Tallahassee 2026 - Overall Races at Club Cross on WAC XC Champs Weekend

Welcome to my blog! I report on Masters Elite LDR. In addition to this current story previewing an upcoming race, you can find previews and recaps of all USATF Masters LDR and Cross-Country Championships since Fall 2014. I also report on Masters Athletes in major Marathons including Olympic Trials. I cover distance events at some USATF Masters Indoor and Outdoor Championships. I reported on the one World Cross Country Championship that included Masters competition, Australia 2022. I regularly cover the Non-Stadia Road Race Events at World Masters Athletics Championships. I cover other road races from time to time. See the sidebar for easy navigation through the archives. [If you are using a mobile phone, please scroll to the bottom and choose 'View web version' to access the sidebar.] While there, please note the coffee cup logo. That provides a way for you to express your appreciation for the work that goes into these articles. Shout out here to recent supporters, Lorilynn Bloomer, John Hadcock, and Bryan Hendricks. May you have good speed in 2026!

January 7, 2026. The big day has almost arrived! The top Cross Country runners in the World are assembling in Tallahassee FL to compete for XC glory on Saturday, January 10th. The following day the top Masters athletes in the country will toe the starting line to race over the same course. The course has been modified from the past to accommodate the demands of World Athletics for a challenging course and to show the course off to the world. Special features have been added, a sand pit, a knee-deep water pit, alligator-shaped barriers (Alligator Alley), an Everglades-inspired mud pit, a 'rollercoaster' ramp, and a replica of the Florida State Capitol as a Starting Gate. One of the special things about this Club Cross is that Masters athletes get to race on the same course that the World Champions did the day before. It will, apparently, be possible for those who wish to avoid the barriers to do so, except for the mud pit. It seems the organizers will be wetting the mud pit on Saturday but will stop watering it on Sunday. Apparently, all Masters runners will still have to run through the mud pit. There is a lane adjacent to the barriers for a media vehicle on Saturday. That lane will be available for anyone who wished to run around the barriers. Athletes will be scouting those out on Saturday, after the races are over, to the extent possible and making decisions as to running the barriers or avoiding them. Presumably the course will be a bit torn up by the races on Saturday. 

On the other hand, the course should be in good shape to start with. There is no rain forecast for this week. With high temps in the low 70's, the course should start out dry, apart from some of the special features. If the forecast holds, temperatures are expected to drop a bit from Saturday to Sunday. The forecast calls for low 60's for the Masters Women race [8:15 AM] and the Masters Men 60+ race [9:15 AM] with temps up to mid-60's for the Masters Men 40+ race [11:15 AM]. Fingers crossed for that drop! 

The basic course layout is also different. The replica of the Capitol cannot be taken down overnight. That means the start will not be back by the fence but moved considerably forward, closer to the slight downhill before you pass the (eventual) finish line. It also means that the usual end of the 3 Km loops is no longer part of the course. That means 'The Wall' is no longer on the course. Instead there is a new way to get up from the 'Shell Path' to the field at the top. That will be another section to investigate on Saturday if possible. As a result, each loop is 2 Km. The Masters Women will face three loops, the M60+ crew four loops and the M40+ gang five loops. As of Tuesday morning, there were 516 entries in the Masters races: Women 133   M60+ 181    M40+ 201. 

The registration guidance at the top of the Event page [2025-26 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships | USA Track & Field] indicates that registration is open until January 7th 11:59 (EST). But further down the page, the site indicates that Late Registration is open until 1/8/2026 at 11:59 PM.

This first installment will cover only the 3 Races for the Overall win: Women, M60+, and M40+. A future installment will cover Age Divisions, Teams and Age Grading. All analysis below is based on the 516 registrations as of 1/5/2026.

OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

 WOMEN It appears this will be another installment in the Dimoff vs. Metivier series. Renee Metivier Team Red Lizard, OR has the most recent win in a matchup that Carrie Dimoff Bowerman Track Club, OR initially dominated. 

