October 20, 2026. The USATF Masters 5 Km Championships return to Atlanta for the seventh time since 2018, missing only the two years of Covid and recovery. The Atlanta Track Club has not allowed us to get bored. We are on the third substantive change to the course. The first few years were part of their Atlanta's Finest 5K, in August. That course, starting and ending near Centennial Olympic Park, introduced us to the concept, expressed so well by Eric Heintz, of ATC, as 'Atlanta Flat.' Given the hilly nature of the city, ATC organizes courses with as few hills as possible for the Masters Championships. Does that mean 'no hills'? Absolutely not; each version of the championships has included hills of varying pitch and length. The second course started and ended in the area next to the Atlanta Falcons stadium. That was part of the Atlanta Marathon weekend, typically in late February or early March. The most recent iteration was to move the 5K, last year, to their PNC 10 Miler Weekend in mid-October. This one starts and ends in Atlantic Station, about two miles north of Centennial Olympic Stadium. In principle, this weekend should have the best weather of the three. But weather can always play a trump card. Last year, the athletes warmed up and lined up in a terrific rainstorm, the first one on that weekend in recent years. The rain and wind lessened during the race.
2026 Weather and Start Times. This year the forecast, at least, promises a sunny morning with 48 degrees Fahrenheit at 8 am. The Men start at 8 AM and the Women one minute later. The separate start is designed to avoid over-crowding effects at the start line and the first hundred meters or so of the race.
Last year there were 162 entered. This year, as of Thursday evening at 10 PM ET, there were 198 entered (125 Men and 73 Women). Registration closes Thursday, October 22 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The fields in most age divisions will be deeper this year.
Note: In the analysis below, I sometimes refer to times run last year on this course. Recall that everyone's times were slow last year, perhaps due to the weather, but also to a course that was somewhat longer than five kilometers. The ATC announced during Awards that they had been forced by road construction to alter the course somewhat and it turned out that the course was long. Specifics were not announced at that time. Many athletes, at that time, offered opinions that times were about a minute slower than they would have expected. Of course, the faster the athlete, the less impact a given yardage extra will have on their times. It is probably best to think of the times as being somewhere between a half minute and a minute slower than a normal outing would have been, at last for the fastest half of the runners. For those running at a pace two to three minutes a mile slower, or more, than the lead athletes, perhaps their times were slowed by as much as two minutes or more? [I sometimes remind readers of this with a parenthetical remark after citing a time from last year]
Next I consider who is entered and what are the competitive prospects for the various championships to be settled. There are so many exciting, highly contested division races on tap. [Based on entries through Wednesday afternoon. Updates, based on entries between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon are added in red at the end of any age division where they seem to make a difference for the podium favorite list.]
OVERALL MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS
WOMEN There will be a rematch of the 2024 contest. That year, April Lund North Dakota and Stephanie Pezzullo North Carolina enjoyed a terrific battle. In the preview for that race I noted that Pezzullo was a nationally ranked 3000M Steeplechaser in 2010 and 2011. She made the final at the Outdoor Championships in Eugene in 2011, finishing 13th in 10:09.43. Her PR was when she finished 8th in 9:56.82 at the 2011 USATF High-Performance Meet in Los Angeles. As a Masters athlete, Pezzullo won the Overall Masters championships at the 2024 Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA; her time was 35:35! Lund was not a decorated Open athlete. But she has excelled in Masters competition. She earned the right to represent Team USA at the first, and so far, only, WMA Cross Country Championships over the same course and on the same weekend as the WA Championships in Bathurst Australia in 2023. At that event, she paired with Ben Bruce to win a silver medal in the Relay and earned a 40-44 gold medal in the Individual Race. To the surprise of many, it was Lund who carried the day, pulling away for a convincing half-minute victory in 16:58. Pezzullo hs not competed in a Masters Road championship since then. Presumably she is looking for another great battle and, I am sure she hopes, a win this time. I find no very recent results for Pezzullo but in January she ran 17:14 at the Matanzas 5000 in Florida. If she retains that fitness, she will be a formidable opponent. But Lund has been active more recently. She won the W40 5000 Meter run at the USATF Masters Outdoor championships in July at 18:04. At the World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, this August, Lund came home with the 10K Road Race gold medal. Her 38:22 provided a victory margin of nearly two minutes. Those times seem to suggest that Pezzullo should again be considered the favorite. But two things argue against that. The Matanzas 5000 advertises itself as flat and fast and the fastest 5K in Florida. I do not know if the course in Korea was flat or not. I do know that the course in Atlanta is not flat. Second, that time for Pezzullo is from January. Does Pezzullo carry the same fitness into this race in October? We will find out on Sunday. Lund and Pezzullo should enjoy another great competitive duel for the win; it could go either way! It does not appear that any of the other entrants, at present, can challenge those two, if they are both healthy.
