Welcome to my blog! I report on Masters Elite LDR. In addition to this current story previewing the middle and long distance races at the 2026 WMA Championships in Daegu, South Korea, I preview and recap most USATF Masters LDR Championships. I report on middle distance events at 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 recap Masters performances in major marathons and other iconic 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. Clicking on that provides a way for you to express your appreciation for the work that goes into these articles. Shout out here to recent supporters, Matt B-C, John H (2), Lorilynn B, Bryan H,, Brendan, cush, Gary G, Jan F, Aaron T-L, Ken Y, Peter W, Dan K, Suzanne L B, Michael M, Ed B, Dana H, John B, Bill A (2), John & Amy M, Jay L, Tim L, Mike M, Donna M & Victor V, Vanessa L, Ken Y. May you have good speed in 2026! and beyond!
August 21, 2026 The 2026 World Masters Athletics WMA Outdoor Championships start this Friday, August 21, 2026 with the Opening Ceremonies. The first distance events are scheduled for Saturday, August 22nd. The Middle Distance events are in Stadium Three (Gyeongsan Civic Stadium). The distance events include, in addition to the Steeplechase, the 800M, 1500M and 5000M on the track, the Cross Country Events and the 10K and Half Marathon Road race. For those 70 and up, the Steeplechase is over 2000M; for all other age divisions it is over 3000M. For Cross Country, the course is raced over 6 Km for those 70 and up and over 8 Km for all others. The Schedule is summarized below. After that, I list the USA entrants in each event and highlighted athletes for the early events. Highlights for later events will be added in the next few days. Please check back. Recaps will be in a separate article.
Steeplechase Finals -- Saturday, August 22.
Women 800M Semifinals -- Sunday, Aug 23.
10 Km Road Race -- 7 AM Sunday Aug 23
[Staged at Daegu Athletics Promotion Center]
Men 800M Qualifying Heats -- Morning -- Monday Aug 24
[Except M35 at 3 PM and M40 at 3:30 PM]
Women 800M Finals -- Afternoon --Monday Aug 24
Women [W30 thru W60] 5000M Finals -- Morning -- Tuesday Aug 25
[Except W35-W40 at 3 PM]
Men 800M Finals -- Afternoon -- Tuesday Aug 25
Men [M65 thru M75+] 5000M Finals -- Morning --Thursday Aug 27
Women [W65+] 5000M Finals -- Morning -- Thursday Aug 27*
Men [M35 thru M65] 1500M Qualifying Heats -- Afternoon -- Thursday Aug 27
Women (W50 thru W60) 1500M Qualifying Heats -- Morning -- Friday Aug 26
Men 5000M Finals -- at 11 AM [M40/M35] + Afternoon -- Friday Aug 28
Men 1500M Finals -- Afternoon -- Saturday Aug 29
Women 1500M Finals (W35 thru W60) -- Afternoon -- Sunday Aug 30
Men Half Marathon Road Race -- at 7 AM Sunday Aug 30
Women Half Marathon Road Race -- at 7:10 AM Sunday Aug 30
[Staged at Suseongmot Sanghwa Garden)
Women 5000M Finals -- Morning -- Tuesday Sep 1*
[Preliminary Schedule lists W65+ 5000M Final for both Thursday Aug 27 morning and Tuesday Sep 1 morning. No doubt this will be clarified later.]
Men 1500M Finals (M65 thru M85+) -- Afternoon -- Tuesday Sep 1
Women 1500M Finals (W65 thru W75+) --Afternoon -- Tuesday Sep 1
Men 5000M Finals (M60 thru M75+) -- Morning -- Wednesday Sep 2
Men 5000M Finals (M35 thru M55) -- Afternoon -- Wednesday Sep 2
[Preliminary Schedule also lists Men [M65 thru M75+ 5000M for Friday Aug 28. To be clarified on site, I guess.]
Women & Men Cross Country -- Morning -- Wednesday Sep 2
[Held at Suseong Family Park]
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In this section I list the USA entrants in each event. As of Friday, August 21, 10:20 PM ET, I have included highlights about some of the athletes in the early events, the LDR event, the 10K Road Race and the middle-distance event, the Steeplechase. At present I have no highlights for the later events but hope to add those in the next few days. Check back to see. [This is rather informal and relies a lot on my prior knowledge of the athletes entered. If I am not familiar with an athlete, they may have been missed in the highlights. I tried to include those athletes who have done well in USATF Masters Championships on either the track, the road, cross country or some combination. I see them as the main threats for the world podium.
