On Saturday, June 6th, the 51st edition of Peoria's Steamboat Classic is set to welcome the 2026 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships back for the second year. Like last year, both the Open and Masters 4 Mile Championships will be decided on the streets of Peoria, IL The weather forecast has been closely watched this week. The 10-day-ahead forecast on May 27th called for scattered thunderstorms the morning of the race. Today's forecast suggests any morning thunderstorms are likely to be finished well before race time, with others occurring later in the afternoon. It seems likely the race can go on without delay or interruption. Registration closes at midnight on Thursday, June 4th. Last year, the 4 Mile distance was not one of the distances tracked for American Records. That oversight was corrected this past year. Andy Carr, USATF's LDR Records guru, has been busy going back through past 4 Mile race results across the country to construct a set of American Records. Everything considered, the records are surprisingly robust. Some will definitely be at risk! The list of Men's and Women's Age Division Records can be found at the end of this article. Carr's site is at: http://usatfldrrecords.org/index.html.
Record Possibilities. Two of the American Records under siege are the Men's 70-74 American Record of 25:21, set in 2003, and the Women's 55-59 record set in 2022. Jacob Nur SRA Elite, CA is entered.
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| Jacob Nur on his way to an M65 American Record at the 2022 Masters 10 Mile Championships, hosted by the Sactown Ten in Sacramento, CA Photo courtesy of Sacramento Running Association |
Since turning seventy last year, Nur has broken American Records from the 1 Mile to the 30 Km distances. His most recent record-breaking run was at the Carlsbad 5000 this April. He clocked 17:47 to break one of the oldest American Records, the 18:01 5K mark set by Warren Utes in 1990. That effort age graded at 98.01. If he can run like that on Saturday, he is likely to run well under 23:30. The current record is 25:21, set by Paul Heintzman in 2003. Frank Zoldak was a little off his game at the Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January. But last year here in Peoria, Zoldak ran 21:28. That is seventeen seconds faster than the American Record. If he is at full fitness tomorrow, Zoldak has a legitimate shot at the Record. Note: His time last year was not a record because the course, as run last year, was not quite record-eligible. Perry Shoemaker Whirlaway Racing NH is new to the 55-59 age division. She holds 50-54 American Records at 10 Miles, 12 km and 20 km. On April 26th, just before her 55th birthday, Shoemaker clocked 38:10 [38:09 chip time] to finish 4th overall at the USATF Masters 10 Km Championships over the rolling hills course at the James Joyce Ramble. Had she been a few days older, that would have age graded at 90.58%. A similar effort on Saturday would yield a 4-mile time of 24:26. The current AR is 24:25, held by Fiona Bayly.
* mark pending ^ course aided # women only AC = All Comers MAC = Masters All Comers
* mark pending ^ course aided # women only AC = All Comers MAC = Masters All Comers
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OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN Favorites as of entries on Sunday morning, May 31st, appear to be Karen Dos Santos Shore Athletic Club; NJ, Angela Giuliani Unaffiliated; TX, Dana Hayden Unaffiliated; VA, Sarah Kasabian [-Larson] Red Cedar Running Club, and Perry Shoemaker. Dos Santos finished sixth overall in the Masters 10 Km championships in late April with her 38:37. Shoemaker was fourth in 38:09. On May 17th, Shoemaker ran 18:34 at the Great Bear 5K in Massachusetts. On May 25th, Dos Santos ran 37:57 at the Ridgewood 10K in New Jersey. This should be a good rematch! Giuliani finished 3rd Overall at the 2025 Masters 5 Km Championships in Atlanta last October with a 19:09 effort. [Note: The course was longer than 5K; the race needed reroute the course in the runup to the championships due to construction. The consensus was that times may have been up to a minute faster for a true 5K.]
