2025 USATF Masters National Grand Prix Mid-Season Review

September 2, 2025. The 2025 Individual Grand Prix is based on points earned at seven USATF Masters national championships and a non-stadia event at the WMA Indoor Championships. Points from the best 5 events are totaled. A minimum of three races is required for an award. Points start at 100 and decline to 95 for second, 90 for third and so on down to 5 points for finished in 20th or below. The top three finishers are awarded Grand Prix plaques; the next twelve receive certificates.

The championships in the books, as of August 29th, include the 2024 Club Cross Country Championships, Tacoma WA, December 14 (Club Cross); and 2025 Championships: USATF Cross Country Championships, Lubbock TX, January 11 (Cross Nationals); 10 Km Championships, Dedham MA, April 27; 4 Mile Championships, Peoria IL, June 14; and 1 Mile Championships, Indianapolis IN, June 21. A sixth score for individuals comes from either the Cross Country (WMA Cross) or the 10 Km Road Race (WMA 10K) at the WMA Indoor Championships Gainesville FL March 16-30.  Points for WMA are assigned according to finishing place among US competitors. 

As with the Individual GP, points are awarded based on finishing position at USATF National Road and Cross Country Championships. No Team points are awarded at WMA, so no team points can be earned at those championships. A minimum of three races is required for an award. Points start at 100 and decline to 90 for second, 80 for third and so on down to 60 points for fifth. After that they decline to 55 for sixth, 50 for fifth and so on down to 5 points for 20th or below. There are cash awards for the top three teams and a clubhouse banner goes to the GP Winner.

There are two opportunities left to score: Masters 5 Km Championships, Atlanta GA, October 19 and Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships, (Masters 5 km XC) San Francisco CA, Nov 1. The pressure is on!

Masters Individual Grand Prix Point assignment is 100-95-90, etc. 

LOCKED UP 

W65 Suzanne Cordes has locked up the W65 GP win! Fifth last year, Cordes has 465 points from five events. She was top American at the WMA XC after winning Cross Nationals. She added a second place at the 4 Mile, third at the 1 Mile and fourth at the 10K. 

Suzanne Cordes claiming the W65 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

Susan Stirrat, a stalwart for her team, and 4^th in the W65 GP last year, has also competed in five events and sits in second at 335 points. Stirrat is likely to compete in added events. If she does, Stirrat carries her points into the W70 division. If she is not needed for team points, she might do better in the GP by remaining in W65.  Patrice Combs has 200 GP points from wins at Dedham and Peoria. Kitty Musante and Mireille Silva are in 4^th and 5^th with 185 and 165 points respectively. With Stirrat likely moving up to W70, Musante and Silva will battle Combs for the podium spots. It looks like the battle for 2nd and 3rd will go down to the wire! 

W85 Joyce Hodges-Hite won the division with a perfect 500 points in 2023 and won again last year, with 395 points. This year, Hodges-Hite has the Grand Prix locked up with another perfect 500 point-year. 

Joyce Hodges-Hite  toughs it Out to get yet another W85 win, this time at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

She has five wins from two cross country and three road championships! No one else is in contention. 

M45 2023 was David Angell’s first GP win in the M45 division, after winning M40 from 2017-2019. He won it last year with 480 points. Angell has locked up the M45 GP win this year with 430 points. He earned first place points at the WMA 10K and the 4 Mile Championships. It is a ‘three-peat’ for Angell! Will he get to four in a row next year? 

David Angell leads the Men's Pack out from the start, on his way to an Overall, and M45, Win at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic
 

Trevor Pettingill is in second place, highlighted by a win at Cross Nationals. David Ferrugia and Adrian Herrera are in 3^rd and fourth place, with 165 and 150 points respectively. Ferrugia earned second place points at the WMA 10K and Herrera had a fifth place showing at Cross Nationals. 

M80 From age 75 to 79, Przemyslaw ‘Przemek’ Nowicki was a regular 'top five' finisher in the Grand Prix. After aging up to M80 in 2024, he finished second. This year, Nowicki has locked up the GP win with a total of 480 points! He finished second at Tacoma and earned first place points at WMA. Nowicki finished things off in style with second place in the 10K, a win in the 4 Mile and a close second in the 1 Mile Championships. 

Przemek Nowicki braved a chill, rainy day to claim the M80 silver medal at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Morris Williams has 290 points from four events, including second place points at WMA Cross and a third place at the 1 Mile Championships in Indy. Jack Frame got started late but picked up wins at Dedham and Indy to stand at 200 points, in third place. He has already entered the 5K in Atlanta. If Frame also runs in San Francisco, he can pass Williams and move into second, but Nowicki is out of reach. Len Goldman earned 100 points from his win at Tacoma but is unlikely to run in another race other than the Masters 5 Km XC in San Francisco. Jan Frisby earned 85 points at Tacoma but a heel problem has sidelined him since then. If Paul Carlin (That's me!) should compete at the Masters 5Km XC Championships in Golden Gate Park on November 1st, I would age up to this division and would bring 310 points plus whatever points I might earn in Atlanta (in M75) into M80. I could not catch Nowicki but would likely factor into the race for #2 and #3 in the M80 GP. See analysis of M75 below.

ALMOST LOCKED UP. 

W60 Suzanne La Burt got the GP win in 2023 on a tie-breaker over Mary Cass. The following year it was La Burt winning with a perfect 500 points over Cass's 480. They are at it again! La Burt has 390 points from four events, including the gold medal at WMA Cross and wins at Club Cross and the 10K. Mary Cass has 280 points from those same three events, where she finished behind La Burt. It is La Burt’s to lose. She can lock it up by winning one of the final two events. It looks like another 1-2 finish for La Burt and Cass. 

Suzanne La Burt white Shore AC singlet-center toughing it out on a windy day as she won the W60 Division at the 2024 USATF National Club Cross Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Leslie Nowicki is third with 270 points from five events. There are two rivals who could edge her for third yet. Pamela Ricker, in fourth, has 235 points on three events. Kris Huff, who has finished ahead of Nowicki and Ricker at a race this year, is fifth with 230 points. Huff will, almost surely, race in the 5K championships in her hometown of Atlanta. Whether she would race in San Francisco is unknown.

W70 Cynthia Lucking and Helene Myers have competed in all six events held so far. Lucking leads with 470 points from her top five scores, highlighted by wins at Cross Nationals and the 1 Mile. Myers is second with 425 points. Second place at Cross Nationals and the 4 Mile were her highest scores. Lucking has finished ahead of Myers at each race. But if Lucking did not compete in either of the two final races, and Myers won them both, Myers could pass her. Lucking needs one more podium finish to lock up the GP win. 

Cindy Lucking started her journey to a possible 2025 Masters National W70 Grand Prix Win by enduring challenging conditions at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA in December. Photo posted on C Lucking's Facebook account. 

Nora Cary, the W65 winner with a perfect 500 points last year is in W70 this year. Cary started out like gangbusters, winning the WMA 10K and the 10 Km Championship the next month. An injury sidelined her; she cannot catch the leaders. Donna May is currently fourth with 195 points from second place points at the WMA 10K and a win at the 1 Mile Championships. As noted above, Susan Stirrat will likely move up from W65 by competing at either Atlanta or San Francisco. She brings 335 points from five events and will compete for a GP podium finish in this division. If she runs at the two remaining events, Stirrat will top 400 points, no doubt.

W75 Andrea McCarter has won this GP division for the last three years. Kathleen Allen has the lead at present, ahead of her teammate, McCarter, 385 to 335. Both have four events. Allen’s total includes wins at Dedham and Peoria, and second place at Indianapolis. If Allen runs at Atlanta and comes in ahead of McCarter, as she did at Peoria and Indianapolis, she locks up the win. Jo Anne Rowland is in third with 195 points from a win at Lubbock and a second at Tacoma. Rowland is likely to run in San Francisco, her home base. Rowland could win but only if Allen and McCarter skip the final two events. Rowland could finish second if she competes in both and McCarter skips one. Otherwise, it is likely to be Allen, McCarter and Rowland in that order.

M40 Joseph Gray has 400 points from Club Cross, Cross Nationals, Gainesville, and Dedham. With one more win, he can achieve a perfect 500-point GP championship. If he does not win the event, he would still, almost surely, win the GP championships. If Gray passes on the final two events, he could still win the GP. 

Joseph Gray leading the Masters Men's field on his way to the Overall Win at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott

The only athlete who can catch him is Bryan Hendricks, who has 230 points from four events. Hendricks would need 180 points from the final two events to get to 405 points. If Gray maxes out at his current 400 points and Hendricks scored those 180 points, he would edge Gray for the Grand Prix win. Hendricks is followed by Chuck Terry, Chris Brown, and Ben Lundell, with 170, 165 and 155 points respectively. Terry and Brown each need one more event to qualify for an award. Lundell has thee three events needed already. Thos three will battle for third place.

M55 John McMahon won the M55 GP in 2022. Scott Siriano won it in 2023 and 2024. Christopher Harris challenges for the win this year. He has 400 points from five events, highlighted by a win at the Masters 10K Championships and second place finishes at Peoria and Indianapolis. Siriano has 400 points from five events as well, highlighted by a second place at Lubbock and second place points at the WMA 10K. But Harris has come in ahead of Siriano at the three events where they have met this year. Even if Siriano would win the last two events, the highest total he could achieve would be 460 GP points. Harris seems almost certain to run in his hometown of Atlanta in October. If he finishes third or better at Atlanta, his total rises to 470 and no one can catch him. 

Christopher Harris claims the M55 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

McMahon is third, with 305 points from four events, highlighted by a third at Peoria, a fourth at Indy and fifth place points at WMA Cross. He could still win it, but not if Harris finishes third or higher on his home roads in October. It seems more likely that he will battle Siriano for second in the GP. Frank Zoldak has beaten all three of those in front of him at one race or another. But he has competed in just two events. He finished second at Tacoma and won in Peoria. Even if Zoldak competed in the two final events, he could not challenge for a higher GP finish than third. John Prineas and Michael Mallon, with 170 and 160 points, from two events each, could also factor into the contest for top three in the GP.

M60 Despite being acknowledged as one of the top distance runners in his division, Mark Zamek's best Grand Prix showing was in 2019 when he finished second in M55. Zamek is positioned to end that drought this year; he claimed the WMA 10K gold medal and won at Cross Nationals. He added second place at the 4-Mile and 1-Mile championships for 460 points. He finished seventh at Club Cross when not at his best. If Zamek runs in one more championship and finishes fourth or higher, he puts the GP win in this highly competitive division out of reach at 475 points. 

Mark Zamek claiming the Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

It is already out of reach for everyone but Scott Grandfield, currently third with 280 points from three events. He earned first place points at the WMA 10K and enjoyed third place finishes at Dedham and Indy. If Grandfield runs in the last two events, finishing second or first in both, he would pass the 460-point mark. If Zamek passed on the final two events, Grandfield would win. Lester Dragstedt is currently second at 370 points from five events. His maximum possible score is not as high as that for Zamek and Grandfield but it is close. He cannot win but he could pass Grandfield for second. Little is certain in this contest. Dale Flanders and his teammate, Mike Nier are tied for fourth at 260. If they compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco, both could be in the hunt for second or third in the GP.

M65 When he turned 65, Roger Sayre won the 2023 Grand Prix title. Last year, Sayre battled to a three-way tie, on points, at 475, with David Westenberg and Ken Youngers. Sayre and Westenberg shared the top prize on a tie-breaker with Youngers. Dan King has been focused on breaking records since he turned 65. He has also decided to make a run for the M65 GP win. King leads the GP this year with 400 points from wins at Club Cross, Cross Nationals, and the 4-Mile and 1-Mile championships. 