Note: I do not have the resources to handicap entrants from other countries. So the highlights are, necessarily, limited to the US athletes most likely to compete for the podium. In some cases a runner who is very talented can run up against a set of competitors who are truly outstanding, run a superb race, and not make the podium.
Team USA Entries By Event and Division:
LDR EVENTS:
10 Km Road Race Sunday Aug 23
MEN: M35 NA; M40 Timothy Gorski, Edwin Pagan; M45 Dickson Mercer; M50 NA; M55 Roger Dix, Larry Shaw Salazar; M60 Martin Beene, Scott Siriano, Timothy Vigil; M65 John Hale, Rick Lee; M70 Philip Greenwald, Leo Murillo, Eugene Myers; M75 NA; M80 Przemyslaw Nowicki, Gary Ostwald, Gary Patton; M85+ NA
Highlights: Look for Lee in M65 and Ostwald and Patton in M80 to be in the mix for the podium. They have been at the top of their respective divisions for a good while. Lee is renowned for running everything from the Mile to the Ultra Marathon. Currently he holds the M60 American Record for the 50 Km and 50 Mile distances, along with the M65 AR for the 1 Mile at 5:09.2. Lee definitely has a shot at a 10 Km medal, perhaps a gold. Patton, primarily known for his prowess on the track, also took the M80 win this year at the Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA in April, running a very strong 49:52. Ostwald finished 2nd in M75 at the 2024 Masters 10K Championships in 45:32. Ostwald and Patton will be joined by Nowicki in the Team Competition. Though not quite at the same level as Ostwald and Patton, Nowicki is very solid; he has lots of experience in WMA competitions and has been running very well this year. They will, no doubt, be one of the favorites for M80 Team Gold. [Note: WMA has 5-year team divisions that line up with the five-year individual divisions.] Pagan, in M40, and Mercer, in M45, could make some noise as well. Pagan took the Overall (and M40) win in the 2025 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships last December in Spicewood TX. His 1:14:41 was over a tough course with a substantial hill that had to be climbed eight times on a multiple loop course. Pagan picked up a bronze medal at the 2024 WMA Indoor Championships' 10 Km Road Race in 32:33. Mercer had a strong showing at Dedham in the 10K Championships. In a loaded field, Mercer finished 4th in M40 in 33:20. Had he been a few months older, Mercer would have been on the M45 podium with that performance. If Mercer's nagging hamstring does not flare up, he could be a factor in M45.
WOMEN: W35 NA; W40 April Lund; W45 NA; W50 Donna Alexander, Hortencia Aliaga, Larissa Harrison, Rebekah Kennedy, Sarah Trigg; W55 Elizabeth Guerrini, Katherine Huggins, Rita Vigil; W60 Tina Klein, Leslie Nowicki W65 NA; W70 Mary Lowe Mayhugh, Helene Myers; W75 Jeannie Rice; W80+ NA
Highlights: Rice stands out as the outstanding competitor from the USA. She still holds W70 American Records in the 1 Mile, the 20 Km, 25Km, 30 Km and Marathon. She also holds the W75 AR's for the 1 Mile, the 5 km and every distance from the 10 Km to the Marathon. Her 10 Km record was set at 46:44 when she won the W75 10K Road Race at the 2025 WMA Indoor Championships in Gainesville FL. Ordinarily she would be the odds-on favorite to win the W75 10K Road Race. But this championship will be her first chance to face real competition since her arthroscopic knee surgery in May. Rice has not been idle, of course; she had her first six-mile training run in late July. By the end of the first week in August, she had upped that to ten miles. Rice will probably not come close to her 46:44 AR. But she should not need to. She will likely be in the hunt for the win. Lund, in W40, has represented the USA before in international competition, winning an individual gold medal at the WMA Cross Country Championships in Australia and collecting bronze in a stacked 10K field at the WMA Indoors in Gainesville; her time was 36:04. She should threaten for the podium again. In W50, Aliaga, Kennedy and Trigg all have a shot at the podium and should compete for a team gold. Aliaga finished third W50 at the 2025 Masters 10 Km Championships in 40:26. Kennedy ran 40:57 at the 2024 Citizens Queens 10K in NYC. More impressively, Kennedy picked up the W50 silver medal at the Masters 10 Km Championships this past April in 39:53! Trigg ran 41:03 at the Queens 10K in NYC this June. She took the W50 bronze medal in the 10K Road Race at WMA Indoors in 40:12. Guerrini and Huggins could have a shot at the W55 podium. Guerrini won the W55 title at the Masters Half Marathon last December in 1:38:36. Her ast three 10K outings were all between 40:35 and 41:50. Huggins finished 2nd W50 at the 2024 Masters 12 Km Championships in 51:09. That equates roughly to a 42:16. Her 1:36:24 Half marathon at the Pittsburgh Marathon this May is probably a good indicator of current fitness.
