Welcome to my Masters Elite Running blog, and Happy New Yearl! 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!
December 30, 2025. Fit Foundation, a new organization to USATF, submitted a bid to the Masters LDR Committee for a Masters Championships Marathon to be held on their Pace Bend course in Spicewood, Texas the second Saturday in December. Spicewood is a 45 minute drive from the Austin TX airport. The bidder emphasized that the course was set up to promote runners gaining Boston Qualifiers and such.
World Athletics had pulled the 2025 WA Road Racing Championships from San Diego. As a result, the 2025 Masters Half Marathon Championships, scheduled for September, had to be cancelled as well. USATF staff persuaded Fit Foundation to rework their bid for a half marathon. The course is an out and back paved course of about 1.64 miles, with a 180-degree turn at one end and a short circle turn at the other. Eight circuits added up to a Half Marathon; it was 16 for a full marathon.
The bidder noted that Marathoners and even Ultramarathoners would be on the course at the same time as the Masters Championship participants, perhaps aiming for a Boston qualifier or a Personal Best. The organizers touted that marathoners could get into their rhythm on the first traverse and would then be familiar with all parts of the course, the ups and downs, etc. and would know exactly what they would face each 1.64 miles. They thought this aspect would benefit the championship runners as well. It was an unusual setup for a Masters LDR Road Championship. It was good for spectators who could see the competitors 8 times during the race. The course had a noticeable downhill to the lake and then back up again. Runners also knew they would have to face that hill 7 more times after they climbed it the first time.
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| Post-Race Photo of Competitors From Left: Liz Guerrini and Jeannie Rice showing the downhill stretch to the lake at the 2025 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships Photo posted by J Rice on Facebook |
The entry list totaled just 44 across all Masters age groups. This contrasts with the 93 entered for the 2024 HM Championships in Indianapolis and the 114 signed up for the HM Championships in Syracuse the year before. Nonetheless, those who entered showed up ready to compete; there were some dandy races, along with some individual divisions that were less competitive. There was the hope that the weather might be good for the race. The two mornings previous, according to the Weather Underground's history, had seen temperatures in the 50's under cloudy skies with very moderate winds. But the temperatures fell overnight, and the winds picked up. At race time, temperatures were in the low to mid 40's with winds at 17-21 mph. One competitor noted that, luckily, they faced the headwinds on the downhill section, running toward the lake and the tailwinds on the way back.
Note: I am not aware of any professional photos from the race. I have used photos posted by competitors on Facebook and Strava. In a few cases, I have posted a photo from a past championship.
OVERALL
MEN Adrian Pagan Unaffiliated, NJ carried the honors for New Jersey and had the top credentials. In 2023 Pagan ran 1:12:25 to finish 5th overall at Connecticut's Ocean Beach Marathon, in honor of the legendary Boston Marathoner, John Kelley [the elder]. In November, 2024, Pagan ran 1:16:08 at the highly competitive BAA Half Marathon, finishing 9th in 35-39 and equivalent of 2nd Masters. If it is the correct Edwin Pagan, World Athletics lists him for 2:31:09 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon and 1:11:48 at the Project 13.1 Half Marathon. Still 39 at the time, had he been 40 he would have taken 2nd Masters. This March, before turning 40, Pagan took the bronze M35 medal in the 10 Km Road Race at the WMA Indoor Championships in 32:40. He would be challenged by Alan Black Atlanta Track Club, GA; Raymond Brown Bat City Track Club, TX, and Gregory Putnam Central Mass Striders, MA. I think of Black as excelling at the shorter distances. In 2018, in Flint MI, he took the overall Masters crown at the national Masters Road Mile championships. This year he finished 2nd in his M50 division at the 4 Mile and 5 Km national championships, clocking 22:57 in Peoria and 17:45 on a tough day over a hilly course in Atlanta. Nonetheless, Black has solid distance credentials. In 2015, Black finished 8th M40 at Boston in 2:34:16 and, three weeks before this championship, ran a tune-up 1:18:34 at the Race for Grace HM in Georgia. His goal was to run 8 miles at his goal HM pace. He reported on Strava that he felt good and kept the 6 minute per mile pace going. Brown ran 1:15:41 to finish 2nd Masters at the 2024 3M Half Marathon in Austin TX. The following November he cracked a 2:38 marathon at New York. Brown's 2:59 Marathon effort in Austin a few months later was as a 3:00 pacer. Brown hoped for a sub-55-minute effort at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in DC this past April and almost got it. His 55:12 gave him a 'Top Ten' Masters finish in that prestigious race. Putnam is the elder statesman of the crew. Running out of M50 in 20223, Putnam claimed the overall bronze medal, in 1:16:47 at the Masters national Half Marathon Championships in Syracuse. It was an unseasonably warm day for running in Syracuse NY and the Syracuse course is already a challenging hilly half marathon. This October in Massachusetts, Putnam bettered that time with a 1:16:18 at the Newburyport HM.