The Start of the Women's Masters Race at Tallahassee in 2021 Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Metivier won Masters Women at the 2022 USATF Cross Nationals in San Diego before Dimoff was competing. 

Renee Metivier wins the Women's Masters Race at 2022 Cross Nationals in San Diego Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Once Dimoff appeared at 2023 Club Cross in Tallahassee, she reeled off two straight wins over Metivier: Tallahassee 2023 21:17 and Cross Nationals at Richmond 2024 20:15. Subsequently, Dimoff took the 2024 Club Cross crown on a challenging day at Tacoma 22:40 (in Metivier's absence) 

Carrie Dimoff approaching the finish line and the win at Tacoma in 2024 Photo Credit: Michael Scott
 

and Metivier took the Cross Nationals win at Lubbock TX 22:24 (in Dimoff's absence). Metivier turned the tables at the 2025-26 Cross Nationals in Portland OR, where she mastered the muddy track around the Glendoveer golf course for a nine-second victory over Dimoff in 22:58. It should be another dandy match up! It will be interesting to see how each handles the different barriers! The race for the win is, most likely, between those two. Others may also play a role, especially if either Dimoff or Metivier is not at the top of their game. These include: Karen Bertasso Fleet Feet Upstate Racing, NY; Alison Crocker Red Lizard; Carre Joyce Heineck Red Lizard; Jennifer Keenan Checkers AC, NY; Jessica Minty Battle Road TC, MA; and Katie Sherron Gulf Winds TC, FL Those are all from 40-44. It would be a stretch for anyone to win Clubs out of 45-49, but there are four athletes who deserve mention as well: Jill Braley Atlanta TC, GA; Dana Hayden Unaffiliated, VA; Jessica Hruska Crown Running, IA; and Maggie Shearer Cal Coast TC, So Cal. 

Bertasso enjoyed a dandy run, finishing 2nd overall at the 2025 Masters 10 Km Championships 36:06 in Dedham, MA! She ran 2:45:27 at the 2024 NYC Marathon. This November, she clocked an impressive 54:46 at the Stockade-a-thon 15K. I find no recent X-C results for Bertasso.

Crocker excels at Cross Country, on snow as well as on turf. I find few road race results at a comparable level. At 2024 Club Cross in Tacoma, Crocker finished 7th overall 23:42. The following January, Crocker picked up the silver medal overall at Lubbock, a minute behind Metivier. At 2025-26 Cross Nationals in Portland last month, Crocker finished 4th overall 23:30.

Heineck finished 5th overall at 2022 Clubs in San Francisco 22:51. At 2023 Clubs in Tallahassee, she finished 8th overall 22:44. 

Carre Joyce Heineck sprints away from her rivals at the Finish, Claiming 8th Overall in the masters Race at 2023 Club Cross in Tallahassee Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Heineck finished 13th overall at Tacoma 22:40 last year. 

This past May, Keenan ran a 1:21:46 half marathon at the Buffalo Marathon. More importantly she has top five finishes at the last two Club Cross competitions. She finished fifth at 2023 Tallahassee 22:27 and moved up to finish third overall at Tacoma 23:25. 

Jennifer Keenan #1192 leading Chelsea Lenge Warren and Jenny Kadavy on Her Way to the Bronze medal overall at 2024 Club Cross in Tacoma Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Apparently Keenan can excel in challenging conditions.

Minty is a newcomer to National Masters LDR competition. But she has been active in the USATF NE series. She won the Masters title at North Shore Runfest 10K 37:17 in May and finished 2nd Masters at the Boston Tune-up 15K in early April. I find no recent X-C results for Minty.

Sherron is the one most likely to trouble Dimoff and Metivier. In 2021, she took the Masters win at Tallahassee 22:09 by thirteen seconds over Shearer. 

Katie Sherron Crossing the Finish Line in first at the Masters Race in Tallahassee in 2021 Photo Credit: Michael Scott

As noted above, 2023 Clubs in Tallahassee belonged to Dimoff and Metivier. But Sherron finished third 22:05, just twenty-five seconds behind Metivier. She appears to be on her game, running 57:35 at the Turkey Trot 15K in Tallahassee a couple of months ago.