Dan King on his Way to M65 Gold with three top M60 Athletes at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Roger Sayre is just ten points back, from first place points at the WMA 10K and a win in the 10K championships, along with second-place finishes at two other events. If Sayre would enter the final two events and win both, he would top out at 495.

Roger Sayre sprinting to the Finish Line and the M65 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

 If King runs in at least one and wins it, his total rises to a perfect 500 and Sayre would be just short. Casey Hannan is in the third GP spot with 370 points from four events. Doug Keller is fourth with 260 points from three events; he could challenge Hannan for the GP third.

M85 Roland Cormier has a commanding lead with 390 points from four events, including wins at the 10K, 4-Mile, and 1-Mile. David Turner is second in the GP with 200 points from wins at Club Cross and WMA Cross. If Cormier races at either of the final two races and finishes 18^th or higher, he closes out the GP win at 405 points. 

Roland Cormier showing some Young Fellows How it's Done as he heads for the Finish Line and the M85 Gold Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

If not, Turner could claim the GP title by winning M85 in his hometown of Atlanta and winning on the road in San Francisco. Adrian Craven won the M85 GP in 2023 with 300 points. Craven is currently in third with 180 points from two events. He looks likely to hold onto that spot if he and Turner both compete in Atlanta in October.

GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE. 

W40 The leaders are tightly bunched, all with two of the three scores necessary for an award: Karen Bertasso 185; Alison Crocker 175; Chelsea Lenge Warren 175; Lauren Davis 165; and Jennifer Lutz 160. Two others, with just one event, bear watching, Katie Sherron 100 and April Lund 95. Bertasso leads from her third place WMA 10K points and her second place at the 10K Championship. Crocker scored points at Club Cross and Cross Nationals. Lenge Warren scored at Club Cross and WMA Cross. Davis finished third at Indy and added a sixth at Dedham. Lutz finished third at Dedham and seventh at Tacoma, arguably the two toughest events at which to score GP points. 

Jennifer Lutz right receiving congratulations from the winner on her Bronze Medal Overall (and W40) Performance at the 2025 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships Hosted by the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA Photo Credit: Boston Running Scene/Mark Mathis

On the other hand, Lund and Sherron are the two strongest runners in this group. If either competes at both Atlanta and San Francisco, she will shoot up the GP table and could vie for first place in the GP. 

W45 Alicia Martinez, third last year, leads with 265 points from three events. She earned third place points at the WMA 10K, finished fourth at the 4 Mile and third at the 1 Mile championships. 

Alicia Martinez finishes fourth in W45 at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

Dana Hayden is second, with 190 points from two events. Hayden finished second at both the 4 Mile and 1 Mile championships, well ahead of Martinez. Vanessa Lordi, W40 GP winner in 2018 and runner-up in 2019, is currently third, at 180 points, from a third place at Peoria and a fourth place at Indianapolis. Katie Famous, the W45 10K Champion, currently fifth with 120 points, could factor into the race for the GP podium. She is likely to compete in the Masters 5 km Championships, in her home area. Famous would also need to compete in Atlanta to get the minimum three races required for an award. Martinez faces a 'Catch 22.' She can compete to acquire more points, but once she scores in an event after her 50th birthday, she moves up, with her points, to W50. Martinez apparently ages up to W50 if she competes at either event this fall. She can pass on the last two events and hope her 265 points holds up in W45. If she chooses to compete, there is no guarantee she would finish better in W50, which is more competitive this year. Martinez's 265-point total would have her in third place in W50.

W50 Abby Dean, the W50 GP winner in 2022 and 2023, leads at 380 points from four events, including wins at Cross Nationals and the 4 Mile. 

Abby Dean, across the finish line with a W50 Win at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

Hortencia Aliaga is second at 280, from three events. She earned second place points at WMA Cross and finished 2nd at the 1 Mile Championships, and third at the 10K Championships. Aliaga finished ahead of Dean in Dedham, their only head-to-head meeting. Jennifer Rodriguez and Jennifer St. Jean each have 200 points from two wins. Rodriguez claimed the gold medal at the WMA 10K and also won the 4 Mile Championship. St. Jean won at Club Cross in Tacoma and at the 1 Mile in Indianapolis. Either, or both, could move up by competing in the last two events. 

W55 Amy McMahon leads with 355 points from four events, including second place points from WMA Cross, and the 4 Mile. Cassandra Crane is second in the GP with 335 points from five events, highlighted by second place points at the WMA 10K and third place at the 4 Mile Championship. Brenda Osovski is third with 240 points from three events, highlighted by fourth place points at the WMA 10K and a fourth place finish at the 4 Mile Championship. Others to watch include Jennifer Harvey and Kimberly Aspholm, currently fourth and fifth in the GP with 190 and 185 points respectively. Harvey finished second at Club Cross and the 1 Mile. 

Jennifer Harvey left, bib #1183 leading a pack of top 50's and 60's athletes on her way to a W55 Silver Medal Performance at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Aspholm claimed the win at Dedham and finished fourth at the 1 Mile championship. They have room to move up if they compete in additional events. If McMahon would compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco, she is a lock for the W55 GP title. 

M50 This GP division has been strongly contested in the past, but that is not the case this year. Six athletes have two events; no one has three. In 2022, the winner had to defeat an athlete with 455 points for six events. Gregory Putnam's 465 took the GP win with a ten-point winning margin. If none of the following run one additional event or more, we likely have no M50 Champion.  Robb Awe leads the way; his 4-Mile win in Peoria pairs with his fourth-place finish in Indy for 185 points. 

Robb Awe Captures the M55 Win at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

Jason Newport is 15 points behind Awe. His points come from a third-place finish in Peoria and a fifth place in Indianapolis. Richard Falcone is third in the GP at 130 points, highlighted by a fourth place at the 10K Masters championships. Ahrlin Bauman has 105 points; he earned first place points at WMA Cross. Joe Silliman's 80 points have his sixth-place finish at the One Mile championships as a highlight. Frederick Dolan, the M50 GP winner last year, has seen limited action this year. He has 75 points from a seventh at Lubbock and had just participation points at Club Cross, most likely due to some kind of injury where he was running just for team points. Awe, Newport, and Falcone have the inside track for the win. 

M70 Rick Becker won the division crown at Club Cross and Cross Nationals. Then he captured the Gold medal at WMA Cross. His training was going well; he was entered for the 4-Mile Championships. Everyone expected him to win it and climb to 400 points. Three weeks before the 4-Mile championships, Becker suffered a shoulder injury from a bike crash. He was starting to make progress but then ran into an arrythmia problem that required a pacemaker to be installed in August.  He is training now again but it is an open question as to whether he can be competitive at Atlanta and San Francisco. If he is done at 300, Becker will not make the GP podium. If he can compete at close to full fitness in the 5K and Masters 5K XC, he could win the GP with 500 points. No one would be likely to bet against Becker getting the GP win. But there are six other athletes with 360 or more points vying for the title. Jack Pottle has the overall GP lead with 460 points from five events. Pottle has a win in the 4-Mile and added second place points at Cross Nationals and WMA Cross. 

Jack Pottle gets the M70 Win at the 2025 USATF Masters National Four Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic

Apart from a Becker come-back, the biggest threat to a Pottle GP win is James Linn, currently in third with 380 points from four events. Those points include a 1-Mile win and second-place finishes in the 10K and 4-Mile. Scott Lucking, with 425 points from six events is second in the GP now. His highlights include second place points at the WMA 10K and third-place finishes at the 4 Mile and 1 Mile championships. Doug Bell is in fourth place with 370 points from six events. Bell graduates to M75 next year and will be a threat for the M75 GP win.

M75 In 2022, Jerry Learned amassed 460 points to edge Gene Dykes and Doug Bell, tied at 445. In 2023, Gary Ostwald edged Learned, 490 to 475. Learned has had another good year in 2025 but so has Ostwald. Learned leads currently at 455 from five events, including second place points from WMA Cross, the 4-Mile and 1-Mile. Ostwald has 400 points from four events, including first place points at WMA Cross and wins at Cross Nationals, the 4-Mile and 1-Mile. He could yet achieve a second consecutive 500-point GP win! 

Gary Ostwald far right running with Top M65 and M70 athletes On His Way to the M75 Win at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Paul Carlin, your author, is in third place with 310 points from four events. Three individuals are likely to get past me to make the M75 GP top three. Allen Joyce and Rick Katz are tied for third at 265 points from three events. Joyce has come in ahead of me at the WMA 10K, the 4 Mile and 1 Mile Championships. Katz and I have not met this year but he has often come in ahead of me in the past. Both have plenty of upside potential if they compete at one, or both, of the final two events. Don Morrison suffered a January Cross Country skiing accident and had a bout with Lyme Disease (from a tick bite) in May. Morrison has, nonetheless, accrued 260 points from three events, leaving him currently in fourth. If Morrison is healthy and competes in the final two events, he could move up into second, or even first if Ostwald is done for the season. As I write this, I am 79 years and 10 months old. I turn 80 this fall. In principle, I could compete in the Masters 5 Km XC Championships in San Francisco. If so, I would move into the M80 category and I would bring my 310 points, plus whatever points I earn in Atlanta. My birthday is shortly after the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta. At present I have a conflict with the November 1st event. It is most likely that I wind up this year in M75 and compete in M80 next year.

DIVISIONS WITH NO GP WINNER.

W80 The last year this division had a GP champion was in 2019 when Madeline Bost won and Tami Graf finished second. Four athletes have points from a single event. W80 American record Holder from the 1 Mile to the 10K, Jan Holmquist won the 10K Championship. Meg Ludlum won at Club Cross. Susan Sajdak won at the 4 Mile championship in Peoria. Joan Tremberth finished second in the 10K championships behind Holmquist. It seems unlikely that any will compete at any more events. 

M90 Lawrence Cole, 91, won the 10K at Dedham. He has raced at Dedham before but has not recently competed at other championships. It would be astonishing if Cole competed at the Masters 5 km Championships in Atlanta and the Masters 5 km XC Championships in San Francisco. He needs both those events to acquire the three events needed for an award.

That is it for the individual Grand Prix contests. The outcomes of some individual GP contests are bound up in the team races. Several athletes who make important contributions to their teams are also in competition for individual GP awards. The team decision to compete, or not, in Atlanta and San Francisco, make a difference in the individual's choice.

Masters Club Grand Prix Point assignment is 100-90-80, down to 60, then 55, 50, etc. 

W40+ Red Lizard Oregon leads with 200 points from wins at Tacoma and Lubbock. They are followed by Impala San Francisco Bay 150, with Atlanta Georgia and the Boston Athletic Association tied at 105. Red Lizard, Impala and Atlanta will all likely have at least three events completed by the end of the season. Red Lizard and Impala will, almost surely, compete in the Masters 5 Km XC at Golden Gate Park. Atlanta is equally likely to compete on their home roads at the 5 Km Championships in October. Whichever team or teams compete in both events are in the mix for the GP Championship. The B.A.A. does not often compete much outside of New England unless it is for Club Cross.

W50+ Impala has the lead at 240 points, from a fifth at Tacoma, a win at Lubbock and third at Indianapolis. Central Park Track Club New York City follows at 200 from wins at Tacoma and Indianapolis. Garden State Track Club New Jersey follows at 190 from a win at Dedham and second at Indy. Shore Athletic Club New Jersey has 160 points from second at Dedham and fourth at Indy. Impala will compete in San Francisco for the 5 Km XC. In most years CPTC would be done with those two events. CPTC would have to decide it is a worthwhile endeavor to compete for either the 5 Km Championships in Atlanta or the 5 km XC Championships in San Francisco. They would need their strong runners to commit to two additional travel event this year. If they made that choice they would score well and might even be able to win the GP championship. Garden State and S-hore are also very much in the mix. It could go down to the wire!

