Masters Athletes Thrive Over World Cross Course at Tallahassee-Recap I Overall & Age Division

 January 23, 2026.

Welcome to my blog! I report on Masters Elite LDR. In addition to this current story recapping a Masters Championship race, you can find previews and recaps of all USATF Masters LDR and Cross-Country Championships since Fall 2014. I also report on Masters Athletes in major Marathons including Olympic Trials. I cover distance events at some USATF Masters Indoor and Outdoor Championships. I reported on the one World Cross Country Championship that included Masters competition, Australia 2022. I regularly cover the Non-Stadia Road Race Events at World Masters Athletics Championships. I cover other road races from time to time. See the sidebar for easy navigation through the archives. [If you are using a mobile phone, please scroll to the bottom and choose 'View web version' to access the sidebar.] While there, please note the coffee cup logo. That provides a way for you to express your appreciation for the work that goes into these articles. Shout out here to recent supporters, Matt, L. Bloomer, J. Hadcock, B. Hendricks, Brendan, cush, Someone, Jan F, Aaron T-L, and Ken Y. May you have good speed in 2026! 

It was a glorious weekend in Tallahassee! On Saturday, January 10th, Masters athletes cheered on Team USA to a bronze and four near-bronze's in the World Athletics XC Championships. The following day they tackled the same course, for the most part, in the USATF 2025/26 Club Cross Country Championships. The water pit and the hurdling section called Alligator Alley were optional, but Masters racers had to navigate the 'Roller Coaster', the 'Florida Beach Sand' pit and the 'Florida Everglades Mud' pit. They were ready and eager to go! The Women's Race started at 8:15 AM, with 135 entries; Men 60+ at 9:15 AM, with 180 entries, and the M40+, with 191 entries. The weather had definitely been a little warmer than optimal on Saturday, with temperatures rising to the low 70's by the time the Senior Men's race went off. It cooled off overnight and, except for winds at 15 mph gusting to 25, conditions were great. Temperatures were in the mid to upper 50's under cloudy skies. 

OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

WOMEN I anticipated a battle up front between Renee Metivier Team Red Lizard, and Carrie Dimoff Bowerman TC. Neither disappointed. Metivier won the overall Masters Women race at 2025 Cross Nationals in Portland in December, finishing nine seconds ahead of Dimoff. Their earlier two meetings as Masters went to Dimoff, who won their 2023 meeting at Club Cross in Tallahassee and their 2024 Cross Nationals meeting at Richmond. Dimoff, in Metivier's absence, won the Women's race at 2024 Club Cross in Tacoma WA. Others in the hunt included Metivier's teammates, Alison Crocker and Carre Joyce Heineck; Jennifer Keenan Checkers AC; Jessica Minty Battle Road TC; and Melanie Nussbaumer Garden State TC. Crocker finished 7th at 2024 Clubs-Tacoma and 4th overall at 2025-26 Cross Nationals-Portland. Heineck finished 5th overall at 2022 Club Cross-San Francisco. Keenan was 5th at 2023 Clubs in Tallahassee and 3rd last year at Tacoma. I found no recent XC results for Minty but she has plenty of road speed. She ran 58:04 at the Boston Tune Up 15K in the spring and 37:17 at a fall 10K. Similarly, Nussbaumer ran several 5K's in the 18:20 to 18:40 range this past summer. 

Start of Masters Women Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott

The gun sounded and the athletes streamed out and down the first downslope. As6 at Portland, Metivier led them out. But unlike at Portland, Dimoff was right on her heels. As they came off the 'roller coaster', Dimoff was on Metivier's right shoulder and stayed there through the sand pit, past the one-kilometer mark. Along the back stretch on the shell path, Dimoff pulled up even with Metivier. By the time they had navigated around Alligator Alley, Dimoff was a stride in front, dictating the pace around Alligator Alley and up through the mud pit. Passing the 2 Km mark ending the first loop, Dimoff had a 15-meter lead on Metivier. 

Carrie Dimoff on her way to the Overall Masters Win at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Meanwhile, twenty meters behind Metivier, Crocker and Keenan were neck and neck in 3rd and 4th. Minty was forty meters behind them. 

Renee Metivier on Her Way to the Masters Overall Silver Medal at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

Heineck was a few strides behind Minty, with Nussbaumer a few strides further back. Dimoff's move over the last portion of the first loop was decisive. Metivier did not challenge after that. But she did not quit; Metivier kept the field behind her. Dimoff won in 21:38 with almost a hundred meters to spare; Metivier second at 22:02. 

Carrie Dimoff Breaks the Tape & Wins the Masters Women Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Meanwhile, midway through the second loop, Crocker dropped Keenan. By the end of the loop, Crocker had forty meters on Keenan. Minty was creeping up on Keenan as she left Heineck and Nussbaumer further back. Crocker kept to Metivier's pace on the final loop, neither shrinking the gap nor allowing it to grow. She snatched the bronze medal overall in 22:08. With one kilometer to go, Minty had pulled even with Keenan, with Nussbaumer and Keenan just 30 meters back. It was a wild finish for those four! Minty pulled away from Keenan to take 4th at 22:36; Nussbaumer sprinted past Keenan in the final stretch, claiming fifth at 22:39. Keenan finished 6th, with Heineck just two seconds back in 7th! Jill Braley Atlanta Track Club; Maggie Shearer Cal Coast Track Club; and Jennifer Boerner Checkers Athletic Club completed the Top Ten.

What a way to start the day's racing! Dimoff enjoyed a great win! Metivier had to settle for second but had the joy of leading her teammate, Crocker, across the finish line for a 2-3 Red Lizard finish.

Carrie Dimoff 21:38     Renee Metivier 22:02     Alison Crocker 22:08

MEN 60+ The second race of the day went off at 9:15 AM. There was more uncertainty as to who would lead the 60+ Men's field around the course. The top two finishers from Tacoma last year, Steve Schmidt and Nat Larson have yet to recover from some nagging injuries. Paul Smith Bowerman TC is the top returning athlete from the Clubs at Tacoma; he finished third. Mark Zamek Twin Cities Running Company TCRC, who won the M60 division at Portland in December, was not at full strength from dealing with an ankle issue. He was present to help his team but gave himself only a 50-50 chance of finishing. John Van Danacker TCRC and Kevin Ostenberg HOKA Aggie RC finished 3rd and 4th in the 60+ division on this course in December 2023, finishing right behind Zamek. Van Danacker finished 6th last year at Tacoma but was just four seconds out of 4th. Ostenberg did not compete at either Tacoma or Portland but picked up a nifty M65 win at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships at Golden Gate Park in November. His time would have placed him third among all competitors 60 and above. Brian Crowley Freedom-GR Project, running out of New Jersey, is new to national Masters Cross Country Championships. But he has been seen on the roads. He won M55 at the 2023 Masters 12 Km Championships, scorching the division with a 42:32! Crowley finished 13th overall. He had a good year in 2025, running the Boston Marathon in 2:47:38. In October, he won the USATF-NJ XC M60 championships over 8 Km in 30:51. Rick Lee Shore AC, holder of the American 50K and 50 Mile road records, has finished in the Top Ten Overall whenever he has run the M60+ race at Club Cross. In 2021 Tallahassee, Lee finished 8th. He was 4th at San Francisco 2022 and 6th at Tallahassee 2023. Scott Grandfield Greater Springfield Harriers seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. He finished second in M60 at Cross Nationals in Portland, just a few seconds ahead of Smith, who claimed third place. This fall, Grandfield ran a 1:23 half marathon and a 29:32 Five Miler.

Start of the Masters Men 60+ 8 Km Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

When the gun sounded, Scott Grandfield Greater Springfield Harriers and Lee led the field down the hill and over the 'roller coaster'. Dean Thompson Chattanooga TC came next, followed by Van Danacker, Smith and Ostenberg. Crowley was a few strides back. Across the beach sand, past the 1 Km mark and up over the mud pit, Thompson moved to the front. Smith, Grandfield and Van Danacker were 20 meters back, with Ostenberg, then Crowley then Lee. 