Brown and Pagan led the crew through the first 1.64-mile loop. At the 1 km mark, heading toward the 25-meter elevation climb at the end of the loop, Brown and Pagan were side by side about 50 meters ahead of Black and Putnam, also running together. By the time they were at the spot again on the 2nd loop, a small gap was starting to appear between Pagan and Brown. Black and Putnam were still locked in combat, but now with 150 meters between them and the leaders. As so often happens, once the gap showed up between Pagan and Brown, it grew. By the end of the third loop, Pagan was 50 meters ahead of Brown. Pagan battled the wind and sped up the end-of-loop hill five more times to claim the win in 1:14:41.
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| Edwin Pagan on His Way to a Bronze M35 Medal in the Road 10K at the 2025 World Masters Athletics Championships in Gainesville FL Photo posted on E Pagan's Strava account |
Brown, running alone in 'no man's land' nevertheless ran a PR of 1:15:12 for the silver medal. Putnam stayed within a few strides of Black through the first four loops. The gap started to grow very gradually after that. By the end of the fifth loop there was a gap of about 30 meters from Black to Putnam. Putnam was still in the hunt for bronze but would need to close that up. Black kept up the steady pressure, adding ten meters to the gap over the next two loops. On the final loop, Putnam felt a cramp; he would have to walk the final hill. Luckily for him, he had a sizable gap on Brown's teammate, Dominic Ricci, the fifth-place finisher. Black earned the bronze overall medal in 1:18:20, with Putnam forty seconds back in fourth. Ricci's 1:20:05 merited fifth. Pagan had a nice win and his first national Masters Championship!
Edwin Pagan 1:14:41 Raymond Brown 1:15:12 Alan Black 1:18:20
WOMEN Three women appeared to have a reasonable shot at a sub-1:30 half marathon. Jennifer Rodriguez [formerly Malavolta] Unaffiliated, PA was a strong favorite. The defending W50 champion finished 4th overall last year at the Masters Half Marathon Championships in Indianapolis last October. Her 1:26:45 time sparkled; that course is hilly and challenging. This past April she captured the W50 10 Km crown at Dedham, MA with a fine 39:27 effort. Morgan Ekemo Unaffiliated, AK. Ekemo ran collegiately for Virginia Tech and the University of Colorado. A newcomer to Masters LDR competition, Ekemo competed at Masters Indoor Track championships this past winter. She finished 5th W40 in 12:21.9 in the 3000M. This past January she ran a 19:54 5K at the Carlsbad Marathon. Ekemo recorded a 42:49 10k in 2024. Known better for her shorter distances, Elizabeth Guerrini Cal Coast Track Club, CA, ran 19:41 at the Carlsbad 5000 this past spring. This fall she turned in times of 19:32 and 19:49 in the 5K and 41:50 and 41:20 in the 10K. Her distance credentials are led by her W55 win at the September 2025 Surf City 10 Miler in 1:08:10. She also ran 3:56:16 at CIM in 2023. Without knowing the circumstances, it is hard to evaluate that effort. Her 10 Mile effort at Surf City equates roughly to a 1:31:10 Half Marathon. It appears, on paper, that Guerrini, out of W55, would compete well with Ekemo, out of W40. But Ekemo may have worked quite a bit on her distance fitness; her collegiate pedigree suggests the possibility of substantial improvement. As expected, Rodriguez took the win with a sizable gap.