W60+ Shore AC, going for their second straight W60+ GP win, has the lead in a tight contest with Atlanta. Shore finished fourth at Tacoma but added a win at Dedham and second place finishes at Peoria and Indy to tally 350 points. Atlanta was sixth at Tacoma and third at Dedham but claimed wins at Peoria and Indianapolis. They trail by just twenty points. Liberty Athletic Club Greater Boston won in 2023 and finished second last year. They are currently third with 150 points. If Shore does not travel to both Atlanta and San Francisco, that gives Atlanta a shot. Most likely both will compete in Atlanta and then make final decisions about San Francisco once that outcome is known.

W70+ Atlanta has locked up their second consecutive W70+ win. They have 370 points from a fourth at Club Cross and wins at the 10K, 4 Mile and 1 Mile championships. Impala, the San Diego Track Club California, and Red Lizard finished 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd at Club Cross. Those teams need to compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco to qualify for an award. Any who do so are likely to finish on the GP podium.

W80+ Last year. Atlanta fielded the first ever Women’s 80+ team at the 5K. But they did not travel away from home to any championships. So far this year, no teams have scored W80+ points. 

M40+ The Genesee Valley Harriers Rochester NY won in 2023; Atlanta edged Shore last year, 215 to 190. So far this year, the Indiana Elite Athletic Club and the Garden State Track Club have two events completed. Indiana claimed the M40+ GP Championship in 2022; they lead with 180 points from Club Cross and the 1 Mile Championships. Garden State finished fifth in Tacoma and picked up a fourth-place finish in Indy for 1130 points and second place. If either competes at either Atlanta or San Francisco, they get the third event they need to win an award. Thirty other teams have just one event. It seems unlikely that any of them will compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco. But you never know.

M50+ In 2023, Atlanta, GVH and Shore went 1-2-3. Last year the order was Atlanta-Shore-GVH. A few of the mainstay GVH runners have aged up to 60+ from 50+ and they are emphasizing their 60+ team this year. Atlanta and Shore are in a battle again. Atlanta finished 10^th to Shore’s 11^th at Club Cross. Shore and Atlanta went 1-2 at the 10K, 3-2 at Peoria and 3-4 at Indianapolis. Shore leads 290 to 285. Those two will likely battle to the wire, competing at both Atlanta and San Francisco. May the best team win! The Boulder Road Runners Colorado are in third place with 160 points from a fifth at Tacoma and a win at Peoria. If they compete at either Atlanta or San Francisco, they qualify for an award.

M60+ Shore won this division in 2022 and finished second the next two years behind Atlanta. Shore and Atlanta are in the mix again but a little lower down. The Twin Cities Running Club committed to the Grand Prix this year and leads with 380 points. That includes wins at Tacoma and Peoria along with seconds at Dedham and Indy. GVH is second in the GP at 310 from the same four events. highlighted by seconds at Tacoma and Peoria. Atlanta, follows at 220 from a third at Tacoma, and fourth place finishes at Dedham and Indy. Greater Springfield Harriers Massachusetts GSH are at 200 from wins at Dedham and Indy. Ann Arbor Track Club Michigan and Shore follow at 155 and 140respectively. Twin Cities does not have it locked up yet. If they do not compete in at least one more event, GVH, Atlanta, and GSH could all deny them the win by scoring well at both of the last two events. Ann Arbor and Shore could still make the podium but cannot finish higher than second. Twin Cities is in the driver's seat for the GP win; they just need to finish it off!

M70+ The Boulder Road Runners Colorado won the M70+ GP in 2022 with 490 points. They took the title the next two years with perfect 500-point scores. Whether they will get to 500 again this year is an open question. But Boulder has locked up the GP win with 490 points; no one can catch them. They won at Tacoma, Lubbock, Peoria and Indy. Shore was able to nip them for first at Dedham; otherwise they would be at 500 again. Atlanta is second in the GP with 285, highlighted by a second-place finish at the 1 Mile Champs and thirds at the 10K and 4 Mile. They are followed closely by Shore at 250, with the win at the 10K and second place at the 4-Mile. Ann Arbor is fourth at 130 from a fifth at the 10K and fourth at the 4-Mile champs. That is the most likely order of finish although Shore could pass Atlanta for the GP second place. It depends on whether the team’s top runners are healthy and able to commit to both the 5K at Atlanta and the 5 Km XC in San Francisco. 

M80+ Atlanta won the 80+ GP in 2022 with 390 points from 4 events. In 2023, Atlanta won with 280 points from three events. They were not able to repeat in 2024. This year, Shore has the lead and a good shot at a win. They have 200 points from wins at Dedham and Indianapolis. If they can manage to compete at either Atlanta or San Francisco, Shore AC will claim the M80+ GP win! The San Diego Striders and the New England 65 Plus Runners Club teams are in second and third with just one event each. San Diego won at Tacoma and New England finished second at Dedham. It seems unlikely that either team would compete at both Atlanta and San Francisco to get the three events they need to qualify for an award.

That's the way things look now. In a couple of months, we will know the final GP standings. Because of the topsy turvy Cross Country season, necessitated by the timing of the WA Cross Country Championships, we will have to wait until January 11th for the Grand Prix Awards ceremony in Tallahassee.

Catching Up With Masters Elite Marathoners-Valencia-Tokyo-Boston-London

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 Championships that included Masters competition, Australia 2022. I regularly cover the Non Stadia Running Events at World Masters Athletics Championships. 

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Mid-summer is a good time to catch up with Masters athletes who tested themselves at the Marathon distance from the end of 2024 through spring 2025. In recent years I have focused on the World Majors and that will be true this time. But first I mention the Valencia Marathon which saw two American Masters records set. After that we get to Tokyo, Boston and London.

Valencia. December 1, 2024. There has been growing interest in the Valencia Marathon the last couple of years, especially after the March 2023 performance by the legendary Ethiopian runner, Kenenisa Bekele. He lowered the World M40 Marathon Record to 2:04:19. The existing World W40 Record of 2:22:27 was set by Russia's Mariya Konovalova at the 2015 Nagoya (Japan) Marathon, a daunting record to break. Sara Hall, 40, still competes as an Open athlete. At Valencia she was aiming for a good time and a strong showing, perhaps top ten. To break the World Record, Hall would need to average just under 33:46 for each 10K! On the other hand, if Hall could click off 35-minute 10K’s, she would take away Des Linden’s W40 mark. At the Chicago Marathon two months prior, Linden got the AR with her 2:27:35. As it turned out, Hall ran much of the race in the same pack as Fionnualla McCormack, also 40, an Irish athlete. Hall was content to run with the main chase group for the first half of the race, recording a first half marathon in 1:11:39, off WR pace but well inside AR pace. Hall kept clicking off sub-35-minute 10K’s. Hall had just enough in the tank to withstand a furious close by McCormack, who took 18 seconds out of Hall’s lead in the last two kilometers. That gave Hall a Top-Ten finish overall and a new American record. 

Sara Hall right and Emily Sisson, competing at the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials Photo Credit: Michael Scott

The Official Results show Hall with an Official Time (presumably gun time) of 2:23:45 and a ‘REAL’ result of 2:23:44 (presumably chip time), both well under Linden’s Chicago AR. 

Somewhat less heralded than Hall is another elite marathoner, Roberta Groner, 46. Groner was the top American finisher in the Women’s Marathon at the 2019 Doha World Championships. Although Groner does not compete often in USATF Masters Championships, she has won the 12 Km Overall Championship twice. Groner's task was to take down the 2:30:51 AR of Colleen De Reuck, set in 2010 at the Copenhagen marathon. If she could get that, perhaps she could also chase down the 2:29:00 WR of Ukraine’s Tatyana Pozdnyakova?! For the AR Groner would need 35:45 10K splits; for the WR, twenty-six seconds faster at 35:19. Groner clicked off progressively faster 10K splits through 40K: 35:43, 35:38, 35:25, and 35:11. All were below what she needed for an AR but only the fourth was faster than WR-pace. Still, it was a Master Class in pacing to a negative split Marathon! Although her 2:29:32 [REAL = 2:29:30] fell a half minute short of getting the WR, Groner broke the AR by more than a minute! She also won her division by more than ten minutes!  

Roberta Groner winning the Overall Masters Championship at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Photo Credit: Jason Timochko

These record-breaking performances were the only strong performances by American Masters in Valencia. Perhaps the Valencia Marathon will be on the radar for more top Masters Marathoners in the future.

Tokyo. March 2, 2025. When Tokyo was added to the Abbot World Majors, that created an incentive for marathoners who had already collected Stars for Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin and London to sign up for Tokyo to complete their set of Six Stars. As luck would have it, the weather was warmer than hoped for, with temperatures well up into the 70’s for much of the race. That made for slower times as many runners were focused primarily on finishing and getting that sixth star! Four American Record holders were entered: Jenny Hitchings, who holds W55 2:45:27 and W60 2:49:33 American Records; Gwen Jacobson, with the W65 3:16:04 AR; Jeannie Rice, with W70 3:24:28 and W75 3:33:27 AR’s; and Gene Dykes, with M70 2:55:22 and M75 3:17:01 AR’s. The marks for Hitchings and Rice are also World Records; Dykes's M70 mark is just off the WR. Hitchings, Rice and Dykes also have American Records at shorter distances. Dykes was running with injury; severe knee pain had prevented him from his usual training regime. His goal was to complete the events he had registered for before the pain came on and then decide what to do about it going forward. To no one’s surprise, Dykes, completed the race, finishing a pain-diminished ninth in his division. 

Gene Dykes finishing off his Record-setting 10Km Run at the 2018 USATF Masters 10 Km Championships in 39:02 Photo Credit: Michael Scott

The others were all just a bit off their best, perhaps because of the warmth. Hitchings posted after the race that, for the first time, the wheels had come off in the latter stages of the race. On pace for a 2:51 at the halfway point, Hitchings let up over the second half. Of course, Hitchings still finished first in W60, with nine minutes to spare, but her time, 3:02:03, was a good ten minutes slower than anticipated. Warm weather will take its toll though. Jacobson and Rice, also both won their races but in times that were a bit off their norm. Jacobson’s W65 winning time of 3:20:56 was just four minutes over her record from Chicago 2023. Rice’s winning W75 time of 3:38:57 was five minutes off her AR and World Record from London 2024. 

Jeannie Rice Winning the W75 Title at the 2023 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships in Highland NJ, setting a new American Record at 54:50 Photo Credit: Jason Timochko

In her post-race comments, Rice noted that she had been aiming for low 3:30's and thought, had it not been for the warm weather, she might have had a shot at lowering her World Record. She passed the half marathon mark in 1:45:18, on pace to do just that. But she had to back off that kind of pace in the second half of the race. Other Americans who landed on the podium included: Donna Grocki 2^nd W65 3:34:48; Meifang Zhu, 2^nd W70 4:04:03; Kerin Hempel, 3^rd W45 2:48:57; Billie Melanson 3^rd W70 4:12:47; and Myung Hee Kim 3^rd W75 4:32:43.

Boston. April 21, 2025. Note: The course at Boston is not record-eligible as it is point-to-point and downhill. In most years it is considered the most challenging of the Major Marathons because of the weather and the strategic placement of the Newton Hills. Boston, the grandaddy of marathons, is the mecca for so many marathoners. Getting your ’BQ’ and receiving an entry is a big deal, not only in the US, but around the world. The 129^th running was no exception. Unlike many years, the weather was propitious by Boston standards. Temperatures were in the upper 40’s to low 50’s under cloudy skies. There was a headwind of 10-15 mph but without gusts. Three American men came home with the top age division prize. M55 Robert Ashby was 2 minutes behind at the halfway point, and still 1:36 behind at the 30 Km mark. Ashby came from behind to win by 39 seconds in 2:43:19. M65 Jeff Duyn held strong to the end to hold off a charging Canadian athlete, winning by 24 seconds in 3:02:26. M75 John Hieb enjoyed a wire-to-wire victory, winning, with six minutes to spare in 3:43:14. 