Racing Up the Mudpit - L to R Scott Grandfield, Paul Smith, John Van Danacker, Kevin Ostenberg, Brian Crowley and Rick Lee at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

Zamek had kept pace over most of the first loop but was now falling back. Thompson led as they crossed the sand pit the 2nd time, but Van Danacker and Smith made the catch soon after. That ended Thompson's stint up front. By the end of that loop, Van Danacker was pushing the pace up front, with Smith right on his shoulder. Ostenberg was ten meters back in third, followed, 15 meters back, by Crowley who had now left Lee behind. 

Steve Day, Alejandro Heuck, and Mark Neff navigate the Mud Pit at the at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott   

Pete Wergin Montgomery County Road Runners was a good sixty meters back from Lee in 6th; Alejandro Heuck Greater Springfield Harriers was thirty meters further back in seventh. Grandfield had made a great start and was still in contention, among the top six, at the end of the 2nd loop. But something was not right; Grandfield had to withdraw, due to a balky hip flexor, before the finish.

Van Danacker kept the pressure on for the first half of the third loop and it paid off. 

John Van Danacker front and Paul Smith Battling for the Lead at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Smith allowed a gap of 25 meters to develop with just 3 km to go. Ostenberg was still ten meters behind Smith, with Crowley another thirty meters back in fourth. From there it was all Van Danacker! Pulling away in the end, he broke the 30-minute barrier, averaging under 6 minutes per mile at 29:51. It was a sweet victory! Van Danacker had been close a few times and now he had the win! 

John Van Danacker Breaks the Tape! He wins the Men Masters 8 Km Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Meanwhile, Ostenberg was closing on Smith! At the same time, Crowley was closing on Ostenberg. With the final 2 km loop ahead of them, it was Smith at 22:37, with Ostenberg one second back and Crowley just four seconds behind Ostenberg. With a kilometer to go, Crowley and Ostenberg were right on Smith's heels! Crowley pushed to get past on the Shell Path, after they passed the water pit, but Smith held him off. Ostenberg had to give ground as they ascended over the mud to the top field. Crowley rounded the turn after the mud pit with ten meters on Smith. But Smith was now kicking for all he was worth! Could he kick past Crowley in the final two hundred meters? Crowley had a great finishing kick as well. He held off Smith by a single second! 

Brian Crowley L and Paul Smith Digging Deep as They Approach the Finish, 2nd and 3rd in the Men Masters 8 Km Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

Crowley had the silver medal and Smith the bronze. That gave Smith two podium finishes in two tries! Crowley enjoyed a great first national masters XC outing! Ostenberg finished fourth in 30:19, pretty fancy stepping for a 65-year-old. Lee, finishing fifth, had his best Clubs finish since 2022! Heuck gave Wergin a battle for sixth, closing to within a few strides by the middle of the last loop. But Wergin held strong the rest of the way, finishing sixth in 31:17, just two seconds ahead of Heuck. Mark Hixson Greater Springfield Harriers; Zamek, and Mark Neff Montgomery County RR claimed the final three spots in the Top Ten.

John Van Danacker 29:51     Brian Crowley 30:07     Paul Smith 30:08

MEN 40+ I had anticipated another battle between Jesse Davis Indiana Elite AC and Malcolm Richards West Valley TC. What I did not count on was a nagging injury that has interfered with Davis's training over the past month or so. He was present to help his team but would not contest the individual win. We had the added excitement of a newcomer who raced in the Open race at Clubs 2023 in Tallahassee and at Clubs 2024 at Tacoma, Phillip Reid HOKA Aggies. Richards tested the Club Cross waters in 2022. Like the others in the M40+ race, he had to run around the oval at the Polo Grounds in Golden Gate Park. That was all Park officials would allow, due to the gale coming in off the Ocean, toppling one huge tree. Tallahassee 2023 was much more to his liking; he took the overall win in a big way! Richards did not find the mud and wind at Tacoma as much to his liking but still landed in the Top Ten at 6th. This November in Golden Gate Park, running the proper grass circuit, he forged a lead and held off a ferocious kick from Neil McDonagh at the Masters 5 km XC Championships. Richards won with a nifty 15:30! In 2023 at Tallahassee, Reid competed in the Open field, finishing 23rd in 32:09. That was one second slower than Richards's winning time in the Masters race. The following year in Tacoma, Reid ran almost a minute faster than Richards, finishing third in the Open race among 35-39 year olds. 

Others who would contest the overall win included Edward Baker Tracksmith Boston Hares; Jonathan Charlesworth West Valley TC; Brian Flynn Garden State TC; Joseph Reynolds Tracksmith Boston Hares; and Justin Scheid Shore AC. Baker finished 4th on this course at 2023 Clubs in 33:45. Charlesworth just missed the top twenty in his first go at Clubs 2024 as a 40 year old, a 35:44 effort. He finished 4th at San Francisco last month in the Masters 5 Km in 16:03. Charlesworth also showed off his speed by winning the 2025 Masters 5 Km road championship in mid-October. Now he would have a second try at the longer distance in a national XC championship. Flynn finished second overall at 2024 Cross Nationals in Richmond. In Tacoma at 2024 Clubs, Flynn battled Davis, missing out on the bronze medal by two seconds in 33:55. This was Reynolds's first national Masters Cross Country Championships. But in October 2024, he finished 1st in 35-39 at the Boston Mayor's Cup XC Championships over 8K in 26:00. Between then and the USATF-NE XC Champs in November, Reynolds turned 40 and took 11 seconds off his time to finish top overall, twenty-three seconds ahead of Justin Freeman, who has been a podium regular Overall at the USATF Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA the last few years. Scheid has some decent road results, including a 1:12 + half marathon and a 54:18 ten-miler. Scheid also won the 2025 Vermont 100 Endurance Trail Race in July after finishing second at the World's End Ultra over 100K in May. Last year he won the USATF-NJ XC Championship over 5 Km.

When the gun sounded, Richards sped to the front and sent a message as they coursed down to the 'Roller Coaster'! "You are going to have to run with abandon to catch me today!" Reid provided the answer; by the time they had cleared that first obstacle, Reid was up on Richards's elbow, while the rest of the field was content to allow those two a few meters of space. 

Up and Over the 'Roller Coaster' in the Masters Men 10K Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

Richards and Reid crossed the 1 Km Mark in tandem, with a 25-meter gap to a chase pack of three, Charlesworth, Reynolds and Scheid. Baker and Flynn were a few strides back from the three-pack. That did not change through the first loop. Reid and Richards continued to slug it out up front; Flynn left Baker a few strides back to close up with the three-pack. By the end of that loop, Richards was clearly dictating the pace up front. 

Malcolm Richards L and Phillip Reid R Battling for the Win Midrace in the Men 40+ Masters 10 Km Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

Flynn was doing his best to maintain contact with the chase pack. The third loop saw Richards finally shake Reid; a fifteen-meter gap at the 5 Km was a thirty-meter gap by the time they were approaching the roller coaster again, with just four kilometers to go! Scheid was now just barely keeping contact  

Malcolm Richards in Full Stride, Clear of the Field On his way to the Win in the Men 40+ Masters 10 Km Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott    

with Charlesworth and Reynolds. Flynn was now 15 meters behind Scheid. Baker was another 25 meters back in seventh. Richards continued to speed away from Reid, taking the win in 32:07. Reid was doing the same to the chase pack. He took second at 32:29. Charlesworth and Reynolds had dropped Scheid by midway through the final loop. Flynn was twenty meters back from Scheid and Baker just another fifteen behind Flynn. Those three spots were also undecided! 