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| Angela Giuliani claimed the Bronze Medal Overall at the 2025 Masters 5 Km Championships in hosted by the Atlanta Track Club at their PNC Bank Ten Mile Championships in Atlanta GA Photo by Pam Fales |
Hayden finished seventh in 19:39. A month later, Giuliani clocked 19:23 to finish 5th overall at the Masters 5 Km Cross Country Championships in San Francisco at Golden Gate Park. Hayden competed at that championship as well, running 19:05 to finish fourth overall. Giuliani and Hayden each have a win; this race will allow one of them to move ahead in their rivalry. It will be interesting to see how the runners with the fast 10K times stack up at 4 Miles against the runners with the fast 5K times! But Hayden also ran the Ukrop's Monument 10K in mid-April in 39:02. So Hayden has a recent fast 5K and a fast 10K. Kasabian has not competed in any prior national championships that I know of. But she has two fast races this year. She took first Masters at both the Rock CF Rivers HM-15K in 57:38 and in the Glass City HM with a 1:23:12. The former equates to a 37:48 10K, the latter to a 39:00 10K. Her 5K's in 2025 were in the 18:49 to 19:07 range. From 1997 to 2000, Jenelle Detherage Unaffiliated; IL ran cross country and track at the University of Wisconsin where she was an All American. In 2004, Detherage finished fourth in the US 1500M Olympic Trials. In 2020, Deatherage competed in her fifth US Olympic Marathon Trials. But she has not been as active racing recently. The most recent results I could find were a 22:43 effort at this Steamboat Classic in 2018. Updating that to 2026, via age grading, equates it to a 24:21. But that would presume she is running at the same intensity now as eight years ago. In April 2023, Deatherage ran 30:46 at the Crazylegs 8K. That equated, at the time to a 24:40. Three years later it equates to a 25:25, or a 39:43 10K. Deatherage is definitely a threat. The lack of recent results suggests I keep her off the list of favorites.
If forced to guess, I would have to venture: Giuliani-Shoemaker-Hayden-Dos Santos-Kasabian...but the order could easily be completely different. If the 19:09 were accurate for 5K, that equate via age grading to a slower time than Shoemaker's 10K equates to. But if we give Giuliani even half a minute, to drop her to 18:39, her age grade equivalent time surpasses that of Shoemaker by about 15 seconds...and the more time one takes off, the bigger the margin.
It looks like a terrific race between the four of them! Because I can only list three likely podium picks, I have to eliminate one of the four. I will eliminate Dos Santos and Kasabian but they could easily prove me wrong on race day!
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Angela Giuliani Dana Hayden Perry Shoemaker
MEN Right now, it looks like a rematch between David Angell R%7oanoke Valley Elite; VA, Nicholas Kipruto Unaffiliated; CO, and Dickson Mercer GRC-Tracksmith. At the Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA in late April, the finishing order was not alphabetical. Kipruto was the overall winner in 31:26. Mercer claimed sixth in 33:20, with Angell a half minute back in ninth. There seems no inherent reason to think the finishing order would differ this Saturday. Angell is on the comeback trail after an injury that sidelined him for a bit. The extra six weeks of training in the Roanoke River Valley of Virginia may have improved his fitness relative to the others. On the other hand, Kipruto has used that to put in a solid training block with a mix of running, biking and weight training in his hometown of Colorado Springs.
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| Nicholas Kipruto holds off the Chase Pack to Claim the Silver medal overall at the 2026 Masters 1 Mile Championships, hosted by the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines IA Photo complimentary from Grand Blue Mile. |
It was a different mix for Mercer, and the Washington, DC area instead of Coolorado Springs, but a good mix of individual and GRC team workouts. Mike Aitken Unaffiliated; MO has not competed in any recent national championships but cold make things interesting. In March of this year, he turned in a 16:13 5K effort at the Moolah Shriners Run for the Bigtop in St Charles MO. That is roughly equivalent to a 2-minute 4 Mile effort. Overall there seems little reason to suggest a different outcome than took place in Dedham. Although Angell was able to win in Peoria over Mercer last year. But Mercer is having a better year in 2026 than 2025.That leaves me with Kipruto-Mercer-Angell, and Aitken just off the podium in fourth.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
David Angell Nicholas Kipruto Dickson Mercer
AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS
MEN M40 Kipruto, Mercer and Aitken, all from this division are projected for 1-2-4 overall. Hence they are projected for 1-2-3 in this division. See Overall discussion for details.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Mike Aitken Nicholas Kipruto Dickson Mercer
M45 Angell, in his last year in this division, is projected to finish on the Overall podium. He is. therefore, projected for first place in M45.