Six American women won their divisions. W40 Des Linden did not get her AR back but had the pleasure of beating the new AR holder, Hall, on what many now think of as ‘Des’s Home Course’. Perhaps Hall had higher Open ambitions or perhaps Linden knows Boston better? Hall was a minute and a half ahead at the halfway point. But Linden came first in the star-studded 'New Masters" field, ahead of Hall, Keira D’Amato, and Stephanie Bruce. Linden’s 2:26:19 left her thirteen seconds ahead of Hall as they went 1-2 in W40. D’Amato won the duel with Bruce, 2:35:57 to 2:36:09, as they finished 4^th and 5^th. Bruce came from behind but ran out of road to catch D'Amato! 

Des Linden competing at 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott

W45 Dot McMahan, another former Elite Open champion, won over Kenyan Edna Kiplagat, a legendary marathon champion at World’s, Boston, London and many others. Over a minute behind at the half marathon split, McMahan passed Kipligat before the 30 Km point and eventually won in 2:33:43, almost three minutes ahead of Kiplagat, who finished second. 

Dot McMahan orange singlet competing at 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott

W55 Jennifer Dembeck recorded a wire-to-wire win, enjoying an eight-minute victory margin in 2:56:57. W60 Lisa Veneziano, the W55 12K American Record holder, had no close competitor either, winning by over ten minutes in 2:58:02.  

Lisa Veneziano finishing off her American Record-Breaking Run at the 2021 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships at Highlands NJ Photo Credit: Jason Timochko

W65 Nina Caron and Gwen Jacobson had quite the battle. Since Caron started in a different wave, 27 minutes after Jacob4son, they never saw each other. But Caron was seven seconds faster to the half marathon than was Jacobson. In the end, Caron’s 3:22:01 gave her the win with a 53 second margin over Jacobson. W75 Jeannie Rice claimed yet another win at Boston, but this was more painful than most. Her hip had been acting up for a couple of weeks before. On the morning of the race, she decided the pain was not too bad to run. It would be her tenth Boston Marathon! Her winning time was 48 minutes slower than her winning time at Tokyo. But she still won by more than seven minutes, in 4:27:17. 

Jeannie Rice center, blue gloves, red kit on the way to breaking her own 75-79 World Record at the 2024 London Marathon Photo posted on Facebook by Germaine Tupper

Others who made the podium included: M40 Samuel Bradbury 2^nd,  2:22:23, Dustin Bybee 3^rd; M50 Gamini Sugathadasa 2^nd 2:39:13; M60 Thomas Tayeri 2^nd 2:46:37, 3^rd Brian Crowley 3^rd 2:47:38; M70 David Parsons 2^nd 3:26:37; M75 Paul Baswell 3^rd 3:55:28; M80 Christopher Gold 2^nd 4:34:46, 3^rd Frank Bright 3^rd 4:36:17; W45 3^rd Laurie Knowles 2:46:26; W50 Shannon Buecher 3^rd 2:58:21; W55 Patty Monge 3^rd 3:07:06; W70 Dawn Ebbets 2^nd 3:47:23, Therese Christo 3^rd 3:50:11; W75 Jan Brett 2^nd 4:34:42, Sue Landa 3^rd 4:55:04; W80+ Carol Wright 2^nd 5:57:02. 

Crowley, the M60 third-place finisher, went out of his comfort zone to compete at Boston. A feared competitor at National Masters championships at distances from 5K to the Half Marathon, he made the move to the Marathon a good one! 

Brian Crowley winning the 55-59 Championship at the 2023 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships in Highlands NJ Photo Credit: Jason Timochko

Baswell, who finished third in M75, competed with me for the M70 win a few years back at the Double Bridge Run over 15K in Pensacola FL. It is good to see he is still running well. Knowles, who finished third in W45, was a strong Open runner out of Atlanta. As a Masters athlete, she was the Overall winner of the 2018 and 2019 USATF Masters 5 km Championships. And a tip of the hat to Rick Lee, who is rarely off the podium at Boston. It is his final year at Boston in the M60 age division. On an off day, he still clocked 2:51:39, finishing 6th.  That still age grades at nearly 90%. 

London. April 27, 2025. With just six days between Boston and London this year, few would choose to do both events. As a result, few top American marathoners had London on their radar this year; only two Americans enjoyed a podium finish. W65 Gwen Jacobson followed up her Tokyo win and Boston runner-up finish with a second-place W65 finish at London in 3:35:14. Running six days after Boston, Jacobson might have been just focused on getting her Abbott Star for London. That would explain her running much slower than usual. M70 Steven Plakas overtook a British competitor in the second half of the M70 race to claim third place in 3:34:19. W70 Two other Americans, Lynn Bernot and Karen Stevenson just missed the podium, finishing 4^th and 5^th in W70.

It will be exciting to see what is in store for the fall Marathon season. The Marathon Majors start with Chicago--less than three months away!

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Seven American Records Fall at the Masters 1 Mile Championships!

The USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships were held on Saturday, June 21st, hosted by the Monumental Mile in Indianapolis IN. Although it was steamy, the fast record-eligible course and the well-organized event contributed to amazing speed and times! It was the perfect mix of middle-distance specialists moving onto the roads to challenge the swiftest LDR athletes. 

Note 1: To be record eligible, a road course must have less than 50% separation and have no more than 1 meter per kilometer drop from start to finish. A flat, U-shaped course like the one in Indy is as good as it gets for speed!

Note 2: Net time, sometimes called chip time, is used for age division American records.

Note 3: Prior to 2024, all Road Mile Records, like all other road races, were rounded up to the next full second. Last year, based upon a rule change to keep USATF rules aligned with WA rules, the rounding rule was changed. Starting with the 1 Mile Championships last May, the LDR records have been recorded as rounded up to the next longer 0.1 second. I follow that practice in this article.

RECORDS Pending ratification, seven new American Records were set. Michelle Rohl Unattached, PA was the Overall Women’s winner and the Women’s Age Grading winner. Her 5:09.8 smashed the W55 American Record AR by 15 seconds. Jennifer Harvey set that record two years ago on this same course. That kind of record-smashing is almost unheard of. Someone matching the old record would have finished 75 meters behind Rohl! Rohl already holds the W55 Outdoor 1500M AR. 

Michelle Rohl, in Full Flight on Her Way to a New American Record at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental

Lisa Veneziano’s Unattached-MI 5:39.2 lowered the W60 record, that Sue McDonald set last year, by four seconds. Veneziano adds this to her W55 AR of 46:13 for 12 Km. Nancy Simmons Impala Racing Team, SF Bay area clocked 5:56.8; that broke the W65 record by nine seconds. The old record was set by Masters legend Sabra Harvey in 2017. Jasen Ritter Indiana Elite Athletic Club ran 4:36.0 to lower the existing and pending M50 AR’s by over a second. Fifth overall in the 2022 Masters 5 Km Championships, Ritter was off his best in 2023 when he ran 4:46 and finished third in M45. This was a terrific way to celebrate a new age division! Ritter broke the record set by Mike Madsen on this course two years ago, as well as the record effort by Neville Davey last year of 4:37.5.  Charles 'Chuck' Novak, M55, Unattached, OH clocked 4:39.4 to break the existing and pending AR’s by over four seconds. Novak's time took seven seconds off the record set by Christian Cushing-Murray on this course two years ago as well as the 4:43.4 set by Jaime Heilpern last year in Danville CA. Dan King, 66, Athletics Boulder, took the M65 win. His 5:10.1 broke the M65 AR which has stood for nine years. Tom Bernhard had the record at 5:18 on the not so flat and more technical, Flint, Michigan course. King adds this to his M60 Outdoor 1 Mile AR. Roland Cormier, 85 Shore Athletic Club obliterated the M85 road mark of 10:11, dropping it by almost a full minute with his 9:14.7. The old record was held jointly by Louis Lodovico 2013 and Joe Desenberg 2019. If we kept records of how many American Records were broken at a single Masters LDR Championship, this event, with seven, would surely be at or near the top!

AGE GRADING Age grading indicates the best performance, adjusted for age, across all age divisions, the higher the score the better.  One name for the age grade score is Performance Level Percentage, known as the PLP. One way of interpreting age grade scores is to identify 90% and above as 'World Class'; 80% and above as 'National Class.' MEN Gary Ostwald, 79, Boulder Road Runners had the top performance. His 6:21.4 scored at 103.99 percent. Novak’s record-breaking run at age 57, 4:39.4, graded 100.47 for the silver medal. King, 66, closed off the podium. His 5:10.1 earned a 99.16 PLP. Daniel Filip, 62, Wolfpack Running Club, CA and Jim Linn, 72, Shore AC rounded out the top five PLPs. Filip posted a chip time of 5:04.6 in winning M60. That earned a 96.86 PLP; Linn's 5:46.1 followed at 96.74. 

Gary Ostwald 79 6:21.4 103.99     Chuck Novak 57 4:39.4 100.47     Dan King 66 5:10.1 99.16

WOMEN In winning W55 and breaking the 55-59 AR, 59-year-old Rohl topped the age grading chart; her 100.68 PLP was by far the best. Simmons, 65, in winning her division, posted a fine 94.17 PLP to gain the silver age grading medal. 

Nancy Simmons on the way to a new W65 American record at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental 

The 55-59 age division was packed with talent again this year. Jennifer Harvey, 57 Central Park Track Club finished second in the division championship; her net time of 5:24.5 earned her the bronze age grading medal at 93.87. Fiona Bayly, 57 Unattached, NY finished fourth age grading with a 93.38 PLP. Lisa Veneziano Unattached, MI rounded out the top five age grading; her net time in winning W60, 5:39.2, earned a 93.07 PLP.

Michelle Rohl 59 5:09.8 100.68     Nancy Simmons 65 5:56.8 94.17     Jennifer Harvey 57 5:24.5 93.87

Age Grading Note: A number of male athletes felt their PLP's at this 1 Mile championship were higher by a few percentage points compared to their PLP's at other distances in the past year or so. PLP's for women seemed more in line with theirs for other distances. One should be cautious, therefore, in comparing the PLP's for the 1 Mile to PLPs at other distances. Here is one possible explanation that has been offered. For the first time, the 2025 age grading tables used the WA Road 1 Mile World Record as the Open age anchor for the 1 Mile tables (for both Women and Men). Prior to this year, the 5K tables, which were anchored at the WA 5Km World Record, were extrapolated down from the 5K to serve the 1 Mile. Some experts have speculated that the Men's WR, which was lowered from 3:54.6 to 3:51.2 between April and August 2024, and is held currently by Great Britain's Eliot Giles, could easily drop by another second or two this year or next if circumstances are right. If so, the next update to the tables would likely see the 1 Mile PLP's more closely aligned with other distances. But it is not clear why this reasoning leads to an effect on Men's age grading but not Women's age grading. Women's age grading scores at this championship appeared closer to those received for other distances. It is a puzzle. The Women's Road Mile WR is further away from Faith Kipyegon's track mark, almost 13 seconds, than is Giles's from Hicham El Guerrouj's 1999 track mark, about 8 seconds.