Chase Pack L to R Joseph Reynolds, Jonathan Charlesworth, Justin Scheid, Brian Flynn, with David Cisewski and Ed Baker after a small gap -  in the Men 40+ Masters 10 Km Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott    

Reynolds had a slight edge over Charlesworth as they cleared the mud pit, and held it all the way to the finish, claiming bronze in 33:09, four seconds ahead of Charlesworth. The gap back to fifth had grown to fifty meters. Flynn and Baker gave it their best shot to catch Scheid! But Scheid held strong to the tape, claiming fifth in 33:27, with Flynn four seconds back in sixth and Baker another three seconds back in seventh. David Cisewski West Valley; Kevin Pool West Valley; and Richard Bouckaert Power Miler TC rounded out the Top Ten. It was closer this time than in 2023, but Richards enjoyed his second Club Cross Masters win! 

Malcolm Richards Breaks the Tape as He Wins the Men 40+ Masters 10 Km Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott    

It is no surprise that Richards declared this to be his favorite Cross Country course! 

Club Cross tends to attract the deepest and most talented fields of the Masters =Championship races each year. Richards is in rarified air with two wins! Looking back over the past fifteen years, Atlanta TC's Malcolm Campbell Atlanta TC won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Although technically with just one title, Gregory Mitchell Bowerman TC, won in 2014 and finished second in 2015 and 2016 to an athlete who a few years later accepted a USADA sanction. Richards is the only other athlete with more than a single championship in those years. 

Reid could not get the win that he worked for, but an Overall Silver medal on your first try is a real accomplishment. Every course is different. No doubt, Reid will be back next year; perhaps the 2026/27 course will turn out to be his favorite! Reynolds, too, enjoyed a strong debut, making it to the podium on his first try. Charlesworth was just off the podium, a much higher finish than at Tacoma last year.

Malcolm Richards 32:07     Phillip Reid 32:29     Joseph Reynolds 33:09

AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEN M40 The top six finishers overall were from this division. So, Richards, Reid and Reynolds went 1-2-3 in the M40 division as well. They were followed by Charlesworth, Scheid, and Flynn. For details, see the overall recap above.

Malcolm Richards 32:07     Phillip Reid 32:29     Joseph Reynolds 33:09

M45 Baker, who finished seventh overall, led the way in this division. There was a pack of four that went through the first loop pretty much together. Baker's teammates, Eric Blake Tracksmith Boston Hares and Alexander Taylor, were joined by Roosevelt Cook Cal Coast TC. Christopher Pirch Ragged Mountain Racing started more conservatively; he was 50 meters back at the end of the first loop, in fifth place. Blake, out of Connecticut, has run as the Hares outside athlete for the last couple of years. Before that he competed for the Boston Athletic Association on the same basis. In 2021, Blake enjoyed his best Club Cross outing, finishing third overall in 33:15. In San Francisco's 2022 Clubs, Blake finished 14th when they circled the Polo Grounds track. Two years later, on a muddy, windy day in Tacoma, Blake had an off day., finishing out of the top twenty. Nonetheless, he scored for his team as the 4th of 5 scoring runners. Blake has also placed well on the roads. His 32:50 effort gave him 4th place at the 2024 Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA. Taylor has competed less frequently than Black at Masters LDR events. But he competed at Tallahassee Clubs in 2021, finishing sixth in 33:42. Cook is one of those runners whose style seems to fit roads better than the turf. For example, he has won the Masters race at Carlsbad a number of times, including this year. Despite it being a tough surface for Cook, he shows up at Club Cross every year and competes, leading his team. In 2019 at Lehigh, he finished sixth overall. That was followed by his best showing, fourth place at Tallahassee 2021. Then it was 12th at San Francisco, sixth at Tallahassee 2023, and 23rd at Tacoma on a rough day. Pirch had some good, low 16-minute road 5K's and a 57:39 Ten Miler. On paper, it did not look like a Top Five resume for M45. But no one told Pirch.

By the time they hit the 3 Km mark on the back stretch of the second loop, Baker was starting to stretch out his rivals. By the halfway mark, Baker had twenty meters on Blake, with Cook and Taylor 25 meters back from Blake. Pirch, a good seventy meters behind Cook and Taylor, had his own race to worry about. Still in fifth, Pirch was being tracked 25 meters back by two West Valley runners, Jamey Gifford and Konrad Knutsen. By the midway point on the third loop, Baker was well away; he had a hundred meters on Blake and the gap was growing. Taylor and Cook were thirty meters behind Blake. Pirch had done a good job of maintaining pace; Gifford and Knutsen were now 45 meters behind. Baker went on to finish 7th overall and win this division championship in 33:34! 

Edward Baker Finishes 7th Overall and Takes the Men 45-49 Gold Medal at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

By midway through the fourth loop, Taylor had joined Blake in second and third, with Cook 50 meters back. Pirch was feeling no pressure; his nearest rivals were far back. With a kilometer to go, Blake and Taylor were still running in tandem in second and third, with Cook fifty meters back in fifth. Cook summoned his inner strength and took off to try to catch those two. Taylor gradually pulled away from his teammate. Cook had Blake in his sights! He almost made it! Running that last kilometer fifteen seconds faster than he had in loop 4, Cook finished just short of Blake! Taylor claimed the silver medal in 34:18. Blake nailed the bronze in 34:23, with Cook in 4th, a single second back! Pirch came across the line in 5th at 34:25. He was followed by Knutsen, 6th at 34:54 and Gifford 34:55.  It was a dominant division win for Baker. Taylor enjoyed a strong finish in the final kilometer. Blake fought off Cook, but Cook gave it his all! Neither one faltered; if either had, Pirch would have had him. Pirch finished one second back from Cook. Pirch showed that you do not need a great resume to run great. 

Edward Baker 33:34     Alexander Taylor 34:18     Eric Blake 34:23

M50 Gregory Mitchell Bowerman TC and Neville Davey West Valley TC are both past overall winners at Club Cross. Mitchell won at the Lehigh course in Bethlehem PA in 2014 before Davey was a Masters athlete. Davey won in Lexington KY in 2017, with Mitchell sixth. The two have battled since. Mitchell ran two seconds faster in San Francisco in 2022. Davey ran eight seconds faster than Mitchell in Tacoma last year. Others contending for the podium included: Alan Black Atlanta TC, Brantley Lutz Dukes TC, Julian Marsh West Valley TC, Aaron Totten-Lancaster Atlanta Track Club, and David Wertz GRC Tracksmith. Black finished second at the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta in mid-October. He finished fifth at the recent Masters 5 Km XC Championships in San Francisco, finishing eighteen seconds behind Marsh. Lutz ran in Tacoma last year as a 49 year-old. His time would have put him 6th in 50-54. He was 45 seconds behind Marsh in that race. Marsh finished third M50 in the Masters 5 Km in San Francisco on November 1st, over half a minute behind the winner, Davey. Marsh finished 4th M50 at Tacoma last year, a minute behind Mitchell. Totten-Lancaster finished 5th in M45 at the 2023 Club Championships in Tallahassee, forty seconds behind the M45 winner, Davey. Wertz finished 7th M45 at Tallahassee Clubs in 2023, nineteen seconds behind Totten-Lancaster. Wertz had finished two seconds ahead of Totten-Lancaster in San Francisco the year before.

Davey, Mitchell and, to the surprise of some, Wertz formed the leading trio through the first loop. Marsh and Totten-Lancaster led a small chase group eighty meters back, with Black and Lutz together twenty meters behind. By midway through the second loop, Davey was slipping back but was in no danger from the chase pack. Marsh, Totten-Lancaster, and Lutz were 75 meters back, with Black starting to slip back. Mitchell kept the pressure on from there through the end of the second loop and them to the 5 Km mark. By then the pressure had paid dividends. Wertz was 25 meters behind, with Davey trailing him by 20 meters. Marsh had also broken free of the rest of the chase pack. He had thirty meters on Totten-Lancaster and Lutz, who were now running in tandem, fifth and sixth. Mitchell tightened the screws over the second half of that loop. With 4 Km to go, Mitchell had a 75-meter lead on Wertz, with Davey ten meters behind Wertz. 