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| David Angell Left Moves to the front on his way to the Overall Win at the 2025 Masters Four Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
So far, there is only one other entrant in the M45 division, George Trilikis RC Athletic Club; IL. The most recent result for Trilikis is a 14:03 2-Mile effort in the Elite Chocolate Turkey run last November. Other results from further in the past seem consistent with that result. Trilikis is projected for second place.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
David Angell George Trilikis
M50 Joshua Bannister Unaffiliated; IL ran 24:14 in the Community Race portion of the Steamboat Classic 4 Miler in Peoria IL. Had he run in the USATF Masters 4 Mile championships, that time would have earned second place on the M45 division. This spring he ran 17:05 in the Blarney Blitz 5K and 1:17:35 in the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon. The former is equivalent roughly to a 35:30 10K and the latter to a 22:07 4 Miler. Peter Christopher Unaffiliated; NH has comparable recent results. This May, Christopher ran 17:43 at the Great bear 5K in Massachusetts and 1:17:53 at the New Bedford Half Marathon in March. Last year he clocked 35:48 at the North Shore 10K. They will have to contend with Brian Sydow Atlanta Track Club; GA who finished third in M50 at the USATF Masters 10 Km Championships with a 36:43 effort. That equates roughly to a 23:20 4-Miler. Bannister has the advantage of being local and experience on the course. Sydow has the experience of competing in many national championship races. His most recent effort, at the 10K, was arguably better than Bannister's effort here in Peoria last year. Christopher's efforts, although comparable to Bannister's are just slightly slower. Based on those musings, I could suggest a finishing order of Sydow-Bannister-Christopher. But it is clear, these athletes are closely matched. It has all the ingredients to suggest a highly competitive race with the athlete who shows up best prepared on the day winning the race. No finishing order would surprise me.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Joshua Bannister Peter Christopher Brian Sydow
M55 Gregory Putnam Central Mass Striders; MA and Shane Anthony Shore Athletic Club; NJ renew their rivalry. At the 10 km Championships in late April, they went 1-2 in this division. Putnam clocked 35:20; Anthony was just ten seconds back in the silver medal position. Those times are equivalent to running 22:27 and 22:33 4-Milers, respectively. But they will have to contend with Frank Zoldak Boulder Road Runners; CO. Last year he won this division here in 21:29. Some of his other accolades include winning M50 at the 2023 Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee, at 34:23 over 10K, and M55 at the Club Cross Championships in Tacoma WA.
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| Frank Zoldak captured the M55 Win and was on the Age Grading Podium Overall at the 2025 Masters Four Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Zoldak showed a chink in his armor at Tallahassee this past January, when he finished 8th M55 at the Club Cross Championships. Anthony finished a minute ahead of him at those championship and Putnam finished a half minute ahead. One would have to guess that Zoldak was off on that day for some reason and was running for team points; he helped his team to a third place finish. He is here in Peoria on his own account. I assume he is ready to roll. But even if Zoldak has fitness close to what he brought to Peoria last year, this year will not be an easy win. Anthony and Putnam are highly competitive runners who do not give way easily. This division, too, should see a terrific battle among those three. If any of those three have an off day, Brad Slavens Atlanta Track Club; GA appears to be the strongest runner among the other competitors. Slavens finished sixth in this division at the 10 Km Masters Championships with his 37:36. Given my thoughts on Zoldak's likely fitness and the fact that Putnam emerged victorious in the recent road battle with Anthony, I offer a suggested finishing order of Zoldak-Putnam-Anthony. But, again, this could easily be one of closest contests on the day and any order is possible.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Shane Anthony Gregory Putnam Frank Zoldak
60-64 This is another stacked entry list. The 1-2-3 finishers from the recent Masters 10 Km Championships were: Nat Larson Greater Springfield Harriers; MA, Scott Grandfield Greater Springfield; MA, and Mark Hixson Greater Springfield; CT. Their times were 36:24, 37:07, and 37:52 respectively. But they go up against Douglas Baldwin Twin Cities Running Co; MN and John Van Danacker TCRC; MN. Baldwin won this division last year in 22:58. Van Danacker and Baldwin finished 4th and 6th at 2024 Club Cross in Tacoma; Larson finished second. This past January, in the absence of Larson and Baldwin, Van Danacker took the win at Club Cross.