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| From Right: Stephanie Pezzullo, April Lund, and Jami Hollandsworth lead the Women's Field in the Early going of the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships held in Atlanta GA Photo By Paul McPherson |
Lorilynn Bloomer South Carolina and Dana Hayden Virginia, both out of the W50 division, will vie for the bronze medal. Megan Popp Georgia, W40, will need a good day to deny them both. Jill Braley Georgia, who won the title here last year, is not signed up. Bloomer was fourth overall last year, in 19:13. Hayden was seventh in 19:39. Popp was further back last year, running 19:58. Bloomer enjoyed good fitness this spring, racing to a 38:15 time at the Cooper River Bridge 10K in South Carolina. Hayden finished 8th overall, in 39:30, at the Masters 10 Km Championships in April and fifth overall at the Masters four Mile championships in June with 25:24. Her 18:24 at the Crawlin' Crab 5K in Virginia shows that she brings good fitness into these championships. Popp ran 41:07 at the AJC Peachtree Run this Jully, a time that would likely have been faster on a course with no hills and less warmth and humidity. Ivanka Tolan South Carolina, also from W50 could also challenge. She ran 18:44 at the Turkey Day run in Charleston SC last November, and 19:25 in the Clinic Classic 5K in April of this year. Tolan has also demonstrated staying power. She posted 1::02:35 at the Charlie Post Classic 15K this January and 1:09:29 at the Triple Crown Ten Miler in March. Overall, it looks like, with no upsets, it will be Lund and Pezzullo dueling for Overall gold and silver medals, with Bloomer the favorite over Hayden and Popp for bronze. Update: Julia Webb is a late entry, with a Team Red Lizard affiliation, out of Oregon. There is a Julia Webb in Athlinks from Ave Maria, Florida who has a 19:19 5K in the Butte to Butte 5K in Eugene OR in July 2025. She also has a 17:46 5K in the Ft. Myers Turkey Trot last year and on the 4th of July this year, an 18:35 5K at the Fox Firecracker 5k in Wisconsin. If this is the correct Webb, she could give Lund and Pezzullo a challenge. She would, in any case, be in the mix for the bronze medal.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Lorilynn Bloomer April Lund Stephanie Pezzullo Julia Webb?
MEN Nicholas Kipruto Colorado is a solid favorite to add this overall Masters Championship to his wins at the 10 Km, in 31:26, and the 4 Mile in 20:04. He added a sparkling 30:13 at the Great Cow Harbor 10K in mid-September. All of those suggest that Kipruto should be close to 15:00 flat on a typical 5K course. On 'Atlanta Flat' it could take him a little longer. His main challengers should include Richard Bouckaert Louisiana and Chris Sloane Virginia. Boukaert finished second overall here last year in 16:33 but might have broken 16 on many other courses. He ran 16:05 last November at the Crescent City 5K.n He worked on his half marathon speed earlier this year, clocking 1:12:00 at the Indy Mini Marathon in May and running 1:12:55 at Grandma's in June. Sloane finished second Masters (behind Sam Chelanga) in 31:42 at the Cooper River Bridge Run in March. He trailed Chelanga again at the Amway River Bank Run with his 1:25:13 over 25K. He finished ahead of Bouckaert at Grandma's in 1:11:27. Sloane ran a local 10K in Virginia as a tune up, clocking 32:45. Those three are all in M40. The only runner from M45 who is likely to mix it up with them is Jay Stephenson. He ran 15:34 at the Rainsville Freedom Fest 5K in June. He followed that with a 15:02 at this year's Macon Labor Day 5K. That course is point-to-point and athletes often run their fastest times on that course, even though it is USATF-certified. Still, there is no doubt that Stephenson can run with the three M40 athletes mentioned above. Although not listed in the official results, if memory serves me well, Stephenson was one of three runners, at these championships in 2024, who followed a lead motorcycle that, unintentionally cut the course. They had already separated from the closest chase pack, which followed the actual course layout. Had that not occurred, it is likely that Stephenson would have been on the overall podium that year.
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| Nicholas Kipruto Captures the Overall Men's Title at the 2026 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships Hosted by the Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo complimentary from Shazam Racing and the Steamboat Classic |
Kipruto looks to be the favorite in a strong field. I will give the edge to Sloane for silver and Stephenson for bronze. But Bouckaert could prove me wrong. It should be a dandy race up front!