Half Marathon Road Race Sunday Aug 30
WOMEN: W35 NA; W40 April Lund, Stacey Middlebrooks; W45 Gia Canale; W50 Larissa Harrison, Rebekah Kennedy, Alicia Martinez, Tram Pozzi, Sarah Trigg; W55 Elizabeth Guerrini, Katherine Huggins, Tiffany Huynh, Su Maw, Jennifer Rodriguez; W60 Tina Klein; W65 & W70: NA; W75 Jeannie Rice; W80+ NA.
MEN: M35 Stanley Peyton, Hailon Wong; M40 Edwin Pagan; M45 Simon Moll; M50 Luis Absalon; M55 NA; M60 Martin Beene; M65 William Enicks, John Hale, Rick Lee, James Murphy, Kevin Thompson; M70 John Hirschberger, Leo Murillo, Eugene Myers; M75 NA; M80 Gary Ostwald; M85+ NA.
Cross Country -- Wednesday Sep 2
6 KM
MEN: M70 John Hirschberger, Leo Murillo, Eugene Myers, Jack Pottle; M75 NA; M80: Norman Frable, Gary Ostwald, Gary Patton; M85+ NA
WOMEN: W70 Mary Lowe Mayhugh, Helene Myers; W75 Irene Herman, Jeannie Rice; W80 Kathleen Frable; W85+ NA
8 KM
WOMEN: W35 NA; W40 April Lund; W45 NA; W50 Larissa Harrison, Euleen Josiah-Tanner, Rebekah Kennedy, Sarah Trigg; W55 Ani Go, Katherine Huggins, Su Maw; W60 Tina Klein, Michelle Rohl; W65 NA
MEN: M35 Stanley Peyton; M40 NA; M45 Chris Brown; M50 Luis Absalon; M55 NA; M60 Martin Beene, Bruce Edward James Logan, Scott Siriano; M65 William Enicks, Kenneth Johnson, Dan King, Rick Lee.
TRACK EVENTS - MIDDLE DISTANCE
2000M Steeplechase - Finals Saturday Aug 22
MEN: M60 Scott Siriano; M65 Brent Cushenberry, Rick Lee; M70 Leo Murillo; M75 NA; M80 Kamaljit Paul; M80 and Above NA
Highlights: Lee just won the 2000M Steeplechase at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships. He should be competitive for the win in Daegu.
WOMEN: W35 thru W45 NA; W50 Euleen Josiah-Tanner, Jennifer McGee; W55 Rachel Hopkins; W60 Melissa Chiti, Tina Klein, Michelle Rohl; W65 NA; W70 Mary Lowe McHugh, Helene Myers; W75 and Above NA
Highlights: Rohl, the former world class Race Waker in her Open days, is now holder of multiple Masters Records on the track. Last November she set the AR for the W60 8 Km at 29:58. She still holds the W55 AR for the Road Mile at 5:09.8. She has won many championships. I am not aware of her record in the steeplechase. But if she has trained for it and does compete, I am sure she will be a threat for the podium and, probably, the win. Josiah-Tanner, in W50, and Hopkins, in W55, are talented Cross Country athletes who have won division crowns. They both have the athleticism to do well at the Steeplechase and should compete for the podium. Josiah-Tanner won the W45 Steeplechase at the 2022 Masters Outdoor Championships in 7:59. Klein is not close to Rohl on the flat. But she did just win the W60 steeplechase at the Outdoor Championships in Ohio with a 9:37.9. Chiti won the W55 division championship at the 2023 USATF Cross Country Championships in Richmond VA. She won the W55 Steeplechase at the 2022 in 9:01.
3000M Steeplechase - Finals Saturday Aug 22
MEN: M35& M40 NA; M45 Brian Sullivan; M50 Clint Santoro, Matthew Shuler; M55 NA.
Highlights: I am not familiar with these athletes; I know that Santoro is a regular at USATF Masters Track and Field championships. None were top finishers at any of the Middle-Distance events at the recent USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in Ohio. Athlinks does not have any information suggesting any of them are likely to compete for the podium.