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| Joohn Van Danacker wins the Men's 60 and Up Race at the 2026 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL. Photo by Michael Scott |
Hixson finished eighth. In 2022 and 2023, Larson set the M60 American Records for every distance from the 1 Mile to the Half Marathon. Larson's 36:24 is roughly equivalent to a 23:04 4-Miler. Larson was still coming back from an injury in late April. My guess is that his fitness has con5tinued to move in a positive direction. Based on that, I give Larson the edge over Baldwin. The race between Grandfield, Hixon and Van Danacker will be spirited. Van Danacker is consistently ahead of Grandfield and Hixson on the Cross Country turf. At the recent 1 Mile Championships in Des Moines, Van Danacker finished fourth M60, behind Mike Nier Genesee Valley Harriers; NY. Both Grandfield and Hixson finished ahead of Nier at the 10 Km Championships at the end of April. Even between Grandfield and Hixson, there is some doubt. Last year at the 10 Km Championships, Hixson finished fourteen seconds ahead of Grandfield. I will add Grandfield's name to the podium favorite list. He has been running exceptionally well this year and has, apparently, enjoyed a solid block of training between the 10 Km Championships and these. But even leaving Nier off the list is risky.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Douglas Baldwin Scott Grandfield Nat Larson
65-69 This division is also loaded. Roger Sayre Twin Cities Running Co; MN, Doug Keller Twin Cities RC; MN, and Steve Monks QC Faster Masters; FL are the podium favorites, probably in that order. Sayre finished second here last year, behind Dan King, in 24:33.
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| Roger Sayre Claimed the M65 Silver medal at the 2025 Masters Four Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
But at the recent Brian Kraft 5K in the Twin Cities, Sayre finished third M65 in 18:59, two seconds behind Keller. So there may not be much room between the two, with the order in doubt. Monks ran 1:02:34 at the Gate River Run this past March and ran 39:55 for a 10K at a Fleet Feet Race in Florida in February. Last November he turned in a 19:39 5K. Last July, Monks finished 1st M65 at the Quad City Bix in 44:30. That equates roughly to a 24:54 4 Mile or a 39:20 10K. Monks is certain to challenge Keller and Sayre. But Ken Youngers Atlanta TC; GA could also break onto the podium. He had an up and down 2025. In 2024, Youngers finished 2nd in M65 at the 10 Km championships, although Sayre and Keller did not compete. At Atlanta in the Masters 5 Km Championships, Youngers clocked 18:55 to finish 3rd M65, a half minute behind Sayre. This year at the same championships, Youngers finished 4th, a good minute behind Sayre and over a half minute behind Keller. At Tallahassee this past January, Youngers finished a minute behind Keller over 8 Km of Cross Country turf. This will be the first appearance for Youngers on the national circuit since that event. It could be that Youngers is back on track and has been honing his fitness since that time. If so, he could well challenge Keller. Lawrence Sak Ann Arbor TC; MI finished third in M65 at this year's 10 Km Masters Championships in 42:50. If Youngers is running primarily for team points and Sak has a good day, he could challenge Youngers, but perhaps still not land on the podium. I will opt for a finishing order of Sayre-Keller-Monks but would not be surprised to see the name of Youngers on the podium, or a different order.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Doug Keller Steve Monks Roger Sayre
M70 As noted earlier, Jacob Nur SRA Elite; CA will almost surely take down the American Record in this division. See the Records section above for details. Nur, already the M70 American record holder, pending ratification, at the 1 Mile, 5 Km, 8 Km, 10 Km, Half Marathon and 30 Km distances, is the strong favorite to take the win. Nur is likely to break 40 minutes by a good deal. But, of course, Nur is human; the human body, no matter how well tuned, can sometimes balk. Several other strong runners are entered. There is, for example, the three teammates, Kevin Dollard Shore AC; NY, Harold Leddy Shore AC; NJ, and James Linn Shore AC; PA. At the 5 Km Championships last year, it was Linn-Dollard and Leddy finishing 2-3-4, all within six seconds of one another. At the 4 Mile championships last year Linn finished second M70 here in Peoria with a 27:12 effort. His teammates did not compete. At the 1 Mile Championships this year, it was Linn-Dollard & Leddy finishing 4-5-7 M70, in times ranging from 6:07 to 6:21.