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Nicholas Kipruto Chris Sloane Jay Stephenson
AGE DIVISIONS
MEN 40-44 I picked Kipruto, Sloane and Bouckaert to go 1-2-4 in the overall championships. It follows that they should go 1-2-3 in M40.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Richard Bouckaert Nicholas Kipruto Chris Sloane
45-49 Stephenson is a podium pick overall. That puts him as the runner to beat in M45. No one else in M45 appears to have sub-16 speed on a legal course. But Chad Krofta is close! He ran 16:01 at Carlsbad this spring. Changes to that course probably mean it is no longer the 'World's Fastest 5K' as their slogan says, but it is still *very*fast. That 16:01 just got Krofta second place in M45, fifth overall. He backed that statement up with a 16:24 at the OTC Butte to Butte 5K in Eugene Oregon on the 4th of July. He finished second in that one as well. Perhaps he is due for an M45 win?! Last year's M45 winner, Nathan Deeter Georgia in 17:34 (even if sub-17 on a true course), will have a hard time staying with Stephenson and Krofta. He ran 17:09 at the Kennesaw Grand Prix 5K in June and followed that with a 35:38 outing at AJC Peachtree on the fourth of July. Phillip Knowlton Georgia and Bryan Hendricks Florida will do their best to break that group up and land on the podium. Knowlton ran 17:10 at the Gateway Center 5K in May and 38:06 at Peachtree. Hendricks was 10th in 40-44 last year in 18:24. If he can manage sub-17 this year, he should finish closer to the front of his new division.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Nathan Deeter Chad Krofta Jay Stephenson
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| Start of the Men's Race at the 2025 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club in Atlanta GA Photo By Pam Fales |
50-54 David Angell Virginia has had a few overall wins at Masters Championships when in his 40's, including here in Atlanta in 2019 and 2024. He is in a new division and is probably the favorite for an M50 win. As always, though, the field is deep and strong at these national championships. Angell has battled injuries the last few years but is entering in good form. Angell just missed the Virginia State M50 5K record at the Crawlin' Crab 5K in Norfolk VA with his 16:44. Angell finished ninth overall at the Masters 10 Km championships in April with 33:15. He won the M45 championship at the Masters 4 Mile in Peoria with a 22:37. Others pushing for the win include: Alan Black, Alcides De Quesada, and Timothy Hebert.
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| Early Going in the 2024 Edition of the Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club. David =Angell Far Left-singlet & gloves, no hat Captured the Overall Win Alcides De Quesada 2nd from right with long sleeves, vest&hat earned the M50 silver medal. Photo courtesy of Atlanta Track Club |
Black finished second in this division last year, running 17:45. The month before he had run 16:34 at the Macon Labor Day 5K. Injury update--Black has suffered a high hamstring injury and is likely out for this race. De Quesada ran 16:24 to finish 2nd M50 in the 2024 edition of these championships. In April he ran a 34:19 10K at the Doral Half Marathon. He has also recorded two 17:14 times at 5K's in Florida, one in July and the other in September. Hebert finished 6th M45 at Carlsbad this past April with a 16:29. On the 4th of July, Hebert clocked 16:59 at the FireKracker 5K, at altitude in Ft Collins CO. That would likely have been faster at sea level. Chadwick Hales, who finished 2nd in M45 here last year in 17:41, could play a role as well. He ran 17:22 at the Decatur-DeKalb 5K this July. Christopher Hernandez, who finished 4th M45 here in 2024 with a 16:53, could also make some noise. It looks like Angell and Hebert are likely to duel for the win. Based on previous results, it could go either way. If I had to pick, I would give Angell the edge because he has won here in the past. De Quesada looks a bit slower than those two but is a good bet to keep everyone else behind him.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
David Angell Alcides De Quesada Timothy Hebert
55-59 For much of this year, Gregory Putnam Massachusetts and Shane Anthony Pennsylvania Shore AC have been slugging it out in this division. Anthony had the upper hand at the Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee, clocking 36:30 over 10 Km of turf to Putnam's 37:04. Since then, Putnam has had his way through some tough duels. He ran 35:20 to win M55 at the Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham MA, edging Anthony by ten seconds. In Peoria at the 4 Mile Championships, it was closer. Putnam won M55 in 22:35, edging Anthony by a mere two seconds! That performance by the way, suggests, from Age Grading scores, that Putnam could have run something like 17:26 had that been a 5K rather than a 4 Mile. Unfortunately for those of us who enjoy their terrific battles, Anthony is not entered and is not likely to. He ran the Chicago Marathon and is still in recovery mode, aiming to gradually intensify his training for the coming Cross Country championships. With Anthony out, David Guzik Connecticut presents the strongest challenge for Putnam. Guzik finished fourth last year in 17:59. Even if that is a high side estimate for what Guzik would have run on a true 5K course, it appears that Guzik might not break18 minutes this year. He ran 18:09 at the Freedom 5K on the 4th of July in Huntsville AL, and 18:38 at the Running of the Bulls 5K in Huntsville AL August 29th. Jeffrey Conston New York, Ryan Shrum Georgia Chattanooga TC, and Brad Slavens Georgia will push Putnam and Guzik and sort out the bronze medal in any case. Conston finished 9th M55 in 2024 at 18:27 when the field was very deep. In February of this year, Conston ran 31:08 at the Gasparilla 8K, roughly equivalent to a 19:12 5K. That may not be a great gauge, however, as it was eight months ago. Many runners from the north make a quick trip down to Florida in the winter for a 'pick me up' race. It can be hard to do well if you do not acclimate to the humidity, especially at a time when training may be focused more on base than speed.