Braley took the win at the 2025 Masters 5 Km (road) championships in Atlanta this October. Her time of 18:47 seems slow for such a win, but the course has a long, steep hill and the weather was unusually rainy and windy; the course was also long. Braley has had a little less success on the turf than the roads. She finished 6th at 2021 Clubs in Tallahassee 23:09, and 11th at 2023 Clubs in Tallahassee 22:49.

Hayden's 5:25 took 4th overall at the 2025 Masters Road Mile championships, this past May in Indianapolis. Her 19:05 at Golden Gate Park this past November left her in third place overall 19:05 at the 2025 Masters 5 Km XC Championships.

Hruska's high point on the turf came at 2022 Clubs in San Francisco where she claimed 4th place overall 22:40. She has not risen to those heights since but has remained competitive. At Tallahassee in 2023, Hruska finished 14th overall 23:27. After dropping to 21st overall at Tacoma, Hruska rebounded at Portland. She finished 11th overall at 2025/26 Cross Nationals last October 25:52.

Shearer came close to a big XC win at 2021 Clubs in Tallahassee. She ran well but Sherron ran 13 seconds faster. 

Maggie Shearer Left Battling with Katie Sherron for the Lead at the 2021 C+lub =Cross Championships in Tallahassee Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Shearer did get a big road win that next year when she won the Masters 10 Mile Championships in Sacramento. Shearer also came back and made a run for the 2022 Clubs championship in San Francisco, coming up twenty seconds short in second. There have been some up and down years since then, but Shearer is running well now. She ran 38:13 at a 10K in February and took top honors at the So Cal 6K XC 20:38 Championships this November. The odds are against her making the podium, but, as her Coach remarked in 2021, "Maggie is a gamer!"

It should come down to Metivier vs. Dimoff. My general view has always been that, without a strong reason to figure otherwise, the athlete who won last time is the favorite for this time. Goven the result at Portland that means my suggested likely podium is: Metivier and Dimoff 1-2 in that order. After those two, it is hard to argue against Sherron for the third spot. Bertasso has plenty of road speed. Without any recent XC evidence it is hard to know if she can carry that road speed to the turf. Keenan has shown she can run hard on the turf. And she made the podium at Clubs last year. With a bit of luck and a good day, it could happen again.

Projected Podium in Alphabetical Order:

Carrie Dimoff     Renee Metivier     Katie Sherron

MEN 60+ It would have been tempting to write up this race, like the Women's, as coming down to a battle between two rivals, Nat Larson Greater Springfield Harriers, MA and Mark Zamek Twin Cities Running Company TCRC, MN. 

Start of the M60+ Race at the 2024 Club Cross in Tacoma Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Larson made his Club Cross debut as a 60-year-old at San Francisco in 2022, winning by 19 seconds over Steve Schmidt and Rick Lee. At 2023 Clubs in Tallahassee, Zamek used the strategy of gluing himself to Larson for as long as he could hold on. That time it was not enough. Larson 29:34 came in 19 seconds ahead of Zamek. 

Nat Larson left Leading  Mark Zamek On Their way to a 1-2 finish at 2023 Club Cross in Tallahassee Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

The following January in Richmond, Zamek switched tactics, going out hard and trying to drop Larson. Larson did get dropped but fought back and was able to nip Zamek in the final stretch, winning the division by just three seconds. The middle of 2024 was up and down for Larson, while Zamek was out most f the year with injuries. Both made it to the starting line for 2024 Clubs in Tacoma. Larson almost got the win in Tacoma but Steve Schmidt was able to pull away for the M60+ win by ten seconds. Zamek ran but did not have the fitness to keep pace over the second half of the race; he finished 8th.