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| Jim Linn Captured the M70 Silver medal at the 2025 Masters Four Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
At the 10 Km Championships five days later, it was Dollard-Leddy-Linn finishing 3-4-5 in times ranging from 43:00 to 43:13. Aaron Grady Boulder Road Runners; CO will challenge that trio for a podium spot. He ran 1:33:07 at the Tucson Half marathon last December and 22:44 at the Colder Boulder 5K, also in December. That 5K was at altitude and in December; the 5K is consistent with the Half Marathon result. It seems likely that Grady could run a 10K in something like 43 minutes or less. I will opt for a likely finishing order of Nur-Linn-Grady. But Dollard and Leddy are fully capable of upsetting that projected order.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Aaron Grady James Linn Jacob Nur
75-79 Don Morrison Greater Philadelphia TC; PA has won the M75 division at the two most recent Masters Championships, the 1 Mile in Des Moines and the 10 Km in Dedham. It was tight in Des Moines. Morrison only defeated Doug Bell Boulder Road Runners; CO by a single second, 6:35 to 6:36. Bell and his teammates did not compete in Dedham. But Morrison took the win in 46:02 with three minutes to spare. Last year at the 10 Km Championships when they were in different divisions, Bell ran over a half minute faster than Morrison. But Morrison, at the time, was coming back from a bout with Lyme disease; he ran a half minute faster this year than last. Bell also took hoors when they met on the turf at Tallahassee. Morrison will be the favorite, but Bell could upset that prediction. Jerry Learned Atlanta TC; GA will do his best to keep pace with those two. In Des Moines, Learned finished third in M75 in 6:48. He also finished third at Dedham in 49:45. Victor Vazquez Unaffiliated; FL finished third at the Masters 1 Mile Championships in Indianapolis last year. If any of the three above have an off day, Vazquez could land on the podium again. But Learned did run 23 seconds faster in Indy. The most likely finishing order seems to be Morrison-Bell-Learned.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Doug Bell Jerry Learned Don Morrison
80-84 There are two entrants, teammates, Jack Frame Shore AC; NJ and Przemek Nowicki Shore AC; NJ. They skipped Des Moines where Gary Patton and Gary Ostwald finished 1-2 in a very tight race. Patton led Nowicki and Frame, in that order, to the finish line in Dedham, over 10 Km, by six minutes. But neither Ostwald nor Patton are entered in Des Moines. Paul Carlin, your author, who finished fourth in Dedham, is missing the race for a Memorial Service/Family Gathering in Seattle. Nowicki finished a good minute ahead of Frame in Dedham. But Frame has been coming in ahead of Nowicki in shorter races. I will go with an order of Nowicki and then Frame, but with some uncertainty.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Jack Frame Przemek Nowicki
85-89 Roland Cormier Shore AC; NJ won the M85 Grand Prix last year and is well on his way to another victory this year. He will be unopposed on Saturday. It looks like another 100 Grand Prix points for Cormier.
Podium Favorite:
Roland Cormier
WOMEN W40 Giuliani, Dos Santos and Kasabian were picked 1-4-5 for the overall Championship. They are picked to go 1-2-3 in W40. See overall discussion for details.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Karen Dos Santos Angela Giuliani Sarah Kasabian
45-49 Hayden was picked for third overall. She is the favorite to take the crown in this division.
