60+ Declare 5, score 3 The Greater Springfield Harriers finally have their core runners over 60. With Larson, Hixson, Grandfield, Heuck and Burdett, they have a strong team. Bowerman and Club Northwest will field teams to defend the Pacific NW turf. But they do not appear to have the strength to do so. Those two will have a good battle for podium positions but Springfield should win with a good margin. Lester Dragstedt and Ken Youngers lead a solid Atlanta team. They cannot match up with Springfield but have a good shot at claiming the silver medals. I just noticed that Mark Zamek is listed with his old Shore AC affiliation. I assume that is a mistake. He ran for Twin Cities Running all this year. Assuming that gets corrected, TC Running can make some noise in the 60+ team race. With Zamek, Keller and Brown, they will give Atlanta and the Northwest teams all they can handle.
M70+ Declare 5, score 3 This team championship is also highly contested. Shore has a good shot at the win. Assuming Linn and Dollard run their usual strong races and either Leddy or Stirrat can stay close, they should win. If they pack up like they did in Atlanta, Boulder can only beat Shore if Pottle can come in a good chunk ahead of all the Shore guys, a tall, but not impossible order. Club Norhwest will try to derail those efforts but will have a tough time. If Cal Coast fields a 70+ team, rather than declare everyone for 40+, they probably still do not have the streng0th to make the podium. It doesn't mean they wouldn't love to try!
M80+ Declare 5, score 3 Only the Boulder Road Runners have three athletes in their 80's. If they are declared as a team and all three finish, they will win this division.
WOMEN W40+ Declare 5, score 3 It looks like Club Northwest, Red Lizard, and Santa Barbara Running and Racing will contest this division. With Metivier, Crocker, Vail and Shaw, Red Lizard will be tough to beat. With Liu and Mandi out of 40-44 and Breymann from 45-49, Northwest should be strong enough for the silver medals, leaving bronze for Santa Barbara.
W50+ Declare 5, score 3 With Mcllvaine, Saam and Puzon, Club Northwest likely has the power to take this division. But the Janes could surprise, especially if Walters is on. Her sub-19:00 5k suggests she could be a force on the turf. With Twist and Fischer providing solid support they could just make it work. If Team Red Lizard drops Teppo down form the 60's division to join up with Seibel and Terris, they are not far off from the other two. Most likely it will wind up with Northwest taking a close win over Janes and Red Lizard in that order. But it is definitely not a sure thing. The Impalas will probably contest this division with a hybrid team of Wahl from 50-54, Longworth and Shore from 55-59 and Brennan-Erler from 60-64. That might not land them a podium finish but if not, they are likely to be close.
W60+ Declare 5, score 3 Club Northwest and Shore will contest the division. Northwest is probably tight enough and strong enough for the win. But it will likely be close. La Burt gives Shore an edge in the first slot and Ricker should be competitive. If Nowicki, who is running much more strongly than in the past, can keep somewhat close, she could make the difference. Atlanta could also contest 60+, but only if they drop down their 70+ runners. They would likely finish third.
W70+ Declare 5, score 3 With McCarthy, Herman and Williams, the Impalas should take the win over Atlanta's Allen, McCarter, and Hodges-Hite, dropping down from 85-89.
That is it for the preview. All the best to the competitors on Sunday! May the rain fall lightly if it falls and may the ground be mud-luscious if it is muddy!
Sources: USATF Events website, my archives, Athlinks, Strava, Wikipedia, and Facebook.
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