800M - Finals Women Monday Aug 24 Men Tuesday Aug 25
WOMEN: W35 NA; W40 April Lund; W45 Julia Siegel Breton; W50 Donna Alexander, Barbara Bass, Antonia Georgievna, Euleen Josiah-Tanner, Jennifer McGee; W55 Elizabeth Guerrini, Dominique Saint-Louis; W60 Amanda Clark, Michelle Rohl; W65 Nancy Simmons; W70 Tracey Bernett, Mary Lowe Mayhugh, Helene Myers; W75 Betty Anderson, Jeannie Rice; W80 Kathleen Frable; W85+ NA
MEN: M35 Stanley Peyton; M40 NA; M45 Brett Anderson, Amit Gupta; M50 Steven Guerrini, Orestes Gutierrez, Mark Williams M55 Larry Shaw Salazar; M60 Michael Bradecamp, Timothy Vigil; M65 Curtis Davis, Kenneth Johnson, Dan King, Raymond Knerr, Rick Lee; M70 Raul Mandler; M75 Darren Walton; M80 Norman Frable, Gary Ostwald, Gary Patton; M85 NA; M90 Colben Sime; M95+ NA
5000M - Finals W30-W60 Tuesday Aug 25 M65-M75+ Thursday Aug 27 OR WOMEN - Tuesday Sep 1 & MEN - Wednesday Sep 2
MEN M35 Hailong Wong; M40 NA; M45 Chris Broown, Brian Sullivan, Karoly Varga; M50 Luis Absalon, Brian Lee Mclaughlin, Matthew Shuler; M55 Roger Dix, Luis Galdos, Emmet Hogan; M60 Martin Beene; M65 Dan King, Raymond Knerr, Rick Lee; M70 Raul Mandler, Leo Murillo, Eugene Myers, Jack Pottle; M75 Darren Walton; M80 Przemyslaw Nowicki, Gary Ostwald, Gary Patton; M85 NA; M90 Colben Sime; M95+ NA
WOMEN W35 NA; W40 April Lund; W45 NA; W50 Dinna Alexander, Hortencia Aliaga, Barbara Bass, Euleen Josiah-Tanner, Rebekah Kennedy, Jennifer McGee, Sarah Trigg; W55 Elizabeth Guerrini, Katherine Huggins, Su Maw, Rita Vigil; W60 Tina Klein, Leslie Nowicki, Michelle Rohl; W65 NA; W70 Mary Lowe Mayhugh, Helene Myers; W75 Jeannie Rice; W80 Kathleen Frable; W85+ NA
1500M - Finals MEN Saturday Aug 29 but M65 - M85+ Tuesday Sep1
WOMEN W35 - W60 Sunday Aug 30 W65 - W75+ Tuesday Sep 1
WOMEN W35 NA; W40 April Lund; W45 Dana Hayden; W50 Donna Alexander, Hortencia Aliaga, Barbara Bass, Euleen Josiah-Tanner, Rebekah Kennedy, Jennifer McGee, Sarah Trigg; W55 Elizabeth Guerrini, Dominique Saint-Louis, Rita Vigil; W60 Melissa Chiti, Michelle Rohl, Judith Stobbe; W65 Nancy Simmons; W70 Tracey Bernett, Mary Lowe Mayhugh, Helene Myers; W75 Betty Anderson; W80 Kathleen Frable; W85+ NA
MEN M35 Stanley Peyton; M40 Brett Anderson, Amit Gupta, Kenneth Rankin; M45 Chris Brown, Jonathan Lee, Chuck Schneekloth, Brian Sullivan, Karoly Varga; M50 Luis Absalon, Steven Guerrini, Orestes Gutierrez, Clint Santoro, Matthew Shuler, Mark Williams; M55 Luis Galdos; M60 Martin Beene, Scott Siriano, Timothy Vigil; M65 Dan King, Raymond Knerr, Rick Lee; M70 Jack Pottle; M75 Darren Walton; M80 Gary Ostwald, Gary Patton; M85 NA; M90 Colben Sime; M95+ NA
Check back later for updated highlights prior to the race finals. Results will be covered in a separate post.
In the meantime, good luck to all of our athletes and 'Go TEAM USA!'
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!
To express your appreciation for this resource/blog, please click on the coffee cup logo in the sidebar. If you are on a mobile device, please scroll down and click on 'View web version' to show the coffee cup logo. Shout out here to recent supporters: Matt B-C, John H, Lorilynn B, Bryan H, Brendan, cush, Gary G, Jan F, Aaron T-L, Ken Y, Peter W, Dan K, Suzanne L B, Michael M, Ed B, Dana H, John B, Bill A, John&Amy M, Jay L, Tim L, Mike M, Donna M & Victor V, Vanessa L, Ken Y. May you have good speed in 2026 and beyond!
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