Gregory Mitchell red singlet-right Leading Emmet Hogan center and Jaime Heilpern far left-sunglasses - On their way to Gold M50, Gold M55 and Silver M55 respectively--Midrace at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

Marsh, over 70 meters back from Davey was still just twenty meters ahead of Lutz and Totten-Lancaster. Mitchell had no problems the rest of the way. He sped to victory in 34:47. By the time they passed the water pit on the fifth loop, Davey had closed with Wertz. Marsh still had a small gap on Lutz but Totten-Lancaster had to give way.

Julian Marsh front #5882 On His Way to 4th M50 and Charlie Ban Midrace at  the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

By the end of the fifth loop, Davey had left behind Wertz, his strength sapped by the early pace. Lutz was still tracking Marsh, now just a few strides back. Davey grew his gap to Wertz the rest of the way. Davey had the silver medal in 35:44. Wertz was just able to hold off Marsh by three seconds! Wertz enjoyed the bronze with his 36:18 effort, his best divisional finish at a Masters Club Cross Championship. Lutz tried mightily to catch Marsh over the last 1.5 km. But Marsh matched his effort, keeping Lutz a couple of strides back. Marsh finished 4th at 36:21. Lutz was fifth at 36:23. He was followed by Totten-Lancaster in sixth and Black in seventh.

Gregory Mitchell 34:47     Neville Davey 35:44     David Wertz 36:18

M55 Jaime Heilpern HOKA Aggies and Emmet Hogan Club Northwest were probably the favorites. But teammates, Ivan Lieben West Valley TC and Charles Mullane West Valley would also be in the podium hunt. Those four West Coast athletes have run against each other many times at Masters national, and regional, championships. Shane Anthony Shore AC and Gregory Putnam Central Mass Striders were also likely contenders. Just to touch on recent XC Championships, consider Tallahassee Clubs 2023. Heilpern won M50 in 34:50. Hogan was two minutes back, with Lieben nearly two minutes behind him. Lieben's running partner, Mullane, was another minute and a half back. Putnam competed there as well, finishing 6th, well back from Heilpern but over a half minute ahead of Hogan. At Tacoma Clubs 2024, Heilpern finished 3rd M50, in his last year in the division, but ahead of the others. Hogan finished 3rd in his new M55 division but was only twenty seconds astern of Heilpern. Mullane came next, 45 seconds back, with Lieben, this time, a half minute back from Mullane. Anthony also ran in Tacoma but did not break up those four, finishing a half minute behind Lieben. At San Francisco 's 2025 Masters 5 Km Championships it was Heilpern-Mullane-Lieben in 16:25, 17:25 and 17:35. At 2025 Portland Cross Nationals in early December, it was Hogan-Lieben-Mullane in 30:22, 30:26, and 31:09. Whether the muddy, windy outings in Tacoma and Portland are good predictors of an outing around a largely dry Tallahassee course with mild weather, is an open question. Of course, some races your health and fitness are great; other times not so great. Putnam had a draining outing at the Masters HM Championships in Spicewood TX in mid-December, coming out of it with a complaining hip. That probably affected his training in the 4-week interim, but how much? 

The gun sounded and Hogan and Heilpern led them out, with Lieben close behind, followed by Anthony, Putnam and Mullane. At the end of the first loop, Heilpern and Hogan were running together, with Lieben ten to fifteen meters back. 

Emmet Hogan leading a Pack with Jaime Heilpern #5469 a few strides back On Their Way to M55 Gold and Silver medals at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

After Lieben, there was a forty-meter gap back to Anthony, followed twenty meters further back by Putnam and Mullane. Putnam had made a good effort on that first loop, but he then drifted back; that was his last time in close contact with the leading five. Hogan dictated the pace over the next two loops, but Heilpern was glued to Hogan, a couple of strides back. Lieben continued in third but by then was a half-minute behind the leading duo. Mullane had found his rhythm and had closed with Anthony, about 40 meters back from Lieben. Hogan kept the pedal down through the fourth kilometer and Heilpern started to drift back, unable to maintain that pace on this day. With 2 km to go, Hogan had twenty meters on Heilpern and the gap was growing. Lieben's pace flagged a bit on the first half of the fourth loop, allowing Anthony and Mullane to pull within 25 meters. Hogan pulled away from Heilpern on the final loop, winning in 35:08, with 21 seconds to spare. Heilpern finished second. After he crossed the line it was a minute before the last podium spot was settled. With a kilometer to go, Lieben still had 25 meters on the duo chasing him. But the uphill through the mud pit was a challenge that allowed the duo to close. heading down the hill to the finish it looked as if Lieben might be caught but, in the end, Liben gritted his teeth, hung on and had the bronze medal in 36:30. Anthony had the same time, to the second, in 4th. Mullane crossed three seconds later in fifth. Putnam finished 6th in 37:04, not bad with a balky hip! It was a fine win for Hogan, giving him two for two in the two big XC races to start the 2025-26 Masters National Grand Prix year. Heilpern and the others will be back to challenge him in the future, but this was his day!

 Emmet Hogan 35:08     Jaime Heilpern 35:29     Ivan Lieben 36:30

M60 As described in the overall section, it was Van Danacker, Crowley, and Smith going 1-2-3 overall and so, in this division as well. They were followed by Lee and Wergin 

John Van Danacker 29:51     Brian Crowley 30:07     Paul Smith 30:08

M65 Dan King Athletics Boulder wins his age division most of the time and, if on the roads or track, often sets records. He won M60 at Tallahassee Clubs 2021 and M65 at both San Francisco Clubs 2022 and Tacoma Clubs 2024. This has been a more challenging year with some running related injuries and a non-running mishap. After finishing second to Ostenberg at the Masters 5 Km Championships in early November, King missed several weeks of training in December due to ongoing concerns with his PHT proximal hamstring tendinopathy and a deep heel bruise. Nonetheless, King was looking forward to viewing world cross on Saturday, hanging out with his peers and giving it his best effort on Sunday. David Westenberg Greater Lowell Road Runners was also coming back from an up and down year. He ran his first 5K's on the road this fall, clocking 18:53 and 19:40. Portland would be his first national XC outing since a difficult 11th place finish at Tacoma last year. Westenberg finished third at Portland, nine seconds behind Ken Youngers Atlanta, 34:45, and Doug Keller Twin Cities, 34:46. That group would also be challenged by Roger Sayre Twin Cities and Jeff Duyn Montgomery County RR. Ostenberg finished 4th in M60 at Tallahassee Clubs 2023. His Tacoma outing was not his high point. But he finished up 2025 in style, taking first in his division at the Fifth Avenue Mile in NYC and winning M65, ahead of King, at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships in San Francisco. Although things seem to pop up from time to time that reduce his effectiveness, Youngers is typically at the top of his division, even when, as now, he is in the last year of a division. At Tacoma last year, Youngers finished 2nd in M65 to King, running more than a minute faster than Keller and Westenberg. Aa noted above, at Cross Nationals Portland 2025/26 last month, Youngers won ahead of Keller and Westenberg. Keller has been more active on the Masters LDR circuit this year. In addition to the XC Championships mentioned above, Keller also finished third at the Masters 5 Km Championships, ahead of Youngers. Holder of the M65 American 25K record at 1:39:50, Sayre has also excelled on the turf. At Clubs Tallahassee 2021, Sayre finished 3rd overall in the M60+ race, ahead of Ostenberg. At Clubs San Francisco 2022, Sayre, then in his last year in M60, finished 15th overall in M60+, just ahead of Westenberg and Keller. Sayre did not run in the next two Club Cross Championships. But this October in Atlanta, he finished 2nd M65 at the Masters 5 km Championships, ahead of Keller and Youngers. Duyn finished 321st in 55-59 at Clubs Lehigh 2019. At Clubs Tallahassee 2023, Duyn finished 25th in 60-64. His 34:02 effort would have ranked him 6th in M65, just 20 seconds behind Keller that year. Duyn ran a 5:28 road mile and a 1:27:44 Half Marathon this year.