OVERALL WOMEN Note: Gun time is used for overall, age group and team results. Rohl, achieved the rare feat of gaining an Overall victory at a Masters Championship out of the 55-59 division. She adds this to her 55-59 WMA 1500 Meter Championship this past March. She achieved the victory, with forty meters to spare over a strong field. Bayly and Harvey were almost even at the finish two years ago when Harvey nabbed the W55 AR! Dawn Grunnagle Unattached, TX, ran a 5:46.1 Mile at the Dallas Marathon last December. But that was on a 2-lap course with, most likely, eight turns. She would likely run faster on the 2-turn Indy course. She knows how to race in national championships; Grunnagle finished sixth overall at the 2024 Masters 5 Km Championship. Dana Hayden was the 1500M W45 silver medalist at the 2025 USATF Indoor Championships this past February. Jennifer St. Jean, Central Park Track Club, CT, ran a 5:14 at the Fifth Avenue Mile last September and a 5:06 at Manchester CT's Spring Street Mile this May. Both are point-to-points (no turns) and are not record eligible. It would be tough to match those times on a certified record eligible course.

In a wire-to-wire victory, Rohl sped from the starting line. She hit the half mile split in 2:35 and matched it on the second half mile! She had the win with dozens of meters to spare!

Michelle Rohl claims the Overall Win, establishing a new W55 American Record, at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Terry Fletcher, courtesy of Beyond Monumental

The only one who stayed close was St. Jean, who was within ten meters. The rest of the field was 25 meters behind St. Jean! That showed a lot of grit on St. Jean's part, but she paid a price. Grunnagle emerged from the chase pack, closed on St. Jean on the long straightaway down Meridian Street to the finish; Grunnagle claimed the silver medal with a dozen meters to spare. This was Grunnagle's first Masters LDR Overall podium, a cause for celebration!

Chase Pack from right: Fiona Bayly, Lauren Hendrix, Dawn Grunnagle, unidentified, Hidi Gaff, Jennifer Harvey trying to Keep Rohl Close in the first half mile of the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental 

St. Jean toughed it out down the stretch, holding off all other challengers. Bayly, Harvey, and Hayden followed Grunnagle's pursuit of St. Jean, but they could not catch her! St. Jean was on the podium! In the final kick to the finish, Hayden outlasted Harvey for fourth in 5:25.4; Harvey followed at 5:25.8, with Bayly sixth at 5:26.7.

Michelle Rohl 5:10.3     Dawn Grunnagle 5:19.1     Jennifer St. Jean 5:21.9

MEN Bryan Lindsay Indiana Elite AC did not compete in California last year. But he claimed the overall Masters 1 Mile crown in 2023 on this same course in 4:24.1. He was, in that sense, the defending champion. With no recent 1 Mile races on his resume, it was hard to know how fast Lindsay's teammate, Chad Carver would be. He finished 4th Overall at the Masters Half Marathon Championships last October in 1:13:40. That course had over 370 feet of elevation gain. A month later Carver was fourth Masters athlete at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in 1:12:07. Carver displayed his upper middle-distance speed with a 15:49 at the Blueberry Stomp 5K in early September last year. Brett Anderson Unattached NE clocked 4:34 to be the fastest Masters athlete at the Ad Astra Running Irish Mile this past March in Lawrence KS. Chris Brown Unattached MO finished fourth overall at the 4 Mile Masters championship in Peoria IL the weekend before this championship. Last summer, Anthony Bruns Boulder Road Runners ran a 4:15 1500M at an All-Comers Track meet in Boulder CO. That is roughly equivalent to a 4:38 Mile. That was at altitude, Burns would be faster at sea level. His endurance credentials more than stack up against Carver. Bruns was 2nd Masters at the 2024 Indianapolis Monumental HM in 1:08:45. His most recent 5K, at 16:17, was not as fast as Carver's, but it was at altitude; that 5K would have been faster at sea level. Paul Guttman Unattached WI has no recent mile results on Athlinks. But his 33:34 at the Brew City 10K in April and his 16:32 5K at the Wisconsin Marathon in May suggest he should be competitive. Mark Guyer Indiana Elite, running in the invited Open Elite section of the 2024 Monumental Mile, eased in with a 4:50 which was the top Masters time. He would also contend.  Novak won the M55 division 1500M at the 2025 Masters Indoor championships in 4:26.91 and had a 16:45 5K outing at the end of May. Jasen Ritter Indiana Elite ran a 16:51 5K at the end of April.

Bruns pulled the field through the half mile split, in front of the Central Library, in 2:13. Only Guttman was close, ten meters back. The main chase pack was ten meters further back. Brown, Carver, Guyer, Lindsay, and Novak crossed the mat at 2:19, with Anderson and Ritter together, just ten meters back. Once they found their rhythm on the final straight shot to the finish line, Carver and Lindsay worked past Guttman and drew even with Bruns. Those top three competitors raced three abreast down Meridian Street, with 300 meters to go! 

From Left: Chad Carver, Anthony Bruns, and Bryan Lindsay, straining for an edge as they Hurtle toward the Finish Line and their Overall 1-2-3 Places in the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo courtesy of Brian Lindsay Strava post 

Carver had the best kick, winning by a half second in 4:25.1. 

Chad Carver breaks the tape after his ferocious kick to Take First Overall at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Terry Fletcher, courtesy of Beyond Monumental   

Bruns enjoyed a similar fraction over Lindsay. Guyer crossed the line, fourth in 4:28.4. Anderson was fifth, just three meters back! Two seconds later, Guttman claimed sixth. Another five seconds elapsed before Ritter, Brown and Novak claimed 7th through 9th.

Chad Carver 4:25.1     Anthony Bruns 4:25.7     Bryan Lindsay 4:26.3

AGE DIVISION Women W40 Hidi Gaff Unattached earned the silver medal in this division at the 2023 Masters Championships here in 5:22. Last year she competed in Indy when it was not the USATF Masters Championship; she finished first overall in 5:27. Last June she was the second Masters athlete at the Brian Diemer 5K, running 18:02. Considering it was February in Northern Indiana, her 18:59 at the Fanny Freezer 5K, was another good effort. Last June, Lauren Hendrix Unattached ran 5:29 at St. Louis's Macklind Mile. Two months later, Hendrix clocked 5:43.1 at the Market Mile, also in St. Louis. Lauren Davis Unattached finished sixth in the Masters 10 Km Championships at the end of April in 46:59. That suggests Davis would have a tough time keeping pace with Gaff and Hendrix. Gaff and Hendrix enjoyed a tight duel. In the closest women's race on the day, Gaff was able to pull away for the gold medal! Her winning time was 5:33.5, with Hendrix two seconds back. Davis claimed the bronze medal at 6:15.4.

Hidi Gaff 5:33.5     Lauren Hendrix 5:35.5     Lauren Davis 6:15.4

W45 Grunnagle and Hayden finished second and fourth overall. Those efforts brought them across the finish line 1-2 in this division. Not only did Grunnagle get her first podium finish overall at a Masters National LDR Championship, she earned her first championship gold medal by winning the W45 division. Alicia Martinez Unattached, who ran a 7:03 Mile at Chicago's Gately Park Open last December, and a 6:08.64 1500 Meters at USATF Indoor Championships this past February seemed poised to battle for the W45 bronze medal. Martinez ran well, clocking 6:58.4. But there was no battle; the athlete likely to give her a race for the bronze medal did not make it to the meet after all.

Dawn Grunnagle 5:19.1     Dana Hayden 5:25.4     Alicia Martinez 6:58.4

W50 Hortencia Aliaga Garden State Track Club has run very well in this division. But few athletes have the kind of speed that St. Jean has developed. St. Jean's third place overall translated to a W50 gold medal. Aliaga had almost as much of an edge over the rest of the field as St. Jean had on her. In mid-May, Aliaga finished 2nd overall in the Masters Women's Division at The Mile by Impact Zone; she posted a dandy time-5:35.1. In late May she turned in an 18:57 5K at the Ridgewood Run. She was ready to roll. Aliaga's teammate, Gabrielle Panepinto, and Jennifer McCann Unattached AZ would duel for the bronze medal. Last August, Panepinto ran 6:03 at the Brooklyn Mile. This May, she ran 6:09 at the Impact Zone Mile. McCann ran 6:07.9 at the Grand Blue Mile in late April and 6:17 at the May 31st Festival of Miles in Tucson AZ. As expected, Aliaga had little chance at staying with St. Jean but also had no trouble putting distance between herself and the other two top contenders. Aliaga ripped off a 2:45 half mile, leaving McCann over 40 meters back, trailed closely by Panepinto. Aliaga was never threatened, claiming the W50 silver medal in 5:33. Panepinto worked her way past McCann down the long straightaway, pulling away to take the W50 bronze medal with three seconds to spare!

Jennifer St. Jean 5:21.9     Hortencia Aliaga 5:33.0     Gabrielle Panepinto 5:53.4

W55 Rohl, Harvey, and Bayly finished 1-5-6 overall and hence finished 1-2-3 in this division. Such a tough division to compete in! Two talented runners, Kimberly Aspholm and Amy McMahon would compete for fourth and fifth. Aspholm, equally at home on the track or the roads, finished 2nd W55 in the 1500M at the Masters Indoor TF Championships in February. Aspholm's time, 5:31.38, equates roughly to a 6:01 mile. She followed that up two months later by winning the W55 division at the Masters 10 Km (road) Championships. Although she runs road races in her home area of Buffalo NY, McMahon runs Cross Country championships at the national level more often than roads. At Club Cross last December, McMahon finished fourth in this division, a half minute behind Harvey. A roads exception was the Four Mile Championships in Peoria, the week before this event. There McMahon finished second W55 in 28:43. Aspholm left nothing to chance. She got out well and hit the half mile split in 2:47. McMahon was a good twenty meters back and could never make any headway on her rival. Aspholm finished fourth in 5:54.8, with a good five-second edge over McMahon.

Michelle Rohl 5:10.3     Jennifer Harvey 5:25.8     Fiona Bayly 5:26.7

W60 This is another division packed with talent. Suzanne La Burt Shore AC NY has ruled this division at the road and cross country championships since turning 60. In the 2024 Masters National Grand Prix, La Burt entered the Club Cross Country Championships (over 6 Km), the 5K, 10K, 12K and 10 Mile Road championships, winning the W60 division in each one and setting a W60 AR in the 12K. She entered Club Cross and the 10K in this year's Grand Prix contest and won W60 in both. La Burt excels at all distances but her greatest strength on the roads may be at 10K and above. The athlete who still owns the W55 12K AR, Veneziano, would be one of her competitors in this race. Like La Burt, Veneziano excels at all distances; she won the 10 Mile and Half Marathon championships in W55 last year at the age of 59. As noted, she holds the W55 AR at 12K. Veneziano has competed most steadily over the years in the 1 Mile Championships. The Masters 1 Mile Championships were in Flint Mi, not far from Veneziano's hometown, up through 2019. Veneziano competed every year, finishing as high as fourth overall in 2016, and taking bronze, silver and gold medals in the W50 Division. Does Veneziano love the Mile or was it just convenient? She certainly brought enthusiasm to some very tight finishes! Although Veneziano did not travel to California in 2024 for that Championship, she did travel to Rochester in 2022 and Indy in 2023 for the championships, finishing on the W55 podium both times. The other primary competitor in the race for the podium is Judy Stobbe Central Park Track Club, who competes, on the national level, primarily on the track. A strong middle-distance runner, Stobbe is right at home with the Mile distance. She finished third this past February in the W55 1500M at the Masters Indoor TF Championships in 5:32.83, roughly equivalent to a 6:01 Mile. If Veneziano loves the Mile, this was a good one for her! She hit the half mile split in 2:45 with a 30-meter lead on La Burt and Stobbe, who were side-by-side in 2nd place. Stobbe was able to pull ahead of La Burt on the straightaway to the finish and saw that she was reeling Veneziano back. But Veneziano is so tough! She kept it together all the way to the finish, keeping Stobbe 20 meters back! Veneziano, 60, had yet another top ten overall finish and another age division Mile win, her first since 2018! 