Nat Larson Wins the M60+ Race at 2023 Club Cross in Tallahassee Photo Credit: Michael Scott 

Larson lost much of this year to a winter skiing accident. He made his comeback appearance at the 5 Km Championships in Atlanta where, in Zamek's absence, Larson won. He won his division again at the November 1st Masters 5 Km XC +Championships in San Francisco 17:41. But then it turned out that Larson, who had entered for Cross Nationals in Portland had to withdraw. Apparently it was one of those niggling injuries that are often on the edge and occasionally assert themselves. Zamek's rehab had, meanwhile, borne fruit; Zamek felt he could step to the starting line at Portland and compete for the win. Zamek not only competed, but he romped to an M60 division win 31:02 by well over a minute. When Larson's name popped up on the entry list for Tallahassee, that seemed to suggest another tussle between those two might be the headline. But probably not. On January 4th, Zamek posted on Strava with the title "First test mile since medial maleolis break and tibial spring ligament tear."  According to i-phone AI, the medial maleolis provides attachment for ligaments stabilizing the ankle joint, and the tibial spring ligament works to maintain foot arch integrity. They must be critical for effective running. Apparently something happened on December 8th or 9th that caused Zamek to seek medical advice. Between that time and January 4th, Zamek could not run at all. Zamek expects to be on the starting line and will compete to the best of his ability but worries about having to shut it down midrace. In Larson's case, I know less. He did not enter until fairly late in the registration period. I think it highly likely that he can run well. It could be that he is, essentially, fully recovered for this coming Sunday. But it also could be that he is not fully recovered but feels prepared enough to contribute to a team win. 

Given the uncertainty around Larson and Zamek it is probably worth mentioning that Schmidt has also been out with injury all year and is not entered. Who else might be pushing the pace. Two possibilities include Larson's Springfield teammate Scott Grandfield, running out of Rhode Island and Paul Smith Bowerman TC. Grandfield and Smith finished 2nd and 3rd in M60 behind Zamek in Portland last month. Grandfield is apparently enjoying his best running in the last few years! In Portland Smith was just five seconds behind Grandfield. Smith led at Tacoma in the early stages but eventually finished third behind Schmidt and Larson. 

Paul Smith Leads the Field Out at the 2024 Club Cross Championships in Tacoma, On His Way to the Bronze Medal Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Grandfield was not able to compete in Tacoma.  John Van Danacker Twin Cities RC has finished among the top contenders in this division ever since 2022 Clubs in San Francisco. At that championship, Van Danacker finished fifth overall in the M60+ race, about a half minute behind the winner, Larson. He finished third at 2023 Clubs in Tallahassee, a half minute behind the second place finisher, Zamek. Van Danacker finished sixth at 2024 Clubs last year in Tacoma. But it was very competitive! Van Danacker was just 11 seconds behind Smith, who claimed third. 

John Van Danacker #550 Leading M50's Runners On his Way to the M60 Silver Medal at the 2023 Cross nationals Championships in Richmond VA Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Van Danacker did not compete in Portland but, based on Strava posts, his training runs seem to be standard, with no obvious difficulties. Running in the winter in Minnesota can be challenging but they are good at clearing trails, and Van Danacker often runs outside. Rick Lee Shore AC has found time in his busy racing schedule for Club Cross. Lee always makes it interesting! Lee finished fourth at 2022 Clubs in San Francisco, seven seconds ahead of Van Danacker! Van Danacker turned the tables a month later at Cross Nationals in Richmond. His second place was 26 seconds ahead of Lee, who finished third. At Tallahassee in 2023, Lee again finished behind Van Danacker, sixth, 17 seconds behind Van Danacker who finished 3rd. Lee is a bit of a wild card in that he often preps on unusual surfaces and is the only one of the competitors who also competes in the steeplechase. That could give him an advantage if he can tackle all of the special barriers head on, while other competitors run around them.  Kevin Ostenberg HOKA Aggies, though now in M65, could make some noise. At Tallahassee in 2023, Ostenberg weas just seven seconds behind Van Danacker in fourth. Perhaps 2024 was an off year for Ostenberg; he finished way down the list at Tacoma. But he bounced back this year. Among other things, he won his age division at the Fifth Avenue Mile, no mean feat. At the 2025 Masters 5 Km XC Championships at Golden Gate Park on November 1st, Ostenberg won the M65 division with a fine 18:06. Had he been running in the M60 division, he would have finished third. Brian Crowley Freedom-GR Project has run very well on the roads for the last couple of years. In September 2023, Crowley won M55 at the Masters 12 Km Championships in 42:31. He stretched himself in April of this year, claiming the M60 bronze medal at the Boston Marathon in 2:47:38. This October he was the top M60+ runner at 2025 USATF NJ Masters XC Championships 30:51. A month later he ran a fast 36:35 10K at the Giralda Farm Race in NJ. That USATF-NJ championship appears to be his only cross country race in the last half dozen years. It was a smart move to get that prep in.