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| Dana Hayden Captured the Silver Medal Overall at the 2026 Masters 1 Mile Championships, hosted by the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines IA Photo complimentary from Grand Blue Mile. |
But Deatherage was also considered a threat for overall honors. She seems likely to claim the silver medal. See overall discussion for details. Brooke Novak Atlanta TC; GA finished third in this division at Des Moines in 6:43. This April she raced to a 20:01 at the Teardrop 5K. The most likely finishing order seems to be: Hayden-Deatherage-Novak.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Jenelle Deatherage Dana Hayden Brooke Novak
50-54 The three entrants in this division seem to sort themselves into a likely finishing order of Kathy Weigand Atlanta TC; GA, Alysia Puma Shore AC; NJ, and Laura Scholz Atlanta TC; GA. Wiegand ran 44:24 at the Members 10K last year. Puma finished sixth at Dedham in the 10 Km championships in 46:06. The previous year she ran 45:05 at the 10K. There is not a huge gulf between Weigand and Puma but Weigand seems likely to be a bit faster. Last year, Scholz finished third in this division in Peoria last year with a 31:30. She ran a 10K in January in Georgia in 51:34.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Alysia Puma Laura Scholz Kathy Weigand
55-59 Shoemaker is favored to finish on the Overall podium. She is favored in this division by a wide margin.
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| Perry Shoemaker finishes off her W50 win and 12 Km American Record at the 2023 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships in Highland NJ Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
See Overall discussion for details. After Shoemaker, Alexandra Marzulla Shore AC; NJ may well be the silver medal favorite. Her 35:33 at the Spring Lake 5 Mile Run this May equates roughly to a 44:16 10K. She also clocked 56:19 at the Navesink 12K last fall. Katharine Serrano Atlanta TC; GA is not far off. She ran 46:11 at the Teardrop 10K this April. Maureen Massell Shore AC; NJ and Brenda Osovski Genesee Valley Harriers; NY finished 8th and 7th respectively at the 2025 10 Km championships, just one second apart in 48:50 and 48:51. They are likely to battle for 4th and 5th. But should any of the above have an off day, one of them could well wind up on the podium.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Alexandra Marzulla Perry Shoemaker Katherine Serrano
60-64 Although she did not compete here last year, Suzanne La Burt Shore AC; NY is a strong favorite to take the win this year. Since turning 60 La Burt has won most, perhaps all, of the national Masters Championship races she has entered.
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| Suzanne La Burt claimed the W60 Gold Medal and the W60 American Record at the 2024 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships in Highland NJ Photo Credit: Jason Timochko |
She holds the 12 Km American W60 Record at 48:39. At the 10 Km Championships in Dedham at the end of Apri, La Burt won with two minutes to spare in 41:37. Mary Cass Liberty AC; MA, her longtime rival, finished third in 44:52. La Burt's other races this spring include a 20:27 5K and a 1:07:42 Ten-Mile Run. Cass ran a fine 1:10:49 at the Boston Tune-Up 15K this April. Victoria Bok Liberty AC; MA and Deborah Capko Shore AC; NJ should enjoy the battle for the final podium spot. Capko ran 45:43 at the Spring Lake 5-Miler this spring. Bok finished 10th in the division at Dedham in 49:33. I give Bok the edge, but it is likely to be close. The shorter distance may work in Capko's favor. Michelle Allen Atlanta TC; GA, known more for her middle-distance efforts, could also factor into the podium race. Her 6:45 earned the silver W60 medal at Des Moines in the 1 Mile Masters Championships. The most likely finishing order seems to be: La Burt-Cass-Bok.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Virginia Bok Mary Cass Suzanne La Burt
65-69 Patrice Combs Atlanta TC; GA won this W65 division here last year in 28:18. In April, Combs took the win at the 10K Championships in 44:18.