Ostenberg, as noted in the overall description, had another great day! He finished fourth overall in the M60+ race and took this division with two minutes to spare. 

Kevin Ostenberg Approaching the Finish Line, 4th Overall and 1st M45 at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

King did not try to go with Ostenberg; he wanted to start conservatively and find his rhythm. Nonetheless, he led the rest of the field through the first kilometer, with Westenberg following ten meters back. Keller, Sayres, and Duyn were running together 35 meters behind Westenberg. Youngers was, apparently, not at his best. He was trailing those six, about 30 meters behind Duyn. 

Dan King and Mike Nier Midrace at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Both King and Westenberg backed off the early pace, with Westenberg allowing King a lead of forty meters as they closed off the first loop. 

Mike Nier L and David Westenberg R Traverse the Mud Pit at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

Keller was twenty meters back, followed by Sayre, Duyn and Youngers, somewhat strung out. King maintained a solid lead through the 2nd kilometer. Keller closed with Westenberg after the third kilometer and passed him. Westenberg used the opportunity to pick up his pace and run a few strides behind Keller. Those three, King, Keller and Westenberg, would fight it out for Silver and Bronze. Ostenberg was off and away in the lead. Sayre was 40 meters behind Westenberg and the gap was growing. Duyn was only 20 meters behind Sayre, with Youngers another 50 meters back. They would not trouble King, Keller and Westenberg. 

It continued to be King-Keller-Westenberg through three loops. With two kilometers to go, King had less than ten meters on Keller, with Westenberg 20 meters behind him. With a kilometer to go, it was much the same. But once they exited the mud pit, Westenberg passed Keller and bore down on King. If King were not the ace middle-distance athlete he is, Westenberg would likely have swept past for the silver medal. As it was, King called on all his strength to fight his way to the line! It was a photo finish! According to the timer' s camera, King finished just 0.023 seconds [about 3.5 inches] ahead of Westenberg! What a finishing duel!! Keller was seven seconds back in 4th. Sayre came 5th. Duyn finished 6th, but only by holding off a ferocious charge by Youngers. Youngers took 19 seconds out of Duyn's lead in the last kilometer and finished a single second back. Kudos to Youngers for the charge and kudos to Duyn for holding him off! But 'Hat's Off!' to Ostenberg who led them all!!

Kevin Ostenberg 30:19     Dan King 32:38     David Westenberg 32:38

M70 With Rick Becker taking a break to restore health and fitness, John Barbour Greater Lowell RR became the favorite. Barbour finished second to Becker at San Francisco Clubs 2015 and did the same at Tacoma Clubs 2024. In between, Barbour was on many podiums! Last year in Tacoma, Barbour finished a minute ahead of Shore AC teammates, Jim Linn Shore AC and Kevin Dollard Shore AC who finished together. With the addition of Harold Leddy Shore AC to that duo, Shore has become the team to be reckoned with in M70. They went 2-3-4 at the Masters 5 Km (road) championships in Atlanta, separated by just 5 seconds! At Portland Cross Nationals 2025 in December, Dollard, Leddy and Linn went 1-2-4., with Dollard and Leddy just three seconds apart. Linn was further back and this time, Jack Pottle Boulder Road Runners broke the trio up, finishing third, a half minute ahead of Linn. Pottle finished fifth at Tacoma last year, twenty seconds behind Linn. Tom Cushman HOKA Aggies finished sixth last year at Tacoma, a half minute behind Pottle. In 2023 at Tallahassee Clubs, Cushman would have won M70 except for an athlete who later accepted a USADA sanction. At age 64, Cushman's teammate, Doug Steedman finished 27th of 126 M60 competitors at Lehigh Clubs 2019. Three years later, at San Francisco 2022 Clubs, he finished a minute behind Pottle.  Reno Stirrat Shore AC, who was the mainstay of Shore's 60+ team has been up and down with injuries since turning 70. But he is always a threat if healthy. 

Barbour worked his way to the front, crossing the 1 Km mark in 4:09, ten meters ahead of Cushman and Steedman, with Dollard, Pottle and Leddy a couple of strides back. Barbour kept the pressure on and was rewarded with a thirty-meter lead on the HOKA duo. 

John Barbour On His Way to the M70 Gold medal at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Dollard, Pottle and Leddy were twenty meters further back. Linn was now forty meters behind them and slipping back. Something was not right. This would not be a day for Linn to be contending at the head of the pack. Barbour grew his lead consistently on every loop, winning in the end with a 200-meter lead, in 34:17. Cushman, Steedman, and Dollard continued at the front of the rest, with Pottle and Leddy a few strides back. By the 5-kilometer mark, Dollard, Pottle and Leddy passed Cushman and Steedman. 

Thomas Cushman red cap and Kevin Dollard white cap Battle Their Way to 5th and 2nd M70, respectively, at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott

The next few kilometers had more of the same, with Dollard setting the pace, Pottle right behind and Leddy 15-20 meters back in 4th. Dollard kept grinding and had a 15-meter gap on Pottle with a kilometer to go. Dollard kept it up all the way to the finish line and earned the silver medal in 35:22. Seven seconds later, Pottle claimed bronze. Leddy finished fourth in 35:40, eight seconds ahead of Cushman in fifth. Steedman and Linn finished 6th and 7th. It was a big win on the biggest stage for Barbour. The others had the pleasure of duking it out for the podium and team points!

John Barbour 34:17     Kevin Dollard 35:22      Jack Pottle 35:29

M75 The five main contenders identified in my preview were: Doug Bell Boulder Road Runners, Jerry Learned Atlanta, Don Morrison Greater Philadelphia TC+, Gary Ostwald Boulder Road Runners, and Ron Wells Jamul Toads. Keith Yeates Genesee Valley Harriers, though just an occasional entrant at Masters LDR Championships over the last couple of years, also was in the hunt. At Tallahassee Clubs 2023, the finishing order for M75 was Ostwald-Wells-Learned-Yeates in 1-2-4-7. At Tacoma last year, Ostwald took the win, followed by Wells, Learned and Yeates in 3rd, 4th, and 6th. Bell was in M70; his time would have put him ahead of Wells and Learned by a good minute. Learned and Bell finished in reverse order, 4th and 5th, at Portland, this year, with Learned enjoying a margin of over a minute on Bell. 

After the gun sounded, Bell took it out hard. At the 1 Km mark, in between the Beach Sands and the Water Pit, Bell, With Morrison on his heels, had the lead. Ostwald, starting more conservatively, was 15 meters back in third. There was a 70-meter gap back to Wells, with another 50-meter gap to Learned and Yeates. Unless the leaders had seriously overestimated their pace, none of those three would be likely to affect the podium.  Indeed, by the end of the first loop, the three leaders, Bell, Morrison and Ostwald, were still fairly tight with just eight seconds between 1st and 3rd. Wells, on the other hand, was forty seconds behind Ostwald, with Learned and Yeates another twenty meters back. By the second half of the second loop, the early pace had worn Bell and Morrison down a bit; Ostwald passed them both. He enjoyed a 9-second lead on Bell, and 26 seconds on Morrison, with 4 Km to go! Morrison would not recover but he also would not be threatened by Wells. He finished third at 38:01. 

Gary Ostwald On His Way to the M75 Gold medal at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

At the end of the third loop, Ostwald enjoyed an 11 second lead on Bell. But Bell had more in the tank than many suspected, based on recent outcomes. With a kilometer to go, Bell had cut four seconds off the lead and was still closing. In the end, Ostwald held off his Boulder teammate, winning by a single second in 37:01! That gave Ostwald four consecutive 75-79 wins, from San Francisco in 2022 through this year, an impressive run of championships!