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| Jennifer Rodriguez [then as Malavolta] Competing at the 2024 USATF Masters Half Marathon in Indianapolis IN Photo Credit: Pam Fales |
Rodriguez enjoyed a 25-second lead after the first loop and added to it consistently. She was never threatened. Nearly four minutes ahead when she crossed the finish line, Rodriguez won at 1:30:17. Her time this year was over three minutes slower than her time at Indy last October; that indicates what a tough day it was for the athletes. Ekemo was able to put some distance on Guerrini over the second half of the course. Ekemo finished 2nd at 1:33:58, with Guerrini third at 1:38:36. Jeannie Rice is the W75 World and American Marathon Record holder at 3:33:27 from the 2024 London Marathon. She did not expect to compete for the podium but got closer than anyone else! Rice finished 4th in 1:49:30 and achieved by far the highest age grading score on the day.
Jennifer Rodriguez 1:31:10 Morgan Ekemo 1:33:58 Elizabeth Guerrini 1:38:36
AGE DIVISIONS
WOMEN W40 Ekemo had a contest for the overall win but had no challengers in this division.
Morgan Ekemo 1:33:58
W45 There were two entries but one withdrew due to conflicts with a family celebration that got moved to this weekend. Sally Pena Unaffiliated was running in a national Masters championship for the first time. She clocked 57:13 at the Alamo 10K and ran 2:15:31 at the December 2024 Rock n Roll San Antonio Half Marathon. Coached by Jerry Snider who finished second in M50, Pena finished first in 2:27:30.
Sally Pena 2:27:30
W50 Rodriguez, the overall winner. was unopposed. She won the division.
Jennifer Rodriguez 1:31:10
W55 Guerrini, the overall bronze medalist, was unopposed. She won the W55 division.
Elizabeth Guerrini 1:38:36
W60 No Entries.
W65 No Entries.
W70 Mary Faria Unaffiliated, TX defended the home course against Cynthia Lucking Atlanta Track Club, GA, who hails from South Carolina, and Helene Myers Potomac Valley Track Club, MD. Lucking and Myers are regular participants at Masters national championships. Myers won the 2024 W70 Masters National Grand Prix. This year, Lucking won the W70 Grand Prix, with Myers second. In January 2024, Faria ran 1:46:46 at the 3M Austin HM. A month later she ran 1:59:28 at the Austin HM. In November 2024, Faria clocked 1:27:02 at the Run For the Water 10 Miler, roughly equivalent to a 1:57 HM. This past May she ran 50:46 at the Austin Sunshine 10K. Neither Lucking nor Myers are especially known for longer distances. It seemed likely they were mainly interested in Grand Prix points. Lucking typically runs as a member fo one of Atlanta's teams; that may have been intended, before falling through. Lucking typically finishes well ahead of Myers when they meet, but Myers competes more frequently. Lucking finished third W70 at the Masters National 10K Championships in Massachusetts in 56:50; Myers was 6th at 1:22:57. They went 1-2 in W70 at the 4 Mile Championships in Peoria IL, running 37:23 and 51:57 respectively. It appeared that Faria would probably have the edge over Lucking. As it turned out, Lucking was recovering from a stress fracture and was told by her PT to use a run/walk regimen. That being the case, each runner was soon running without division company. Faria ran a strong race, winning in 1:56:57, with forty minutes to spare. Lucking earned silver at 2:36:24, with a margin of more than 50 minutes over Myers in third.
Mary Faria 1:56:57 Cynthia Lucking 2:36:24 Helene Myers 3:28:52
W75 Jeannie Rice not only holds the World W75 Marathon Record, she also holds the American W75 Half Marathon record at 1:40:58. That one, set in Gothenburg, Sweden, is also recognized as a World Masters Athletics Championship record.
Note: WMA, at present, only tracks the Marathon for World masters Records; they do not track other distances, not even the Half Marath88on. They do track the fastest times at their World Championship events, the 10K and Half Marathon typically.
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| Jeannie Rice Executing the 180 Degree Turn halfway through one of the 1.64 Mile Segments Photo posted by J Rice on Facebook |
Andrea McCarter Atlanta Track Club, GA finished second in the W75 Grand Prix this year. Like Lucking in W70, Mc Carter was there for Grand Prix points. It seems likely that McCarter was planning on joining up with Lucking and one other Atlanta teammate to compete as a W70+ team. Atlanta has often moved up the Grand Prix leaderboard with that kind of strategy. McCarter won the W75 division last October at the Masters championships in Indianapolis at 2:40:15. A month later she ran 2:59:19 at the INVESCO QQQ HM in Atlanta.