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| Patrice Combs won the W65 Division and Claimcd the Overall Age Grading Gold Medal at the 2025 Masters Four Mile Championships, hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Her teammate, Lesley Hinz Atlanta TC; GA looks good for the silver medal. Her winning time at Dedham this April was 46:26. Hinz, who trains primarily as a middle-distance runner, gets better as the distance gets shorter. She could even give her teammate, Combs, a battle for the win. Another teammate, Mireille Silva Atlanta TC; GA, seems likely to take third. She finished fourth in W65 at Dedham in 47:58. Cynthia Wiliams Atlanta TC; GA, who finished fourth here last year in 33:25, is poised to move up should any of her three teammates have an off day.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Patrice Combs Lesley Hinz Mireille Silva
70-74 Margaret Taylor Atlanta TC; GA== and Susan Stirrat Shore AC; NJ will renew their rivalry. In 2025, Taylor finished a good minute ahead of Stirrat at the Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham, taking 8th in W65. This year both were in M70 at Dedham. They finished 2nd and third with Taylor, at 55:51, having just a six second edge over Stirrat. But Donna May Unaffiliated; FL, could well take the win. May won this division at the Road Mile Championships in Indianapolis with a 7:13. She ran 1:20:42 at the Space Coast 15K this April. That translates roughly to a 52:21 10K. The likely order seems to be May-Taylor-Stirrat. But Stirrat would love to turn the tables on Taylor, and it could happen.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Donna May Susan Stirrat Margaret Taylor
75-79 Kathleen Allen Atlanta TC; GA and her teammate, Andrea McCarter Atlanta TC; GA finished 1-2 here in 2025, clocking 41:06 and 1:04:10, respectively. They are the only two entrants; they are highly likely to finish 1-2 again this year.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Kathleen Allen Andrea McCarter
80-84 Susan Sajdak Unaffiliated; IL won here last yar in 46:30. She is unopposed this year and will win the championship once she crosses the finish line.
Podium Favorite:
Susan Sajdak
85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite Atlanta TC; GA continues to roll from win to win in this division. She won here last year in 1:12:25. The 2025 85-89 Grand Prix winner seem likely to repeat this year. She already has wins at the USATF Cross Country championships in Portland OR and at the 1 Mile Championships in Des Moines IA. Unopposed, Hodges-Hite will win here on Saturday when she crosses the finish line.
Podium Favorite:
Joyce Hodges-Hite
AGE GRADING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The age grading score for each runner provides an estimate of how close they are to running the fastest tie possible for their age and sex. The scores are based on international data; the closer to 100%, the closer the athlete is to the best possible time. Championship medals are awarded for the three highest age grade scores, Performance level Percentages, for Women and Men.
WOMEN Top candidates include Cass, Combs, Hinz, La Burt, and Shoemaker. La Burt and Shoemaker finished 2nd and 3rd in Age Grading at Dedham; their PLP's were 90.90.68 and 89.50 respectively. Hinz finished fourth at 88.12; Cass was sixth at 86.41. Combs had the top PLP at Peoria last year, scoring 91.57. Combs's 91.25 PLP at Dedham last year placed her fourth, behind La Burt's 3rd at 92.58, but well ahead of Cass's fifth at 87.68. That recent history suggests Combs, La Burt and Shoemaker are favorites for the age grading medals.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Patrice Combs Suzanne La Burt Perry Shoemaker