Gary Ostwald 37:01     Doug Bell 37:02     Don Morrison 38:01

M80 Gary Patton So Cal TC the Masters Middle Distance Hall of Famer, made things more interesting by entering this event. Patton competes from time to time in road and turf events as the spirit moves him. In the past, when moving up to a new age division, Patton has mapped out a strategy to contest the Masters National Grand Prix. This could be one of those years. In 2016, he started his successful quest for an M70 Masters Grand Prix title by winning Cross Nationals in Bend OR. Could this be a repeat? His most recent effort on the turf was in the 2021-22 season. He finished 4th at Tallahassee Clubs 2021 in December and 4th at Cross Nationals in San Diego 2022 the following month. The athletes who came in ahead of him back then are either in M75 still or not competing here in Tallahassee. Patton is on his game. He won the M75 Indoor National 1500 Meter championship in 6:05.59. 

Patton's main competition should come from Jeffrey Dumas Boulder RR. Dumas, in his last year in 75-79, finished fourth at the 2024 Masters 5 km XC Championships in Boulder. More impressive and more relevant, he won M80 this December in Portland. His teammate, William Repphun Boulder RR finished a minute behind him in second. Przemyslaw Nowicki Shore AC finished third. At Tacoma last year, Nowicki finished 2nd in M80. But, for a variety of reasons, Nowicki was underprepared for Tallahassee, running primarily for team points. Thomas Jennings Greater Philadelphia TC finished 4th M75 at Lehigh Clubs 2019. Nowicki's teammate, Jack Frame Shore AC, has been the faster of the two on the roads this year. Frame finished just ahead of Nowicki at the 10 Km, 1 Mile and 5 Km Masters Championships this year. On the other hand, he has not competed on the turf. When the gun sounded, Patton and Dumas moved to the front. by the time they crossed the 1 Km mark, the pair had a 25-meter lead on Jennings, Frame, and Repphun, who were running together. Nowicki's statement about his fitness appeared to be right as he was already 50 meters behind the chase group. Patton and Dumas continued to duke it out up front through the next two kilometers! They put distance between themselves and the chase group. But over the next kilometer, Dumas started to fall back as Patton kept the pedal down. With 2 Km to go, Patton enjoyed a lead over Dumas of more than 30 meters. Over that same stretch, Jennings dropped Repphun and Repphun dropped Frame. But none of the three were threatening Dumas. Patton padded his lead with each passing kilometer, winning the title in 42:45. 

Dumas was never threatened from behind, claiming the silver medal in 44:37. Repphun had closed with Jennings on the third loop, and outkicked him down the final stretch to claim bronze in 44:58, just three seconds ahead of Jennings. Frame finished 5th in 46:56. Nowicki finished 6th. Patton enjoyed a nice win on the turf!

Gary Patton 42:45     Jeffrey Dumas 44:37     William Repphun 44:58

M85 Roland Cormier Shore AC and Adrian Craven Atlanta TC were the only entrants. At 87 and 89, it was a victory to be at the starting line. The folks from younger divisions love seeing these guys doing what they all love to do, into their later eighty's! Craven's main goal was to finish.

Adrian Craven, age 89, oldest competitor at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

While that was also a goal for Cormier, there was little doubt that he would. Earlier this year, Cormier collected the silver medal at the Masters 4 Mile championships, averaging under 11 minutes per mile. In mid-October, he collected the silver M85 medal at the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta [think hilly 5k] in 35:40. Cormier does not compete on the turf as often as on the roads. His most recent XC outing was at Tallahassee Clubs 2021 when he finished 2nd M80 in 53:01. Did he have a goal time, running on this same course, but with a little extra in the way of obstacles? Perhaps it was to finish within ten minutes of his time when he was a mere youth of 81! If so, Cormier made it with room to spare. Cormier claimed the win at 1:02:23. Twenty minutes later, Craven was delighted to finish second! 

Roland Cormier 1:02:23     Adrian Craven 1:22:41

WOMEN W40 The Overall winners came from this division. See the overall recap for details. Dimoff, Metivier, and Crocker take the top three spots in this division as well, followed by Minty, Nussbaumer, Keenan, and Heineck.

Carrie Dimoff 21:38     Renee Metivier 22:02     Alison Crocker 22:08

W45 Jill Braley Atlanta TC, Dana Hayden Unaffiliated, OH, and Maggie Shearer Cal Coast TC were all mentioned in the preview of the competition for the Overall win.  Braley outran Hruska at Tacoma Clubs 2024 last year by 21 seconds. Shearer beat Braley by 45 seconds in at Tallahassee Clubs 2021 when Shearer was at the top of her game, finishing second overall. But Braley finished a half minute ahead of Shearer at Tallahassee Clubs 2023. Shearer has just returned to full fitness in the last year.

Braley and Shearer moved to the front of the division field and ran in tandem for the first loop. Babcock stayed within a few strides until they passed the water pit but fell back after that. At the end of the first loop, Braley continued to run with younger W40 runners as she pressed the pace. 

Carre Joyce Heineck L and Jill Braley R battling for 7th and 8th Overall; Braley won W45 at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott

By the 3 km mark, Shearer was a few strides back. She stayed within 15 meters of Braley for the rest of the second loop but had to let Braley go in the third loop. Braley enjoyed a fifty-meter lead with a kilometer to go! Shearer closed strong and took a few seconds out of Braley's lead. But Braley had a fine win in 22:48. Shearer was second, nine seconds back. 

Maggie Shearer finishes 9th Overall and Earnx the Silver medal in W45 at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Hayden let Babcock have a lead of 40 meters through the midway point of the race. Hayden cut the lead to 30 meters by the time they approached the 'Roller Coaster' for the second time. Hayden was speeding up at the time Babcock was slowing down. Hayden was flying now and made the catch before the midway point on the last loop. It was a brief passing though, and Hayden pulled quickly away. Hayden had the bronze medal in 23:41, with Babcock fourth at 24:02. 

Dana Hayden R #5316 Overtaking Jessica Hruska L: Hayden takes the Bronze W45 Medal & Hruska finishes 6th W45 at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Sweeney also closed over the last loop, but Babcock held her off. Sweeney was fifth in 24:08, with Hruska sixth at 24:31.

W50 Hortencia Aliaga Garden State TC, Sara Girotto Greater Philadelphia TC, and Carla McAlister Cal Coast TC seemed likely to contest for the win. Abby Dean Greater Philadelphia would usually be in that list. But it seems Dean is still struggling with fitness. She was present primarily to help her team get some needed Grand Prix points. Kira Abercromby HOKA Aggies and Michelle Bravo Power Milers TC were poised to move up if any of the leading three had an off day. Aliaga finished 2nd at Tallahassee Clubs 2023. She won the silver medal in the 8 Km XC race at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Gainesville this past March. Girotto won the Masters 5K W45 Championship in February 2022 with a 19:07 effort. That fall she tested the XC turf at Boulder. Despite coming up from sea level, she finished 3rd W45, just a half minute behind the renowned Mountain runner, Melody Fairchild. Her most recent effort was a 39:20 10K in November. McAlister can match Girotto on road speed. This past summer she clocked 39:14 at a 10K. At Tallahassee Clubs 2023, McAlister finished fifth, a minute and a half behind Aliaga. At Tacoma last year, McAlister earned the bronze medal, in Aliaga's absence. McAlister is still at the top of her game. She won W50 at 2024 Cross Nationals in Portland in December. Abercromby finished 14th at Tacoma last year. Bravo has no recent XC results but ran a 41:50 10K this past spring.

Aliaga, Girotto and McAlister led the way down the hill and around over the Beach Sand. By the time they crossed the 1 Km mark, though, Girotto had asserted a faster pace than Aliaga and McAlister were comfortable with. There was a 15-meter gap. By the end of that loop, the gap was up to 25 meters. All the rest were over 40 meters behind Aliaga and McAlister. Aliaga and McAlister held the gap there through the first half of the second loop. 