As expected, these two athletes each ran their own race. Rice would not have to put forth a world record effort to win. But she has always broken 1:45, to my knowledge. No doubt, Rice's winning time of 1:49:30 illustrates, in part, the difficulties of the day. McCarter, likewise, ran far slower than her time last year, taking the silver medal in 3:00:34.
Jennie Rice 1:49:30 Andrea McCarter 3:00:34
MEN M40 The battle between Pagan and Brown for the overall win applies to this division as well. The two other competitors were, as far as this division is concerned, running on their own. Nolan Blount Unaffiliated, TX ran 1:40:06 at the Rock N Roll San Antonio HM in December 2024 and ran 1:16:07 at the Alamo Ten Miler this year, roughly equivalent to a 1:41 HM. Blount earned the bronze medal at 1:39:13. Harnish Jani finished 4th at 2:18:19.
Edwin Pagan 1:14:41 Raymond Brown 1:15:12 Nolan Blount 1:40:06
M45 Bryan Hendricks, Dominic Ricci and Michael Wilt appeared to be well matched.
Hendricks finished 10th M40 at the Masters Half Marathon championships last October in 1:22:22. He followed that with a 1:22:57 HM at the BOA Tallahassee Marathon.
Ricci's half marathons in early 2024 and early 2025, are not as fast at around 1:29. But he ran much faster at CIM in 2022, a 2:52:05 marathon, suggesting he might have a much faster HM in his legs.
Wilt ran 1:17:29 at the 3M Half Marathon in January 2024. He followed that in November with a 2:45:21 at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. This February he ran 1:19:24 at the Disney Princess HM.
Wilt appears to have gotten off to a faster start than Ricci and Hendricks. At the end of the first 2 km, Wilt had a couple of strides on Ricci, with Hendericks a couple of strides behind him. Shortly thereafter, it appears that Ricci closed on Wilt, but Hendricks drifted back from that pair.
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| Bryan Hendricks foreground with a GVH runner just behind, probably Alan Evans, and further back down the hill, perhaps a Bat City runner, on their way back uphill Photo posted by B Hendricks on Facebook |
Hendricks could not keep pace with the frontrunners but did a good job of staying focused and running his own race. It is difficult to tell from the GPS record on Strava, which was clearly sometimes inaccurate. But it appears that Ricci pulled away from Wilt on the middle loops, allowed him to recover some of that lost ground and then pulled away for good on the final two loops. Ricci did, indeed, have a good half marathon in his legs. He won in 1:20:03, a half minute ahead of Wilt. Hendricks claimed the bronze medal in 1:23:27, a good effort in tough conditions.
Dominic Ricci 1:20:03 Michael Wilt 1:20:37 Bryan Hendricks 1:23:27
M50 Black, who finished third overall, won the division in 1:18:20. Peter Christopher Unaffiliated, NH; Hernan Rozemberg Unaffiliated, TX; and Jerry Snider Unaffiliated, TX all had points in their favor. It was hard to see who, if anyone, would dominate the race for the remaining two podium spots. Christopher had two solid marathon efforts the last couple of years. He worked up to a sub-3 hour effort at the Baystate Marathon in October 2024. That was, apparently, his best marathon in years. Christopher continued to build marathon fitness and by September of this year was able to run 2:47:19 at the Clarence DeMar Marathon in NH. That suggests Christopher could run a 1:21 HM under similar conditions. Rozemberg's HM times have bounced around. In January 2024, he ran 1:21:34 at the 3M half marathon in Austin. Three months later he ran a 1:29:44 half marathon at the Eugene Marathon. [I just learned he was on pacing duties for that race.] Rozemberg bounced back part way in December 2024 with a 1:25:51 at the Rock N Roll San Antonio HM. Even if we discount the 1:29 HM it is not clear which Rozemberg would be likely to show up at Spicewood. It seems likely he would be competitive with Christopher. Snider is a different story entirely. He is a competitive M50 runner at the national level but he has no recent long races that I can find. He finished 4th in M45 at the 2022 5 Km Masters Championship sin Atlanta at 16:55. In 2023 he ran three local 5K's in times ranging from 16:06 to 16:50. In May of this year, Snider ran 17:24 5K. In October, Snider apparently started building for distance, logging fifty mile or longer weeks into November when switching to Cross Country mode.