Lisa Veneziano approaching the finish line, her W60 win and new W60 American Record at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Terry Fletcher, courtesy of Beyond Monumental   

Stobbe enjoyed a silver medal run, with La Burt in third. Both contributed important scoring for their respective teams, as did Kris Huff Atlanta, who finished fourth in 6:20.2.

Lisa Veneziano 5:39.9     Judy Stobbe 5:44.7     Suzanne La Burt 5:52.9

W65 Simmons won her first road mile national championship in 2019 when she took the W60 title in 5:54. Last year she finished second to the legendary track star, Sue McDonald in the 60-64 division. Simmons is one of the few athletes who competed in the 1 Mile Championships last year in Danville CA, in the East Bay of San Francisco, and made the trip to Indy for this year's championship.  Aged up this year, she could not only go for the win but the 65-69 AR. As noted above, Simmons crushed the record! Lesley Hinz Atlanta TC, Suzanne Cordes Unattached CA, Kitty Musante Shore AC, and Mireille Silva Atlanta TC would battle for the remaining two podium spots. Hinz finished 3rd last year in Danville, clocking 6:34. On May 20th, in the Grand Prix Mile of Georgia, she took the division win in 6:19. Cordes competes primarily in Cross Country events on the national circuit. She won the W60 title in 2022 and the W65 title in 2024 at the USATF Masters 5 Km XC Championships in Boulder. She finished 4th W60 at Club Cross in 2022 and 2023 in San Francisco and Tallahassee, respectively. Cordes made an exception for June 14th when she competed in the Masters 4 Mile Championships, finishing second in 29:21. Musante ran a 30:01 4-Miler in her home state of Florida in February and a 22:04 5K in mid-April. Last September she ran 6:35 to claim 3rd W65 honors at the Fifth Avenue Mile. 

Simmons was aiming for a sub-six; she hit the half mile split in 2:58, 25 meters ahead of Cordes, trailed closely by Hinz. It was another 25 meters back to Musante, with Silva 5 meters further back. Hinz is a savvy middle distance runner. She worked her way past Cordes and pulled away to claim the silver medal with well over 30 meters of cushion. Cordes held tight for third, followed by Musante, fourth at 6:36.5, with Silva in fifth nine seconds later. Simmons enjoyed the win and a new American Record!

Nancy Simmons 5:57.4     Lelsy Hinz 6:14.4     Suzanne Cordes 6:24.6

W70 Ivy Bell Central Park TC seemed to be the favorite, based on two sub-7-minute road Miles in May. Bell ran 6:50 at the Spring Street Mile on May 17th and 6:54 at the Newtown Bank Miler the following weekend. After that, the crystal ball was murky. Donna May Unattached FL and Miriam Paulus Dayton TC seemed the only two others likely to break eight minutes. In January of last year, May ran a 24:59 5K in Florida and in August ran 26:37, also in Florida. In June of last year, Paulus ran 7:52.04 in the Dash for Cash Road Mile. This year, in late April, she ran a 27:48 5K in the Sugar Maple Run.  After those three, teammates, Dubow and Lucking would likely battle for fourth and fifth. Dubow clocked 7:58.18 for the Indoors 1500M in February. She followed that with a 28:50 5K in March and turned in an 8:27 at the Grand Prix Mile in May. Lucking does not have any recent short race results I could find. She finished third in this division at the Masters 10Km Championships in late April with a 56:41. She added a W70 win at the 4 Mile Championships in Peoria with a 37:23. Both suggest her 5K speed is better than Dubow's. But Dubow could still have an edge in a shorter race.

Things did not go as expected up front. Bell had an off day and did not get close to her sub-7 road mile times. May pushed hard, hitting the half mile mat at 3:22; she had fifty meters on Bell. After Bell it was forty meters back to Paulus. Paulus, in turn had over thirty meters on Dubow who had two seconds on her teammate, Lucking. Though she positive split the race, May had the fastest second half-mile in the division as well. She pulled away for a dominant victory in 7:14.8. When she crossed the finish line, Bell, solidly in second, had 70 meters to go! She closed off he 2nd place effort with no trouble. 

Ivy Bell driving for the Finish Line and her W70 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental

Paulus finished third at 7:53.5. Dubow was able to pull away from Lucking, finishing fourth in 8:28.7. Twenty seconds later, Lucking claimed the fifth spot. 

Donna May 7:14.8     Ivy Bell 7:39.1     Miriam Paulus 7:53.5

W75 Three Atlanta Track Club teammates were entered: Kathleen Allen, Andrea McCarter, and Joanie McMullan. McCarter is a regular contributor to the team efforts of Atlanta but is not competitive. She is happy with whatever place she finishes as long as she contributes to her team. That is probably true of Allen and McMullan as well, but those are the two more likely to compete for the individual win. Allen has more experience in national championships but she and McMullan seemed roughly competitive with each other. Allen finished 7th in this division at the 5K Masters Championships in Atlanta last year. Using age grading tables, that is equivalent to a 32:47 this year. That is reinforced by her W75 win in Peoria earlier in June at the 4 Mile Championships. Her 41:06 over 4 miles is roughly equivalent to a 31:52 5K or a 9:05 Mile.  McMullan, Atlanta's W75 team non-resident, hailing from the Washington DC area, is more difficult to gauge. I find no recent results for her in Athlinks. I find a 2019 result, a 35:23 W70 win at the 3.3 Mile Pecan Classic in Arizona. If I age that up to 2025 with the age grading tables, it converts to a 36:36 or a 10:27 Mile. So, Allen was the favorite. Whether it was too close to the strong 4-mile effort the week before or another cause, Allen had an off day. She led through the half mile; her split of 4:39 kept her a stride or two in front of McMullan. That looked like good pacing for a low-9-minute effort, but the race fell apart for Allen in the second half. McMullan passed her and took the win in 9:10.3.  Allen was second, forty-one seconds later. McCarter finished third at 10:26.8.

Joanie McMullan 9:10.3     Kathleen Allen 9:51.9     Andrea McCarter 10:26.8

W80 As with the W75 division, there were exactly three entries. Each runner was a member of the Atlanta Track Club, which, year in and year out, does the best job of turning out teams of 70+ and 80+ runners for national championships. Myrna Barnett, Susan Hartman, and Catherine Radle would vie for the win in their friendly competition. Barnett and Radle have been regular participants for Atlanta over the years. Hartman has not competed that I know of since 2018 and 2019 when she raced for Atlanta in the Road Mile at Flint MI. Her time at those two events, 14:06 and 14:59 suggested to me that Hartman is now one of those active octogenarians who is happy to help out in a good cause, making sure that Atlanta would have a complete W80 scoring team! At the 2024 Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta last February, Radle led Barnett across the finish line as they went 1-2 in W80, in 36:06 and 36:15 respectively. This year, Barnett won the 5K over the same course in 34:19. It was not the Masters 5K championships this year. Atlanta will host those on October 19th. But it does appear that Barnett's fitness would be better coming in this year compared to last year. Radle's best recent 5K is her 37:25 effort at the Invesco QQQ Half Marathon last November. And that is the way it played out. Barnett crossed the half-mile mat at 5:21, with a ten second lead on Radle. The gap stayed steady over the second half mile, a credit to both! Barnett claimed the win in 11:07.7, followed a bit over eleven seconds later by Radle in second. Hartman did the job she came for, completing the race in third.

Myrna Barnett 11:07.7     Catherine Radle 11:19.4     Susan Hartman 17:42.3

W85 Joyce Hodges-Hite Atlanta TC continues her victory tour. 

Joyce Hodges-Hite Claims Victory in the 85-89 Division at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental 

Unopposed once again, Hodges-Hite added this to her most recent victories, in the Masters 10K in late April and the 4 Miler a week before this event. Hodges-Hite has entered and competed in six events in this 2025 Grand Prix season. She has won them all!

Joyce Hodges-Hite 16:48.9

Men M40 Three Indiana Elite teammates went 1-3-4 overall, Carver, Lindsay, and Guyer. They sweep the M40 podium! They were followed by Anderson, Guttman, and Brown.

Chad Carver 4:25.1     Bryan Lindsay 4:26.3     Mark Guyer 4:28.4

M45 Bruns finished second Overall and claimed the M45 gold medal at the same time! Chuck Schneekloth Garden State TC claimed the Overall 1 Mile Championship on the Flint MI course six years ago in 4:37. He finished second M45 in the Fifth Avenue Mile last September in 4:47. Caleb Chambers ran 5:02 on this course last year. Terry Goodspeed clocked 5:30 in the Fifty-West Mile at the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati this May. Schneekloth crossed the half mile timing mat in 2:22. Chambers was within striking distance, just two seconds back. Goodspeed had another four seconds to make up. Schneekloth had no troubles in the second half, bringing home the silver medal with a 4:47.3, essentially matching his Fifth Avenue Mile time! Chambers was seven seconds back in third. Goodspeed finished fourth at 5:09.99.

Anthony Bruns 4:25.7     Charles Schneekloth 4:47.3     Caleb Chambers 4:54.9

M50 Jasen Ritter Indiana Elite finished seventh overall. That accomplishment saw him winning this division at the same time. Robb Awe has been cleaning up on the Masters National circuit recently. He won the M50 Half Marathon Championship, over a hilly course in Indianapolis, last October in 1:20:45. He demonstrated his speed when he matched that with a win at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in early June this year. His 22:03 there equates roughly to a 5:07 Mile. His teammate, Mike Cole, was busy last year with his Marathon project-a marathon a month for the entire ear. Mission accomplished! The owner of Greek's Pizza also found time to get in the Guiness Book of World Records for fastest Male time in the Marathon while carrying a 16" Pizza in a Box.  Make no mistake, though, Cole is a serious runner. In 2019, he finished second Overall at the Masters 8 Km Championships in Virginia Beach in 26:21. Marty Stevens Boulder Track Club dropped down from the Rockies. He brings a 36:51 10K at altitude with him. That was his time at the Bolder Boulder 10K this year. Ritter took it out strong, running in the main chase pack, crossing the half mile timing mat in 2:19. He had 15 meters on Awe, with Cole on his heels and Stevens a few strides back from Cole. 

Mike Cole= on His Way to an M50 Silver medal at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Posted by Mike Cole on Strava

Ritter had the strength, though, as he chased after the 'big guns' on the long straightaway, catching two to land that 7th overall finish. That 4:36.9 put him way ahead in this division. Awe ran well but Cole and Stevens were able to pull past Awe on the straightaway to the finish. Stevens had a little more in the tank, outlasting Cole by a second to claim the silver medal at 4:51.8. 

Marty Stevens Earns the M50 Silver Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental  

Awe was fourth, less than a second back in 4:53.6.