Carla McAlister front leads Emily Boles on their way to 2nd place W50 and 7th place W45, respectively at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Aliaga fell back after that. With a kilometer to go it was Girotto, then 25 meters back to McAlister and another 25 meters back to Aliaga. McAlister gained some ground on Girotto over the first half of the last loop. With a kilometer to go, McAlister was within fifteen meters of Girotto. But Girotto had gas in the tank for a strong finish. Her final kilometer was her fastest since the first one! McAlister also finished strong but gave back some of the lead to Girotto. The winner was Girotto in 24:29. 

Sara Girotto Claims Her First Cross Country Championship, Claiming the W50 Gold medal at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

McAlister finished second, eight seconds back! Aliaga claimed the bronze in 24:50. Bravo was fourth in 25:29, with Abercromby fifth at 25:55. McAlister enjoyed her best finish at Club Cross yet. It was a hard-fought win for Girotto! She had her first national Masters XC Championship and it was at Club Cross!

Sara Girotto 24:29      Carlla McAlister 24:37     Hortencia Aliaga 24:50

W55 The preview focused on Aeron Ahrlin Genet HOKA Aggies, Rachel Hopkins Sirius Athletics, and Wendy Terris Team Red Lizard as the favorites based on past performance at Masters LDR events. I added Hilary Cairns Unaffiliated as a 'wild card.'  Elizabeth Gurerrini, though not known for national cross country prowess, should also have been listed. Genet has often been on the podium at Club Cross. She finished 2nd W50 at Lexington KY in 2017 and 2nd W55 at San Francisco in 2022. In 2023 at Tallahassee, Genet finished 5th.  Hopkins finished third W50 at San Francisco, running a good minute faster than Genet. Hopkins won W55 at Tallahassee in 2023. What I did not know ahead of time is that Hopkins is coming back from injury and was not yet at her best here in Tallahassee. Guerrini was coming off a W50 win at the Masters Half Marathon championships in Texas in December. In September of this year, Guerrini won W55 at the Surf City Ten in 1:08:10, essentially matching Cairns (see below). She also picked up a bronze medal at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships in San Francisco. Terris finished 6th W50 at Tallahassee 2023, thirteen seconds slower than Genet. Not at her best last year, Terris finished 7th W55 at Tacoma. This year at Cross Nationals in Portland, Terris took home the gold medal in W55. 

A W50 champion at HYROX [obstacle course runs], Cairns also has two strong ten-mile road results, W50 wins at the Army Ten Miler in 1:08:49 and at the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in DC in 1:08:27. Kimberly Aspholm Garden State TC, Jill Boaz HOKA Aggies, and Amy McMahon Checkers AC appeared to be competitive should any of the top four be off their best.

There were no splits for Cairns. The timers only provided splits for folks with team affiliations. I would guess that Cairns went out with Guerrini and Terris and eventually, perhaps in the second half of the second loop, pulled away from those two to win in 25:25. Cairns's experience with obstacles may have paid off! 

Hilary Cairns  On Her Way to W55 Victory at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Based on splits provided, Aspholm led the group for the first loop, passing the 2 Km mark at 8:19. She had a twenty-meter lead on Terris, with Genet, Guerrini, and Hopkins strung out behind her in that order. Guerrini and Terris closed with Aspholm midway through the second loop, with Genet ten meters back and Hopkins another 15 meters. Guerrini stretched things out past the water pit, up over the mud pit and down to loop's end at 4 Km. With 2 Km to go. Guerrini had a 20-meter gap on the threesome of Terris, Aspholm and Genet, with Hopkins gamely hanging on 15 meters behind that threesome.

Elizabeth Guerrini On Her Way to the W55 Silver medal at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott  

Guerrini kept the pressure on through the 7 km mark, but Terris held the gap to twenty meters. Fifteen meters behind Terris, Hopkins had pushed to close the gap to Genet. They were running in tandem, with Aspholm fighting to stay in contact. Terris took just two seconds out of Guerrini's lead on the last kilometer.

Guerrini finished thirteen seconds behind Cairns in 25:38. Terris was just four seconds back in 3rd! Guerrini enjoyed a medal-producing thirty days! She collected gold at the Masters Half Marathon on December 14th and the silver at Club Cross over 6 Km of turf on the 11th of January. Terris had her second podium in two tries at W55, Cross Nationals in Portland and Club Cross here in Tallahassee. Another six seconds later, Genet crossed in fourth with Hopkins just two seconds behind her in 5th. Aspholm had given it everything she had; the early pace took its toll. She finished eleven seconds behind Hopkins in sixth. Boaz and McMahon finished fifteen and 21 seconds, respectively, behind Aspholm in seventh and eighth.

Hilary Cairns 25:25     Elizabeth Guerrini 25:38      Wendy Terris 25:42

W60  Suzanne La Burt Shore AC won W60 at Tallahassee Clubs 2023 and at Tacoma Clubs 2024. She also won a few road championships and claimed the W60 Grand Prix title. La Burt was a heavy favorite and she did not disappoint. Mimi Fallon Liberty AC started running for Liberty recently. She has become a solid performer for them at national races. She finished 4th in W55 at the 2024 5 Km Championships in Atlanta and added another 4th at the 2025 Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA. Seven years ago, Kathleeen 'Kathy' Hayden Unaffiliated ran for the Genesee Valley Harriers. At Tallahassee Clubs 2021 and 2023, Hayden ran for Atlanta, finishing 9th W55 in 2021 and 6th in 2023. Now in the W60 division, Hayden might well look to move up onto the podium. Pamela Ricker Shore AC has been an able #2 runner for Shore. Ricker finished third W60 at the Masters 5 Km XC Championships in San Francisco when La Burt was nursing an injury. When La Burt returned to take the win at Cross Nationals in Portland, Ricker picked up the bronze medal once again. Mary Swan has been a steady contributor for Athena and then Greater Philadelphia when Athena shut down. A top runner in her day, her best recent performances on the turf came at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. Swan claimed the W60 silver medal at the 2022 Masters 5 Km Championships in Boulder CO. She did the same at the 2023 Cross Nationals in Richmond VA. Last December, Swan finished 9th W60 at Tacoma Clubs 2024.

This time, Hayden did not run for a team; she ran 'Unaffiliated'. So, there are no splits for Hayden. Unlike W55, this division race was not waged in the trenches. By and large the athletes ran their own race, separated from the others. I am guessing that was true for Hayden as well. La Burt won the division by almost a minute with a 25:31 effort. 

Suzanne La Burt L On Her Way to the W60 Gold Medal Passes Jessica Bozek at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott   

Hayden was second in 26:25. Ricker was sixty meters behind La Burt after the first loop, and 75 meters ahead of Fallon. Fallon, in turn, was a good 70 meters ahead of Swan. None of those gaps shrunk and most grew modestly. Each athlete did a good job of running their own race; no one blew up! Ricker finished 3rd in 26:51, the best part of a hundred meters behind Hayden. 

Kathleen Hayden On Her Way to the W60 Silver Medal at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Fallon's 27:31 earned fourth place honors. Swan claimed fifth in 28:07. It was another tour de force for La Burt! Hayden enjoyed her best finish at a big national cross country championship in a long while! Ricker nailed another podium finish with her bronze.

Suzanne La Burt 25:31     Kathleen Hayden 26:25     Pamela Ricker 26:51

W65 Based on recent road performances, Patrice Combs Atlanta TC should have been the favorite. She claimed second at the Masters 5 km Championships in Atlanta in mid-October, ahead of three of her chief competitors here in Tallahassee, Lesley Hinz Atlanta TC, Mireille Silva Atlanta TC, and Kitty Musante Shore AC. Hinz was forty seconds back, Silva about a minute and Musante two minutes. Hinz trains primarily for the middle distances on the track. But such athletes often do well at Cross Country, and Hinz is one of those. Musante's teammate, Donna Grocki Shore AC finished fourth in W65 at Tacoma last year. So, we know she can run a good XC race. She also finished 3rd W65 at the 2024 Masters 12 Km championships. We know she has staying power! 