When the gun sounded, Snider went out with the lead pack and did not start to drift back until the 2nd loop. He was well ahead of a chase pack including Black. Black did not catch Snider until the back half of the 4th loop. But that was a catch and pass, as Snider's early pace took its toll, along with the repetitious hill and headwinds. Christopher, too, had adopted an early pace faster than Black. But Black passed him on the first part of the third loop. Once Black got past those two, he kept the pedal to the metal and won the division with a half mile to spare.
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| Alan Black Crossing the Finish Line, the Overall Winner at the 2018 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships in Flint MI Photo by Carter Sherline |
Snider held it together, taking second in 1:21:56, a fine outing for an intermediate distance runner. Christopher claimed third in 1:23:12. A bronze medal at a national championship was a nice reward for the trip from NH. Rozemberg had a tougher day, finishing 4th in 1:28:04. Rozemberg was happy, given the challenges of the day and problems earlier in the year with some calf issues.
Alan Black 1:18:20 Jerry Snider 1:21:56 Peter Christopher 1:23:12
M55 Putnam, 4th overall, took the M55 win by a country mile.
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| Gregory Putnam Claims the Overall Bronze Medal at the 2023 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships in Syracuse NY Photo courtesy of Syracuse Half Marathon |
Scott Siriano Shore AC, NJ battled the Atlanta Track Club's Christophe Cadiou, Michael Strickland, and Chip Hawkins. They were there for M50+ team points but would compete for the podium as well. Siriano was the winner of the 2023 and 2024 Masters National Grand Prix's; he was runner-up this year. He finished 4th M55 at the 2023 Masters half marathon championships in Syracuse in 1:26:30 and finished 5th at the Masters 10 Mile Championships in Flint Mi at 1:04:56. Cadiou had finished 8th M50 at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships in New Jersey with a 49:41 effort. He followed that with a 5th place M50 at the Masters HM Championships in Indy a few weeks later; he ran 1:29:20. Strickland competes regularly for Atlanta in national championships but typically at road races shorter than 10 Km or Cross Country races over 8K or 5K. In 2024 he ran 20:30 at the Masters 5 Km Championships, finishing 17th. He ran 1:32:52 at the INVESCO QQQ HM in November 2024. Hawkins ran a 1:34:39 HM at the PUBLIX Atlanta Marathon in March, 2024. A few months later, Hawkins ran 1:28:38 at the Shipyard Old Port HM in Maine.
Apart from Putnam, Siriano was the best half marathoner in the M55 group on this day. His 1:29:10 earned the silver medal with a couple of minutes to spare. Strickland outlasted Cadiou to claim the bronze medal at 1:31:46. On a tough day, Cadiou clocked 1:35:38 to finish 4th. Hawkins was fifth at 1:38:15.
Gregory Putnam 1:19:01 Scott Siriano 1:29:10 Michael Strickland 1:31:46
M60 Genesee Valley Harrier teammates, Alan Evans, Michael Mertens, and Mike Nier contested this division along with Atlanta Track Club teammates, Lester Dragstedt and Gregory Oshust. Their main goals were team goals but individual goals were also in play. Evans was probably the favorite over a half marathon course. A marathoner first, Evans, ran 2:51:28 to win M60 at Grandma's Marathon in 2024. Not as sharp in 2025 but still on the division podium, Evans's 2:55:28 earned third place. In 2022, Evans finished 7th M55 at the Masters Half Marathon championships in Syracuse NY in 1:22:26. Nier ran 1:26:27 a year later on the same course, finishing 3rd M55 on a day warm enough to affect performances. In 2024, Nier ran 1:28:54 at the Black Diamond Express HM. Mertens ran 1:29:56 in Syracuse in 2023, finishing over three minutes behind Nier but serving as an important scoring team member. In October 2024, on a course as challenging as Syracuse, Mertens ran a minute faster to finish 4th M60 at the Masters HM Championships in Indianapolis. Oshust was in Spicewood, primarily for team objectives. In November of this year, Oshust ran 1:32:50 at the INVESCO QQQ HM in Atlanta.