Zamek showed that he can run very well on the edge of injury. But with a couple of weeks off, it is hard to see how Zamek can be sharp enough to be in the top three of such a competitive field. Perhaps the top three will come out of a four-athlete group: Grandfield, Larson, Smith, and Van Danacker. Van Danacker has been knocking at the door for a while. Perhaps this is his time. Grandfield was ahead of Smith at Portland over 8 Km. Grandfield is running well and feeling confident. It seems I have no reason to favor Smith over Grandfield. And then there is Larson. I am going to guess that Larson decided he skip Portland so he would not run the risk of aggravating a minor injury. If so, he has had the time to recover and can run at the top of his game. Thinking along those lines gives me a likely finishing order of Larson-Van Danacker-Grandfield. Crowley, Smith or Zamek could upset that suggested order. Lee may have a shot at the win also if the barriers work in his favor. We will find out on Sunday.

Projected Podium in Alphabetical Order:

Scott Grandfield     Nat Larson     John Van Danacker

MEN 40+ Among the 'old guard', David Cisewski West Valley Track Club, CA; Jesse Davis Indiana Elite AC, Brian Flynn Garden State TC; and Malcolm Richards West Valley TC, CA stand out as the favorites, with Davis and Richards the most likely, based on past experience, to contend for top honors. The 'new guard' includes contenders, Jonathan Charlesworth West Valley; Edwin Pagan Unaffiliated; and Phillip Reid HOKA Aggies. 

Start of the M40+ Race at 2024 Club Cross in Tacoma Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Davis led wire to wire for the win at 2021 Clubs in Tallahassee. 

Jesse Davis Wins the M40+ Race at 2021 Club Cross in Tallahassee Photo Credit: Michael Scott

The following year, at 2022 Clubs in San Francisco, when the M40+ race was moved onto the Polo Grounds track, Richards finished third to Davis's fifth. As noted above, at 2023 Clubs in Tallahassee, Richards's  dominance continued. 

Malcolm Richards Leading the Field On His Way to the M40+ Win at 2023 Club Cross in Tallahassee Photo Credit: Michael Scott
 

But Davis was able to reverse the tables on a muddy track and a windy day in Tacoma, finishing third in 33:53, a half minute ahead of Richards and his teammate, Cisewski, who were just one second apart. What about Flynn? His first effort at Club Cross was at the 2023 Tallahassee event. There he finished a minute behind Cisewski in fifth. Flynn got another taste of national Masters XC competition a month later when he finished 2nd, over 8 Km, at Cross Nationals in Richmond VA at 25:52. 

Jesse Davis Front and Brian Flynn Battling Down the Final Stretch at 2024 Club cross in Tacoma Photo Credit: Michael Scott

Whether he was better prepared or handled the conditions better, Flynn finished fourth, two seconds behind Davis at Tacoma, and a half minute ahead of Richards and Cisewski!