When the gun sounded, the three Atlanta teammates, Combs, Hinz and Silva. led out the field. They crossed the 1 Km mark side by side, with Grocki and Musante forty meters back. Hinz and Silva finished the first 2 Km loop side by side, with Combs a couple of strides back. Musante was now just 25 meters back, with Grocki a good fifty meters behind her. On the first half of the second loop, Musante was catching up rapidly and Combs was struggling; something was not right. At the halfway point, Hinz had the lead, followed closely by Musante. Silva was 15 me3ters behind that duo in third, with Combs now 15 meters behind Silva. Grocki was well back, biding her time. By the end of the second loop, Musante was setting the pace, but Hinz was right with her. Combs and Silva were running side by side now, but over a hundred meters back from the two leaders. Grocki was fifty meters behind them. 

Hinz let Musante lead the way until there was a kilometer to go. On that last kilometer, Hinz opened up a 40-meter gap on Musante, winning in 28:39. Musante had run a good race, but Hinz had too much speed at the finish. Combs and Silva slowed markedly over the last loop; Grocki sped up. As a result, Grocki was able to come from behind to claim the bronze medal with nine seconds to spare. Grocki's patience and staying power led to her first national cross country podium. Combs and Silva came across the finish line in fourth and fifth, with the same time to the second at 29:55. Combs and Silva helped their team and will have more chances to shine in the future. It was a fine win for Hinz, one that will, no doubt, carry her into a successful Indoor Track season!

Lesley Hinz 28:39     Kitty Musante 28:51     Donna Grocki 29:46

Melanie Nussbaumer L and Jill Braley R Traversing the Beach Sand pit On their Way to 5th and 8th Overall in the Women Masters Race at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Posted on Facebook by J Braley:  

W70 Once Nora Cary Shore AC entered, everyone else knew they were racing for second place. Of course, like all runners, Cary can get injured and miss a race or two. But otherwise, the current American W70 record holder for distances from 5 Km [20:56] to the half marathon [1:35:25], is basically unbeatable. For someone who loves cross country as much as Cary does, it is somewhat surprising that she has missed a number of national cross country championships. But when she shows up, watch out! At Richmond Cross Nationals 2024, she won W65 in 27:07, with two minutes to spare. The previous December, she won W65 in 26:30 with almost three minutes to spare! Suzanne Ray Red Lizard, Susan Stirrat Shore AC and Margaret Taylor Atlanta had plenty of other things to worry about. Like Cary, each was competing for a team as well as individually. Ray loves Ultra Trail Runs and focuses her energy on that. But when her Team Captain calls, Ray often answers. This was one of those times. Ray had been injured for much of 2023 yet still showed up for her team to, as she put it, jog a mile for my team.'  She still won the bronze W75 medal at the 2023 1 Mile Masters Championships, in 7:55. Not surprisingly, Ray excels at the longer national Masters Championships. In March 2024 she won W70 at the Masters Half Marathon championships in 1:51:43. She also competes occasionally at cross country. At San Francisco Clubs 2022, Ray finished third W70 in 32:13. Stirrat finished a good minute behind Ray in San Francisco. Taylor was half a minute behind Stirrat in that race. But, at Tacoma last year, it was close, but the tables were reversed. Stirrat finished 12th in W65 at 36:09; Ray was 6th in W70 at 36:29. Taylor used to be a solid and regular contributor to Atlanta's team efforts. In recent years she has not competed as much. At Tallahassee Clubs 2021, Taylor finished 4th in W65, just three seconds behind Stirrat. As noted above, Taylor was a half-minute behind Stirrat at San Francisco Clubs 2022. As far as I can tell, Taylor has not competed nationally at Cross Country since 2023.

As expected, Cary zoomed off in the midst of the 60-year-olds, hitting the 1 Km mark in 4:30, already enjoying a 150-meter lead in the W70 field. Cary won the division title with over five minutes to spare, in 27:56. Cary's teammate, Stirrat, hit the 1 Km mark with a 35-meter-gap on Ray; she added modestly to that with each successive kilometer, claiming the silver medal in 33:26! That was Stirrat's highest finish at Club Cross in a long time, perhaps ever! 

Susan Stirrat, on her way to the W70 Silver Medal, Closes in on Cindy Williams as they Navigate the Mud Pit at the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Posted on Facebook by S Stirrat: 

Ray enjoyed the bronze in 34:04. Taylor ran her own race, contributing nicely to her team effort. She finished 4th in 36:23, two minutes ahead of her teammate, Trenice Mullis Dubow Atlanta, another runner whose primary expression is on the track.

Nora Cary 27:56     Susan Stirrat 33:26     Suzanne Ray 34:04

W75 Jeanette Groesz Red Lizard loves to compete at running, and her special love is cross country, at which she excels. Groesz is to Cross Country what Jeannie Rice is to marathons, the best there is! She is also the Team Captain for Red Lizard. She works hard to put a team together for as many national championships as she can. She was successful on both counts this year. Groesz's recent individual successes include a first W75 last year in Tacoma. At Tallahassee Clubs 2023, Groesz won W70 with almost five minutes to spare! Norma Hudnall Atlanta and Groesz's teammate, Sharon Gerl, would compete for the other medals, along with Irene Herman Impala Racing and another Red Lizard teammate, Cande Olsen. Hudnall finished third at Tallahassee Clubs 2023, almost five minutes behind Groesz, but a minute ahead of Olsen. Gerl finished 2nd W75 at that same Tallahassee race but finished two minutes faster than Hudnall. Herman usually runs as part of an Impala team, but this time came alone. Herman finished 2nd W75 at the November Masters 5 Km XC Championships in San Francisco with a 31:36. She finished third at Portland Cross Nationals in December, eleven minutes behind the amazing Groesz. 

As expected, Groesz surged to the front of the W75 field. She was also ahead of all 70-year-olds except for Cary. Her closest pursuer at the 1-kilometer mark was already over a minute behind. Groesz poured it on from there, adding minutes to her lead each kilometer. In the end, Groesz had the win with almost five minutes to spare, in 32:32. Gerl passed the 1 Km mark with a ten-meter lead on Hudnall. Gerl continued pushing, gaining ground on Hudnall for each of the next three kilometers. 

Three Atlanta TC Teammates, From Left: Nonie Hudnall, W75 Silver Medalist, Trenice Mullis Dubow, and Elizabeth Unislawski Warming Up on the Shell Path. At the 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo Credit: Posted on Facebook by N Hudnall

But Hudnall was harboring her resources. Hudnall was 45 meters behind Gerl with one loop to go. She cut a good thirty meters out of that lead by the 5-kilometer mark. Hudnall was flying now and could not be stopped. Gerl must have tired from the early pace. Hudnall made the catch and sped by Gerl. Hudnall had the silver medal in 37:25, with 23 seconds to spare. Gerl enjoyed bronze in 37:48. Herman gained a thirty-meter advantage on Olsen in the first kilometer and raced on to finish 4th in 40:22. Olsen was fifth in 41:18.

Jeanette Groesz 32:32     Norma Hudnall 37:25     Sharon Gerl 37:48

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That ends the first recap of the Masters Races at 2025/26 USATF Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee. This recap focused on Individual Overall and Age Division Championships. The next will focus on Overall Age Grading and Team Championships. 

There are no upcoming Masters LDR Championships now until the Masters 1 Mile Championships, which are part of the lead-in to the Drake Relays at the Grand Blue Mile Tuesday evening, April 21st.

Sources: USATF Events website, my archives, Athlinks, Strava, Facebook, World Masters Athletics, and PrimeTime Timing website website.

A HUGE thank you to Michael Scott who provides his photos gratis to the running community!

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