Evans went out at a clip that said, if you want to beat me, you have got to stay with me! Halfway through the first 1.64 mile loop, Evans had 80 meters on Atlanta teammates, Dragstedt and Oshust, with Nier, Evans's teammate, another forty behind Dragstedt. Evans added to his lead on each successive traverse of the course, ahead of the field by over 4 minutes when he crossed the finish line, winning in 1:23:03. It was closer between Dragstedt, Oshust and Nier. Dragstedt and Oshust established a 40-meter gap in the first 1.64 mile traverse. That gap sometimes got a little bigger, but Nier kept returning it to 40 meters or so. On the 4th out-and-back, Nier was able to reel in Oshust, who could no longer keep pace with his teammate. By the 6th section of the 8, Nier and Oshust were still battling, with a clear sight of each other at the turns. Dragstedt, by then, was starting to pull away from that pair. He continued to grow the gap over the final two sections, claiming second in 1:27:16. Dragstedt noted that this was the first HM in a long time. It was gratifying, no doubt, to do so well. In the end, Nier had a little more in the tank. Nier finished third at 1:29 flat, just six seconds ahead of Oshust. That was an exciting race for the participants and spectators! Mertens was fifth at 1:32:48.
Alan Evans 1:23:03 Lester Dragstedt 1:27:16 Mike Nier 1:29:00
M65 The third member of Atlanta's M60+ team was Casey Hannan. He came to try to help the team win a championship. Like his teammates, the half marathon is a bit of a stretch for Hannan. In 2023, he ran 1:04:23 at the 10 Mile Championships in Sacramento, finishing 7th M60 and helping to secure a team win. That September he ran 51:05 to finish 7th in M60 at the 12 Km Masters Championships.
To his surprise, Hannan was alone in the M65 division. He won unopposed.
Casey Hannan 1:37:54
M70 The closest battle for the three podium spots came in this division as Daryl Brautigam Unaffiliated, NY; Douglas Chesnut Boulder Road Runners, CO, now living in Texas but on the Grandfather/Retained list, and Scott Lucking Atlanta Track Club, GA. Brautigam has not raced previously at Masters National Championships to my knowledge. In 2018, Brautigam ran 1:42:33 at the Evil Halloween HM in New York. Two months before this race, Brautigam ran 1:43:47 at the Mighty Niagara Half Marathon. Chesnut finished 3rd M70 in October 2024 at the Masters HM Championships in Indianapolis; his time was 1:37:53. In 2023, Chesnut won M70 at the Masters 10 Mile Championships in Sacramento with a 1:10:40 effort. At the 2024 Masters Ten Mile Championships, Chesnut recorded a 1:14:00 on the much more challenging Crim 10 Mile course in Flint MI. The year 2025 had been a good one for Lucking, after some years with challenges for his running. Some of the highlights included the second best showing by an American in the 10K Road race at the WMA Championships in Florida, at 43:45; and M70 bronze medal outings at the Masters 4 Mile and 1 Mile championships, the former in 27:24. In August, Lucking ran a 1:41:25 half marathon at the Marquette, MI Marathon. Presumably he kept that distance fitness for this race. Stalwarts for their teams, Chesnut and Lucking met on the cross country turf at Tacoma and Lubbock, where Chesnut enjoyed the edge. But Lucking came in ahead of Chesnut on the roads at the 10K and 1 Mile Masters Championships.
As during the year, Lucking had the edge over Chesnut on a paved surface. He could not quite match his outing at Marquette but his 1:42:14 gave him the win with 24 seconds to spare. In this case, it was Brautigam, not Chesnut, who was pressing Lucking. In fact, Lucking, who does not typically run these longer distances, followed the strategy he used in Michigan. Find someone to run with and hope you have something left at the end. Brautigam was that runner today. They ran together the whole way until Lucking pulled away on the final stretch. Brautigam ran a minute faster than he had in October; his 1:42:37, finishing just 23 seconds behind Lucking, earned the silver medal. Chesnut ran most of the way with his teammate, Bell, but did not challenge Lucking closely. Nonetheless, with just a tad over two minutes between gold and bronze, this was the closest podium race of the day! Chesnut claimed the M70 bronze medal in 1:44:29.