MEN Nur is, no doubt, the favorite for the Age Grading win. Should he come close to the effort he put forth at Carlsbad with his 17:46, his PLP would be 98.11! Larson seems a pretty good bet for second. He won at Dedham with his 91.72. Others in contention for the top prizes include Angell, Anthony, Baldwin, Grandfield, Kipruto, Putnam, Sayre, Van Danacker, Youngers, and Zoldak. At the 10 Km Championships, Anthony, Kipruto, Putnam, and Grandfield finished fourth through seventh with 88.99 down to 88.28. Here, last year, Zoldak enjoyed the highest PLP at 94.81. Angell, Baldwin and Sayre were 5th, 6th and 7th at 90.02, 89.91 and 89.67 respectively. Nur should take the win. Larson will likely score higher here than at Dedham. But if Zoldak has regained full fitness, he could well edge Larson for second. Otherwise Zoldak seems a good bet for third place.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Nat Larson Jacob Nur Frank Zoldak
 | American LDR Road Records | |
| AC | Josephat Machuka(21) | 17:24 | Steamboat, Peoria, IL | 06/17/1995 | ||
| junior | Joseph Bertola(19) | 20:16 | Subaru Buffalo, Buffalo, NY | 07/19/2024 | ||
| MAC | John Campbell(41) | 18:31 | Subaru Buffalo, Buffalo, NY | 07/21/1990 | ||
| open | Gerard Donakowski(26) | 17:39 | Steamboat, Peoria, IL | 06/14/1986 | ||
| 40-44 | Bryan Glass(40) | 19:45 | Steamboat, Peoria, IL | 06/14/2014 | ||
| 45-49 | David O'keeffe(48) | 19:41 | Subaru Buffalo, Buffalo, NY | 07/20/2007 | ||
| 50-54 | Jaime Heilpern(53) | 20:49 | Great Race, Saratoga, CA | 04/29/2023 | ||
| 55-59 | Charlie Andrews(55) | 21:45 | Subaru Buffalo, Buffalo, NY | 07/20/2012 | ||
| 60-64 | Tom Mccormack(60) | 22:56 | Firecracker Four, Rogersville, TN | 07/05/2014 | ||
| 65-69 | Bill Borla(66) | 24:02 | St Patricks Classic, Fairfield, CT | 03/12/2006 | ||
| 70-74 | Paul Heintzman(72) | 25:21 | Trolley Run, Kansas City, MO | 04/27/2003 | ||
| 75-79 | Witold Bialokur(75) | 28:56 | Run For The Parks, New York, NY | 04/18/2010 | ||
| 80-84 | Witold Bialokur(80) | 32:00 | Run As One, New York, NY | 03/01/2015 | ||
| 85-89 | George Hirsch(85) | 39:33 | Achilles 4-miler, New York, NY | 06/23/2019 | ||
| 90-94 | Henry Sypniewski(92) | 53:44 | Subaru Buffalo, Buffalo, NY | 07/16/2010 | ||
| At the time of the performance: | World Record |
| American LDR Road Records | |
| AC | Delillah Asiago(23) | 19:28 | Steamboat, Peoria, IL | 06/17/1995 | ||
| junior | Angelina Napoleon(19) | 22:37 | Subaru Buffalo, Buffalo, NY | 07/19/2024 | ||
| MAC | Lioudmila Kortchanguina(42) | 21:54 | Subaru Buffalo, Buffalo, NY | 07/18/2014 | ||
| open | Taylor Roe(24) | ^19:40 | Steamboat, Peoria, IL | 06/14/2025 | ||
| open | Jessica Tebo(28) | #19:49 | Tracktown Summer , Eugene, OR | 07/29/2016 | ||
| 40-44 | Roberta Groner(40) | 22:04 | Al Gordon, New York, NY | 02/24/2018 | ||
| 45-49 | Stephanie Herbst(45) | 22:05 | ATC Fathers Day, Decatur, GA | 06/18/2011 | ||
| 50-54 | Fiona Bayly(51) | 23:42 | NYRR Gridiron, New York, NY | 02/03/2019 | ||
| 55-59 | Fiona Bayly(55) | 24:25 | Race To Deliver, New York, NY | 11/20/2022 | ||
| 60-64 | Kathryn Martin(63) | 25:44 | Run For The Parks, New York, NY | 04/12/2015 | ||
| 65-69 | Sabra Harvey(65) | 26:47 | Four In The Park, Houston, TX | 04/05/2014 | ||
| 70-74 | Nora Cary(70) | *29:18 | Our House 4-Miler, Basking Ridge, NJ | 05/09/2026 | ||
| 70-74 | Nancy Rollins(70) | 30:57 | 4 on the 4th, Elmhurst, IL | 07/04/2017 | ||
| 75-79 | Ginette Bedard(75) | 32:40 | Mother's Day, New York, NY | 05/10/2009 | ||
| 80-84 | Ginette Bedard(80) | 36:05 | Run For The Parks, New York, NY | 04/06/2014 | ||
| 85-89 | Edna Sebro(86) | 53:41 | Run For Central Park, New York, NY | 07/21/2007 | ||
| 90-94 | Harriet Thompson(92) | 59:30 | American 4-Miler, Charlotte, NC | 07/04/2015 | ||
| At the time of the performance: | World Record |
That concludes my preview of the 2026 Masters Four Mile Championships hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL.
Sources: USATF Events website and the Masters National Grand Prix webpage, my archives, Athlinks, Strava, Facebook, World Masters Athletics, and relevant race websites.
Thanks for the visit! Cheers to all!
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