Jasen Ritter 4:36.9     Marty Stevens 4:51.8     Mike Cole 4:52.7

M55 Novak Unattached OH, the Overall silver medalist in 2018 when these 1 Mile championships were in Flint MI, entered as a strong favorite, likely to run well under 5 minutes. His winning 1500M time of 4:26.91 at the Masters Indoor Championships in February was roughly equivalent to a 4:52 Mile.  Christopher Harris Atlanta took the M55 win at the Masters 10Km Championships this April in 35:20. He collected the silver medal over 4 Miles at the Masters Championships in Peoria a week before these championships. That time suggests a 5:00 mile would be a stretch for Harris.  John McMahon Checkers AC has been staying close to Harris recently, but Harris has enjoyed the edge at the finish. McMahon finished about a minute behind Harris at the 8 Km Cross Country race at WMA in Gainesville FL in March. In Peoria, McMahon finished 55 seconds behind Harris in taking the bronze medal. There was a factor in his favor; he turned in a 5:01 at the 1 Mile Masters championships when finishing 2nd in this division in Rochester three years ago.  John Prineas Boulder RR was a half-minute behind McMahon at Peoria. But he may have an advantage at the shorter distance. This April, he ran 5:00 at the Grand Blue Mile, part of the Drake Relays extravaganza in Des Moines IA. That course has the same layout as Indy but has the disadvantage, for Milers, of slightly cooler weather, on average.  In February 2024, Michael Resterhouse Unattached MI ran a 17:43 5K in Florida. This March he turned in a 36:44 10K at the Bayshore Marathon. That suggests he is competitive with McMahon and Prineas. When the gun sounded, Novak shot off like a cannon. He hit the half mile split in 2:17, part of the pack right behind Bruns and Guttman and even with the eventual winner, Carver. The rest were focused on their own race, not the overall race. Harris hit the half mile right on pace at 2:30. But Prineas and McMahon were side-by-side, a stride back. Resterhouse was right on their heels! Novak enjoyed the win, clocking 4:40.0! Harris held strong all the way to the finish, closing off his well-paced race with another 2:30 and a silver medal time of 4:59.7! Prineas was able to pull away from McMahon, claiming third just four seconds behind Harris. McMahon was fourth in 5:06.4. Resterhouse was fifth, another five seconds back.

Charles Novak 4:40.0     Christopher Harris 4:59.7      John Prineas 5:03.7

M60 Daniel Filip Wolfpack Running Club won the M60 division title at the 2024 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships in Danville CA. That made him the favorite for this year's contest. Last year he won by a second in 5:19.5. He would likely run faster this year on a tighter course. Mark Zamek trains on the edge of greatness. You can never be sure he will be at the starting line. But if he makes it there, he will compete with all he's got. In and out of rehab over the last couple of years, Zamek's training had gone well lately, but not without some hiccups. As a result, he was able to run in Peoria, finishing second to his teammate, Doug Baldwin, in 23:14. That equates, roughly, to a 5:17 mile. Others in the podium hunt included: Scott Grandfield Greater Springfield Harriers, his teammate, Alejandro Heuck; Henry Hofman Ann Arbor TC; and Mike Nier Genesee Valley Harriers. This division is so competitive, there was not a big drop off after these four but only so many can be featured. Grandfield ran a 17:40 5K at the Canton Fall Classic last October and followed that with an M60 bronze medal effort at the 10K Championships in 37:14. Three years ago he finished fifth in M55 at Rochester in 5:11. Applying ordinary aging to that time via the age grading tables suggests a 2025 equivalent of about 5:20. Heuck is primarily a middle-distance track athlete, although he races at longer distances on the roads to compete alongside his teammates. Heuck finished 2nd in the M60 1500 at the Masters Indoor Championships this past February in 4:49.91. That equates to a 5:18 Mile. That reinforces what we know about his prowess in the road mile. At Rochester, three years ago, Heuck came in one second ahead of his teammate, Grandfield. Eight years ago, Hofman finished 8th in 50-54 in 5:13. Aging via age grading raises that to a 5:38 equivalent in 2025. But Hofman's 18:22 at a 5K in Grand Rapids MI last November suggests a somewhat faster equivalent time of 5:35. Nier is in the midst of a strong comeback from a heart incident. But, as Nier posted a while back, "I have a heart condition, the heart condition does not have me." This year Nier posted a 4:50.4 1500M at the Masters Indoors in February. In April he finished sixth M60 at the Masters 10 Km Championships in 39:00. In June he moved up to 4th at the Masters 4 Mile Championships, clocking 24:06. That last time equates roughly to a 5:38 Mile.

Not surprisingly, Filip took it out hard, crossing the half-mile mat in 2:31. Also not surprising, the ever-competitive Zamek was right at his side, also stopping the clock at 2:31. It was 25 meters back to Grandfield and another fifteen meters back to Heuck, who had Hofman and Nier on his heels. Filip kept it on cruise control all the way to the finish, stopping the clock at 5:05.5 for a big repeat national Road Mile win! Zamek was not able to keep pace with Filip with his current conditioning, but he kept Grandfield at bay. Grandfield clipped a fraction of a second off of Zamek's lead, but that was it. Zamek had the silver medal in 5:14.0, with Grandfield third at 5:18.8. Zamek had his second silver medal at a national championship in two weeks, not a bad haul for someone who expects his conditioning to improve. Grandfield had another bronze to put with his medal from the 10K Masters Championships. Heuck edged Hofman for fourth by a fraction of a second, 5:21.2 to 5:21.4. Nier claimed fifth at 5:23.1.

Daniel Filip 5:05.5     Mark Zamek 5:14.0     Scott Grandfield 5:18.8

M65 Daniel King, as noted, was going for another American Record and got it. He was also on the age grading podium. Casey Hannan Atlanta aged up recently. Newcomers to a division have an advantage in 'youth' but the Mile is probably not his strongest distance. In February of 2024, Hannan finished 6th in M60 at the Masters 5K Championships in 19:33. This April, he finished 4th M65 at the Masters 10 Km Championships in 41:01. The 5K time was age-grade equivalent to a 5:58 Mile. Doug Keller Twin Cities RC ran an 18:44 5K at the Brian Kraft run at the end of May. In early June, he finished fourth in M65 in 24:59, just a minute and 20 seconds behind the winner, King. The 5K time equates to a 5:44, the 4-Mile time to a 5:54. Either way it looks like Keller might be the top Miler behind King. Local runner, Tim Mylin Indiana Elite AC ran 5:15.2 two years ago on this course to finish 4th in M60 at the 2023 Road Mile Championships. That time ages to 5:22 in 2025. In July 2024, Norm Larson Green Mountain Athletic Association VT ran 5:50 M60 in the USATF-NE Road Mile championships. This year, now in his last year in this division, he finished seventh M65 at the 10K Championships in 41:20. Larson was #4 in M65 at Peoria, clocking 26:29 over 4 Miles. That is equivalent to a 6:17 Mile. 

King, as usual, ran with the top M60 athletes, going out in 2:32 and coming home to the finish with a 5:11.2, the AR off his chip time, and the M65 win. Keller led the rest, crossing the half mile mat in 2:45; he had a twenty-meter advantage on Hannan. Mylin was two strides behind Hannan in fourth; Larson was twenty-five meters further back. Keller ran a strong second half, claiming the silver medal, with a comfortable margin, in 5:33.8. Mylin ran a strong negative split, working his way past Hannan and holding on for a three second advantage at the finish line. 

Tim Mylin Finishing Off His M65 Bronze Medal Run at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo posted on Facebook by Tim Mylin 

Mylin's 5:42.4 gave him the national podium finish that eluded him two years earlier! You can bet they were celebrating in Noblesville IN that evening! Hannan enjoyed his fourth-place finish in 5:45.9. 

Casey Hannan Claimed 4th in the M65 Division at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental  

Larson negative split the race, finishing fifth in 5:53.2. The next time they run this race, Larson, if he enters, should be one of the M70 podium favorites.

Daniel King 5:11.2    Doug Keller 5:33.8     Tim Mylin 5:42.4

M70 Jim Linn Shore AC ran a 5:51.8 Mile here two years ago, finishing 2nd M70 to a runner who, eight months later, accepted a USADA drug sanction. That makes him the closest athlete we have to a defending M70 champion. Since then, Linn has continued to be on fire! He won the 2024 M65 5k Championship in Atlanta in February on an 'Atlanta flat' course. His 19:43 equates roughly to a 6:08 Mile, if run on an 'Atlanta flat' course. If we take Linn as the favorite, the other contenders for a podium finish include Doug Bell Boulder Road Runners and his teammate, Douglas Chesnut, Scott Lucking Atlanta, and John Stolz Unattached, OR possibly. Bell and Chesnut have been the 1-2 punch for the Boulder Road Runners M70 team since Covid ended. This year they added a young gun and have contented themselves with being the 2-3 punch when the 'youngster' competes. Bell, in his last year in this age division, is still a feared runner. But there is no doubt he is looking forward to a new age group to compete in. Two years ago, Bell and Chesnut finished 3-4 in M70, here at the 2023 Masters Road Mile Championships, clocking 6:10.7 and 6:12.1. Both translate via age grading to roughly 6:25 in 2025. At the 10K Championships in April, their order was reversed as they finished 10th and 14th M70. Bell is definitely more of a threat at shorter distances. He finished 6th M70 in Peoria over 4 miles. Lucking is the youngster of the group. He is enjoying a nice string of national Masters races after some challenges in years past. He ran 43:45 in the Road 10K at the WMA Indoor Championships in Gainesville FL in March, finishing among the top three Americans. In April he ran ten seconds faster, finishing 5th M70 at the Masters 10 km Championships. He made the M70 podium in Peoria. His 27:24 over 4 Miles left him just 12 seconds behind Linn. It was roughly equivalent via age grading to a 6:34 Mile. Lucking ran a 5:46.94 1500M at the Masters Indoor Championships this February; that equates to a 6:11 Mile, probably a better predictor than a 4 Mile run. Stolz did not have any recent race results in Athlinks. There is an April 2022 5K result for a John Stolz of Bend, OR who was 66 at the time so could plausibly be 70 now.   The 25:15 run at that time would translate to a 26:03 5K in 2025. That, in turn, would be roughly equivalent to an 8:04 mile. Either that is the wrong Stolz or that Stolz got a lot faster from 2022 to 2025.   

In any case, Linn had his hands full with Stolz. The Stolz who ran in Indy was no 8-minute miler! Linn hit the half mile split in 2:50 with Stolz right on his heels! Lucking was a good 40 meters back, with Chesnut and Bell another twenty meters back. Linn pushed all the way to the finish line, running a faster time than last year! His 5:47.5 was just fast enough to edge Stolz by a fraction of a second! Lucking was well back from those two but had no pressure from the rest of the field. Bell had just a little more in the tank than his teammate. Bell slipped past and edged Chesnut for fourth, 6:27.1 to 6:27.8. That was a great win for Linn with the pressure coming from an unexpected source. Stolz came in under the radar and almost stole the gold medal. Linn ran a gritty race. Lucking enjoyed another good race and another M70 bronze medal.

James Linn 5:47.5     John Stolz 5:47.7     Scott Lucking 6:07.9

M75 Ostwald Boulder RR was not fast enough to take down Gary Patton's M75 AR of 5:56. But his net time was fast enough to garner the top age grading score. His 6:23.6 (gun) time was fast enough to win the division by dozens of meters. Ostwald added this to his many other wins over the last few years. Two other athletes were favorites for the podium. Jerry Learned Atlanta has been either on the M75 podium or just off, last year and this. He finished 5th at the Masters 10 Km Championships at 47:44. He stepped onto the podium at Peoria; his 29:41 left him in second place. In February, Learned finished second to Patton in the 1500M at the Masters Indoor Championships. His time of 6:08.43 converts roughly to a 6:36 Mile. Victor Vasquez Unattached FL is relatively new to national Masters championships. He competed in the 10 Km Road Race at the WMA Indoor Championships in March in FL. He was the second American to finish in M75, posting a 48:34 time. He finished ahead of Allen Joyce and Paul Carlin [That's me.] at that event. Vasquez was not unheralded though. He had run several 5K's in the 23:33 to 24:33 range, in the weeks leading up to WMA. Joyce and I have gone back and forth in recent years. Sometimes I have had the edge, sometimes Joyce. Since aging up to M75, Joyce has consistently had the edge. He finished third American and a minute and change ahead of me when he clocked 55:00 in the 10K road race at WMA. In Peoria, Joyce and I went 3-4 in M75; his 33:47 gave him a whopping two-minute cushion. 