Scott Lucking 1:42:14 Daryl Brautigam 1:42:37 Douglas Chesnut 1:44:29
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| L to R: Bruce Kirschner, Doug Bell 2nd M75, and Douglas Chesnut 3rd M70. They are the Team Members of the Boulder R*-oad Runners Who Captured the M70+ Team Gold Medal at the 2025 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships in Spicewood, TX Photo posted by B Kirschner on Facebook |
M75 Doug Bell, the 'new kid on the block' in this division, and Don Morrison figured to vie for the win. Jerry Learned would do his best for the individual M75 race but his main goal was to deliver for his M70+ team. Morrison 4th M70 October 2024 in 1:42:22. Doug Bell had the edge over Morrison at the 2024 Masters 10 Mile Championships in Flint MI, finishing 2nd M70 in 1:12:07 to Morrison's 7th M70 at 1:14:42. Of course, ten miles is not a half marathon. Many of us think of Bell primarily in terms of shorter races on the roads and the turf. That 10 Mile result showed that Bell is a serious threat at the longer distances as well. Learned is a terrific competitor; he has finished 2nd in the M75 Masters National Grand Prix the last two years! That contains a lot of top finishes. Learned's silver medal time at the 2024 Half Marathon in Indianapolis was a fine 1:56:28. But that time suggests how difficult it would be for Learned to keep pace with Bell and Morrison.
Just like in the ten-mile championships, this duel between Bell and Morrison was close. In fact, it was closer! But this time it was Morrison who had more in the tank at the end. Morrison won in 1:44:08 with Bell 45 seconds back in second. Learned claimed third in 2:04:25.
Don Morrison 1:44:08 Doug Bell 1:44:53 Jerry Learned 2:04:25
AGE GRADING
NOTE: Best performances relative to runner's age. The age grade performance level percentage PLP identifies the athletes with the best performance, adjusted for age. Based on World data, it measures, in a rough sense, how close to the best possible time a runner of their exact (to the year) age could possibly run, with 100% [PLP=100] being, in principle, the highest score. A runner could, therefore, set an American Record and score less than a 100 PLP because the data are from the entire world, not just the USA.
WOMEN No surprise here! Jeannie Rice 77 was the only runner to score above 90% and she was way over 90%. Her 1:49:30 earn ed a 96.48 PLP and the age grading gold medal!
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| Jeannie Rice the Top Masters Half Marathon Age-Grader, Doing What She Does Best-Racing Fast with a Smile on Her Face Photo posted by J Rice on Facebook |
Jennifer Rodriguez 54, the Women's Overall winner, finished 2nd; her 1:30:17 left her two points ahead of the rest of the field at 83.50. Mary Faria 70, despite being a newcomer to Masters LDR national championships, took home the bronze age grading medal with a PLP of 81.01. Elizabeth Guerrini 57 79.43 and Morgan Ekemo 41 77.49 finished 4th and 5th.
Jeannie Rice 77 1:49:30 96.48 Jennifer Rodriguez 54 1:30:17 83.50 Mary Faria 70 1:56:07 81.01
MEN It was much tighter here. Alan Evans 62 took age grading gold. His 1:23:03 scored 87.36! The win must have come as a pleasant surprise! At the 2022 Masters Half Marathon championships, his most recent half marathon championship effort, he finished 14th in age grading with an 84.80 PLP.
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| Alan Evans #1304 Racing Alongside GVH Teammates, Joe Moran and Mike Nier As They Keep Pace with Dan King #1014 at the 2024 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tacoma WA Photo Credit: Mike Scott |
Gregory Putnam 56 was within a percentage point, in second! He attained an 86.71 PLP from his 1:19:01, despite his late cramp. Not only did Alan Black 52 finish 3rd overall, he also captured the bronze medal for finishing third, overall, in age grading at 84.34. Lester Dragstedt 63 83.96 and Gregory Oshust 62 81.43 finished 4th and 5th.
Alan Evans 62 1:23:03 87.36 Gregory Putnam 56 1:19:01 86.71 Alan Black 52 1:18:20 84.34
TEAMS
Note: For Masters LDR road championships, the team score is the sum of the times for the first three runners to finish for each team. Teams may include up to 5 members but only the first three are scored. Teams with fewer than three finishers receive no team score.
MEN M40+ Bat City Track Club, out of Austin TX, was the only team entered. They won, unopposed.