All four of those have demonstrated good fitness this year. This spring Cisewski cracked a 1:08:15 at the Project 13.1 Half Marathon and a 15:09 5K at Carlsbad. This fall, Davis turned in a 32:09 10K and a 1:06:48 half marathon at the Monumental Marathon in Indy. In August, Flynn scored a 1:12:42 Masters win at the Ashland Half Marathon in Virginia. Richards, the father of a second son this year has raced less intensely than in years past. But, on November 1st, Richards sent a message that he will need to be reckoned with. He won the USATF Masters 5 Km XC Championships at Golden Gate Park in 15:30. True, the speedster from Colorado, Neil McDonagh, almost caught him in a final mad dash. But a win is a win, whether by a second or ten! Of those three, Davis looks to have the better fitness and by my rule that 'The champ is the champ until the tables are reversed', I should favor Davis over Richards and Richards over Cisewski. By that same rule I should go for an order of Davis-Flynn-Richards-Cisewski. Before that, maybe I should insist on a stroller-run shoot-out between Flynn and Richards, both of whom have posted a few stroller runs on their Strava accounts. But, of course, there is also the 'new guard' to assess.

Charlesworth is relatively new but not completely new. He raced at Tacoma but finished a good minute behind Cisewski in 21st.  Charlesworth has looked stronger this year. But his 15:29 at Carlsbad is overshadowed by Cisewski's 15:09. Charlesworth's win at the Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta winds up looking slow at 16:03. But the course had to be rerouted in the run up to race day and it turned out to be long. The day was also windy and rainy and cool, not to mention hilly. 

Jonathan Charlesworth Wins the 2025 Masters 5 Km Championship in Atlanta Photo Credit: Pam Fales

He matched that time at the Masters 5 Km X+C on November 1st at Golden Gate Park, finishing 4th, a half minute behind Richards. It looks as if his time has not yet come but he is poised to move up at future events.

Pagan had two fine results in March of this year. At the Project 13.1 Half Marathon on March 22, Pagan turned in a nifty 1:11.48 half marathon. Unfortunately, like Charlesworth at Carlsbad, Pagan's time was overshadowed by Cisewski's. A week later, Pagan was the first US M35 finisher, 4th overall at the World Masters Athletics Championships in 32:40. 

Edwin Pagan On His Way to 5th Place Overall and 4th Place M35 at the WMA Championships 10K Road Race Photo Posted on Facebook -E Pagan

He also won the USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships on a tough day and a tough course in Spicewood TX outside of Austin. He won by a half minute in 1:14:40. I find no recent XC results for Pagan.

Reid has speed on his side. He took first Masters in 14:55 at the Silicon Valley 5K in late November of this year. Earlier in the year he ran a 14:51 5K at the Impala Stampede and finished 5th overall at the Sactown 10 Miler in 49:48. Those are all fast. Of course, one can put the 10 Miler in perspective by noting that two years earlier, Richards had run 49:39 at the Masters Championships at Sactown. Reid ran as an Open runner at Tallahassee in 2023. His 32:09 was a second slower than Richards's winning time in the Masters race. Reid also ran at Tacoma as an Open runner, clocking 33:37, almost two minutes faster than Davis.

At this point, it does not look as if Charlesworth or Pagan are quite ready to crack the podium. They can prove me wrong on Sunday if they can. Reid, on the other hand, should certainly be in the mix. On paper he is the favorite. But there are dynamics of the races that are different. At Tallahassee, Reid finished 23rd in the Open race and he was 61st at Tacoma. In the midst of so many fast rivals a fast pace can be more likely than if one gets out in front without so many close competitors, as is more likely in the Masters race. On the other side is that, at least for Tacoma, the Open race was after the M40+ race and the muddy conditions continued to deteriorate.

Given the time difference between Reid, Davis and Richards at Tacoma last year, it seems prudent to designate Reid as the favorite. That gives me a final projected order of Reid-Davis-Flynn. With Richards, Cisewski and Charlesworth all running for West Valley, one can get an idea of which team should be favored for the M40+ win. if they can work together it could be that one, or more, of them could find themselves on the podium.

Projected Podium in Alphabetical Order:

Jesse Davis     Brian Flynn     Phillip Reid

All three races have tons of interest. It will be exciting to see how they turn out on Sunday. 

Next post up will be the age division preview.

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

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To express your appreciation for this resource, please click on the coffee cup logo in the sidebar. If yo are on a mobille device, please scroll down and click on 'View web version'.  Shout out here to recent supporters, Lorilynn Bloomer, John Hadcock, and Bryan Hendricks. May you have good speed in 2026!