Ostwald shot to the lead, hitting the half mile mat in 3:08; he had a 25-meter lead on Learned. Vasquez was on Learned's heels. I had been displeased in some recent outings with my slow starts after, perhaps, not organizing things well enough to get a good warmup. I made sure that did not happen this time, getting into (my) high gear right away. As a result, I hit the half mile split in 3:50 with a good ten-meter lead on Joyce. Ostwald added to his lead with every stride, winning in 6:23.6, with a lead of well over fifty meters. Learned kept the hammer down on the last 800 meters, his 6:41.2 left Vasquez far behind. But Vazquez was not pressured; his lead over Joyce and me was even bigger. Vazquez finished third. Vasquez cemented his place as a contender at Masters National Championships. Joyce came roaring by me with 600 meters to go and I could not answer. Joyce had the edge once again, this time, 7:48.5 to 7:52.5. Even without a podium finish at stake, these friendly rivalries spice things up!

Gary Ostwald 6:23.6     Jerry Learned 6:41.2     Victor Vasquez 7:04.2

M80 This division featured a shootout between Shore AC teammates, Jack Frame and Przemek Nowicki. Frame had the upper hand at the Masters 10 Km Championships as they went 1-2 in 54:43 and 55:07. Frame ran in the Mile By Impact Zone in mid-May, clocking 7:37.1. The only comparable recent time for Nowicki is his 7:38 1500M at the Masters Indoor Championships. But that time might not be representative. Nowicki ran several distance events and conservation of energy in a given event and/or fatigue from an earlier event, can come into play.  When the horn sounded, Nowicki leaped forward. But after a hundred meters or so, Frame caught up!  By the time they reached the half mile timing mat, Frame had a slight advantage, but Nowicki was, essentially, even. They hammered down the final 700 meters, neither giving an inch. Whenever Nowicki would push to pull ahead, Frame had an answer and vice versa. In the end it came down to a lean at the li. Frame got the win by half a second in 7:39.8! Their Atlanta Track Club rival, Morris Wiliams, claimed the bronze medal.

Jack Frame 7:39.8     Przemyslaw Nowicki 7:40.3     Morris Williams 9:01.6

M85 Cormier Shore AC was the strong favorite. His rival, Adrian Craven Atlanta Track Club had not competed in recent months. It was good to see him taking to the roads once again at 88. Two years ago, Craven won this division in 11:31. Cormier finished 2nd M85 in the 1500M at the Masters Indoor Championships. That converts to an 11:05 Mile. Cormier was also running multiple events where team points matter.  Finishing a half minute behind the winner and three minutes ahead of the bronze medalist, it seems likely that Cormier could have run faster had there been reason to do so. As it turned out, an 11-minute Mile would have been fine. Craven's speed had taken a hit in the ensuing two years; he did not break 13 minutes. He hardly cared. Every race he can run now is a victory! Cormier, on the other hand, broke 11 minutes and then some. Racing for his Shore AC M80 team, Cormier did some fancy stepping, coming across the finish line with the M85 win in 9:17.8. As noted, his chip time of 9:14.7 set the American M85 Road Mile Record!

Roland Cormier 9:17.8     Adrian Craven 13:31.5

TEAMS 

General Notes: 1. Team scoring is by adding up the gun times of the first three runners on each team to cross the finish line; the lower the score the better. 

2. There is, typically, very strong team competition in 50+ through 60+ and through 70+ for Men's teams. It is very difficult to put together true traveling teams in the 40+ division, whether Men's or Women's. Even in the other divisions it is tough except for the most popular distances and locations. A common Club strategy if they cannot find three athletes in a given division is for athletes in their 60's or 70's or even 80's to drop down and join their younger club mates. So, a 50+ team might have a 52-year old, a 66 yo, and a 75 yo. Older runners are always allowed to compete on younger teams but not vice versa. The athlete retains their ability to score individually in their own division except in rare circumstances. The intent is to compete as well as they can for the championship, not usually expecting a win, although it can happen. The main aim is to score points for the Club Grand Prix competition, which is very important for Clubs. These athletes are doing an important job for their club. I sometimes refer to such teams as composite teams. 

3. Initial posted results were incorrectly based on chip time. It did not change any team places, but the results below report gun times, per the technical instructions.

Men M40+ Not surprisingly, the local Indiana Elite Athletics Club Carver, Lindsay, Guyer had things all their way. No other Club entered a team. Of course, Indiana is very strong. Three athletes running under 4:30 speaks for itself. To the best of my knowledge that is the fastest team score in the short history of USATF Masters Road Mile Championships.

Indiana Elite Athletics Club 13:19.8 4:26.6 average

M50+ Four teams competed in this division. The Indiana Elite AC again fielded a strong team. They were challenged by the Checkers AC out of Buffalo NY and New Jersey's Shore AC. With three runners finishing under 4:55, Indiana M50+ finished all three of their scoring members, Ritter, Cole, and Awe, before the first runner scored for any other team. Checkers was a solid second. Their three runners, McMahon, Silliman, and Ciliberto all came across the line under 5:30. That gave them three runners scored before Shore scored. Shore had a legitimate team, with all three runners, Siriano, Rinaldi, and Blaser, clocking under 6:11, but they were not up to that level of competition. 

John Blaser Finished 6th in the M65 Division and Helped the Shore AC 50+ Team to a Podium Finish at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental  

Kudos to Checkers and Shore for putting together solid traveling teams, even if Shore did have to call on one swift 68-year-old. Atlanta, with Harris, Taylor, and Williams picked up 70 Grand Prix points for their fourth-place finish with a composite team of a 55 year old, a 76 year old and an 80 year old.

Indiana Elite Athletics Club 14:23.4 4:47.7 average

Checkers Athletic Club 16:01.0 5:20.3

Shore Athletic Club 17:57.7 5:59.2

M60+ This was a real battle. A bystander at the finish line trying to figure out winners would have been whipsawed back and forth. Zamek scored first for TCRC but five seconds later, Grandfield scored for Springfield. And then Heuck for Springfield--Uh oh, it's starting to look like Springfield might have it easy. But no, the next runner, two seconds later is GVH's Nier, followed three seconds later by Atlanta's Dragstedt, with his teammate, Black leading TCRC's Keller and then GVH's Flanders. 

Dale Flanders On His Way to a Top Ten M60 Finish and a Key Score Helping his GVH M60+ Team to a Podium Finish at the 2025 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by Beyond Monumental and the Indiana Sports Corporation in Indianapolis Photo by Jake Rytlewski, courtesy of Beyond Monumental  

At that point, the top four teams all had two of their three scoring runners across the line. Had one tallied the scores at that point, Springfield had a 7.8 second advantage on TCRC in the race for the win, but where was their third runner?! GVH had a 0.4 second advantage on Atlanta in the race for third. As it turned out, Van Kerkhove was right on Flanders's heels. That third scorer gave GVH third place, at the worst. They could finish higher! But it wasn't over! Burdett was barreling down Meridian Street toward the finish with the winning seconds for Springfield, 0.7 seconds ahead of Atlanta's Hannan, and 1.6 seconds ahead of TCRC's Kessler! Wow! What a finish!  The dust settled, the timing sheets were consulted, and Springfield had the win, with a total time 9.4 seconds faster than TCRC, an average difference of 3.13 seconds per runner. The race for second was tighter! TCRC edged GVH for second place by just 1.6 seconds, an average of half a second per runner! Atlanta, in fourth, was less than ten seconds out of third, and only twenty seconds out1 of first! Springfield ran with no insurance runners; TCRC had Mirth; GVH Mertens; and Atlanta Oshust and a fifth runner, 88-year-old Craven. Shore and Ann Arbor fielded composite teams that finished 5th and 6th. Although, to be fair, the fastest of Shore's three runners was the 72-year-old.

Greater Springfield Harriers 16:25.2 5:28.4 average

Twin Cities Running Club 16:34.6 5:31.5

Genesee Valley Harriers 16:36.2 5:32.1

M70+ Because Shore and Ann Arbor dropped their 70-year-olds down to younger teams, this division had just two teams entered. Atlanta entered a solid team but could not match up with the Boulder Road Runners who were looking to pretty much wrap up the 2025 M70+ Grand Prix title. Lucking led the way for Atlanta. But then, 15 seconds later, it was all Boulder as Ostwald, Bell, and Chesnut finished 2-3-4 within four seconds of one another. Learned and Joyce finished off the scoring for Atlanta. Boulder had the win with over a minute to spare. Boulder ran uninsured. Atlanta had Benedict to count on had anything befallen their first three.

Boulder Road Runners 19:18.5 6:26.2 average

Atlanta Track Club 20:37.6 6:52.5

M80+ In recent years it has been Atlanta that has competed most often in this category. Kudos to Shore for fielding an 80+ team that traveled from New Jersey to Indy to collect the gold medal. Atlanta had two 80+ runners, but they ran on the 50+ and 60+ teams. Frame, Nowicki, and Cormier were a very strong team anyway. 

 Shore Athletic Club 24:37.1 8:12.4

 Women W40+ Atlanta put together a composite team of a 44-year-old, a 50, and a 71. Wiegand, B Novak, and C Lucking made it work for a gold medal.

Atlanta Track Club 21:49.8 7:16.6

W50+ Four teams contested in this division. Central Park had the top team with St. Jean, Harvey, and Stobbe finishing 1-2-4 in the team competition, totaling just 16:32.4. Garden State's Aliaga broke up Central Park's top three. But Panepinto and Aspholm, despite their best efforts, could not beat Stobbe to the finish. They put the silver medals out of reach for any other team, though! Their 17:21.2 allowed them to enjoy a two-minute cushion on the third-place team. Kudos to Impala for bringing a composite team from the West Coast. Although I call it a composite team, the 65-year-old Record-buster, Simmons, was actually their top runner. Shore and Newman finished things off nicely, giving Impala the bronze medals with minutes to spare. Shore brought six 60+ runners to the event. Rather than run five athletes on one team and have one running without a team, why not have three on a 50+ team and three on a 60+ team. The three who dropped down to 50+, Musante, Nowicki, and Stirrat collected fourth place and 70 Grand Prix points with their 22:33.4 effort.

Central Park Track Club 16:32.4 5:30.8 average

Garden State Track Club 17:21.2 5:47.1

Impala Racing Team 19:33.2 6:31.1

W60+ Atlanta brought a team with two athletes who are primarily Middle-Distance track specialists, one who runs mostly on roads up through the 10K, and one who runs everything from the Mile to the Marathon. Shore's La Burt led the way. But then their two track specialists, Hinz and Allen, separated by their Marathoner, Huff, came in ahead of all others. Shore's Ricker and Capko finished off with style. Shore just missed keeping up with the Atlantans by 21 seconds. They earned Shore a nice set of silver medals.

Atlanta Track Club 19:01.1 6:20.4 average

Shore Athletic Club 19:22.8 6:27.6

W70+ Atlanta brought a team. No one else did. Dubow, McMullan, and Allen hauled in the gold medals. McCarter was there as added insurance to make sure they did make that haul.

Atlanta Track Club 27:30.9 9:10.3 average

W80+ It was the same story in 80+. Kudos to Atlanta for not only bringing a W70+ team, but also a W80+ team. Barnett, Radle, and Hodges-Hite did the scoring. Hartman added to the camaraderie and was there, finishing the race, just in case they needed her points!

Atlanta Track Club 39:16.1 13:05.4 average

Athletes were generous in their praise for this well-executed event on a zippy-fast, record-eligible course. It was warm but there was plenty of pre- and post-race shade. After an extended break, the Masters National Grand Prix resumes with the USATF Masters 5 Km Championships on October 19th in Atlanta GA.