Bat City Track Club R Brown, D Ricci, M Wilt, B Morton 3:56:00 Average time per scoring runner =1:18:40
M50+ Atlanta Track Club was the only club to enter a complete team in this division. They won, unopposed.
Atlanta Track Club A Black, M Strickland, C Cadiou, C Hawkins 4:25:43 Average = 1:28:35
M60+ The Genesee Valley Harriers, out of greater Rochester NY, and the Atlanta Track Club, from Atlanta GA, contested this division in a back-and-forth battle. Evans gave GVH the first score at 1:23:02. Atlanta's Dragstedt stopped the clock at 1:27:16, limiting GVH's advantage to 4:14. GVH's Nier kept the pressure on by sprinting away from Atlanta's Oshust at the finish by six seconds. His 1:29:00 gave GVH a total time of 3:52:02 from their first two runners. Adding Oshust's and Dragstedt's times together gave Atlanta 3:56:22. GVH was in the driver's seat. Mertens finished up for GVH with his 1:32:49. Casey Hannan, out of M65, closed things out for Atlanta a few minutes later.
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| GVH Teammates From Left: Alan Evans, Mike Nier, and Michael Mertens After Winning the M50+ Team Championships at the 2025 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships Photo posted by Genesee Valley Harriers on Facebook |
GVH had the gold and Atlanta the silver. GVH finished third in last year's M60+ Club Grand Prix, ten points behind Atlanta. These 100 points gives GVH a good start for the 2026 Grand Prix season.
Genesee Valley Harriers A Evans, M Nier, M Mertens 4:24:52 Average = 1:28:18
Atlanta Track Club L Dragstedt, G Oshust, C Hannan 4:34:14 Average = 1:31:25
M70+ The Boulder Road Runners have taken the M70+ team Grand Prix title in each of the last four years. In 2023 and 2024 they enjoyed perfect 500-point scores, representing wins in their five best championships. The other two years they 'only' scored 490. Atlanta has trailed them in 2nd [ace for the GP in each of these years. Boulder sent a signal that they are not about to end that string, at least not easily. With two of the strongest runners in the M70+ division on their team, Doug Bell and Douglas Chesnut, they are a tough team to beat. One of their usual team members could not make the event. They turned to Bruce Kirschner, who has been dealing with some health issues but has been an important team member over the years. He was willing to race, as long as the team un8derstood he was not in shape to be competitive but should be able to complete the race. In March 2024, before these health problems kicked up, Kirschner ran 1:38:55 at the UA NYC Half Marathon. Kirschner expected to finish but thought it could easily take him more than 2 hours; it would be his slowest half marathon ever, close to 2 hours. It turned out to be enough. Scott Lucking gave Atlanta the early lead with his 1:42:14. Chesnut and Bell ran together most of the race, with Chesnut moving away from bell towards the end. Their times of 1:44:29 and 1:44:53 gave them a 2-runner total of 3:29:22. Jerry Learned was not able to match his sub-2-hour effort of the previous October in Indianapolis. But he came in ahead of Kirschner. Learned's 2:04:25 put Atlanta's 2-runner total at 3:46:39. They were 17 minutes behind Boulder. Atlanta's #3, Ward Irvin, who has no recent half marathon results, needed to finish before Kirschner. When he came in at 2:06:54, Atlanta had a (rounded) score of 5:53:33 and the clock started ticking. Kirschner needed to finish before the clock showed 2:24:11. Even though Kirschner's fitness was way off. his teammates could see him heading onto the final out and back with time to spare. Kirschner finished less than three minutes behind Irvin. His 2:09:49 gave Boulder a (rounded) total of 5:39:11, a good 14 minutes ahead of Atlanta. That gives them another ten points on Atlanta. They will need it if Atlanta's #1, Rick Becker, can come back strong for the rest of the season.
Boulder Road Runners D Chesnut, D Bell, B Kirschner 5:39:10 Average = 1:53:04
Atlanta Track Club S Lucking, J Learned, W Irvin 5:53:31 Average = 1:57:24
WOMEN There were no complete Women's teams entered.
That completes the recap of the USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships in Spicewood TX. That was the second stop on the 2025-26 Masters National Grand Prix circuit. Next up is Tallahassee, FL on the 11th of January for the Club Cross Country Championships on World Cross Championships weekend!
Sources: USATF Events website, my archives, Athlinks, Strava, and Facebook.
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