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| Gregory Putnam, On His Way to M55 Victory at the 2026 USATF Masters Championships Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Shrum finished 6th M55 here last year with an 18:48 time. Two of Shrum's efforts this summer resulted in an 18:54 and a 19:13 5k. Slavens ran 19:13 here last year to finish 8th. He ran 38:34 on September 19th at the Westside Park 10K in Atlanta. That converts via age grading to something like an 18:54 5K. With Anthony out, Putnam and Guzik seem likely to go 1-2 if everything holds together. After that it could go either way. I will lean slightly in favor of Shrum for a podium threesome pick. Update: Mark Andrews New York Genesee V=alley Harriers is a last day entrant. He becomes the favorite for the gold medal. He finished 2nd M50 in the 2022 edition of these Masters 5K Championships in Atlanta with his 16:54. He returned two years later and ran almost a half-minute faster, finishing third in 16:28. His 34:09 won the 2024 Masters 10 Km Championships. A year later, Andrews finished third M50 in 34:46. That same year, Putnam finished 2nd in M55 in 35:27.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
David Guzik Gregory Putnam Ryan Shrum Mark Andrews
60-64 With the Greater Springfield Harriers trio of Scott Grandfield Rhode Island, Mark Hixson Connecticut, and Nat Larson Massachusetts entered, the top of the field is solid. It is not that they will, necessarily, go 1-2-3 in the division, although that is possible. At the Masters 10 Km Championships in Dedham in April, Larson, Hixson and Grandfield finished 1-2-3 with times from 36:24 to 37:52. It was a slightly different finishing order six weeks later at the Masters 4 Mile championships. Hixson won M60 in 23:21, with Larson second, just five seconds back. Grandfield was another 23 seconds behind Larson in 4th. That time for Hixson equates roughly to an 18-minute 5K.
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| Mark Hixson left front Leads M60 Rivals, John Van Danacker center midground-orange singlet # 320 and Nat Larson background Mid Race at the 2026 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships hosted byt he Steamboat Classic in Peoria IL Photo Courtesy of Steamboat Classic |
Larson and Hixson both ran the 5K at the Faxon Law Run on Labor Day. Larson came away with a 17:30; Hixson was 12 seconds back. Larson was winning everything in sight in 2023 and 2024 but had to deal with some injuries over the last year and a half. Nonetheless, he was able to win here last year in 17:56. Based on his results this year through September, it looks like he is close to being fully recovered. Grandfield has worked through a few niggling injuries of his own. He did not race at the Faxon Law but ran in an 8K and a 4-Miler, with times equating to something between an 18:15 and an 18:30 5K. David Matherne Georgia Atlanta TC and Lester Dragstedt Georgia Atlanta TC will try to reel them in for Atlanta. Matherne is a speedster, the M60 winner this year of the Road Mile Championships at the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines at the end of April, in 5:13.1. But his times at longer races, a 39:04 at Peachtree and an 18:54 at the Mustard Seed 5K in August suggest he has a gap to close. Dragstedt has been in this spot many times before. He has continued to run strong and does well when the New Englanders are not entered. He was over a minute behind Grandfield at the Maters 10 Km Championships and almost a minute back in Peoria. But Dragstedt and Matherne will be right there should anyone be at less than their best. Still, the most likely finishing order is Larson - Hixson - Grandfield, although other permutations are possible. And, on a given day, either Dragstedt or Matherne could prove me wrong. Dean Thompson Georgia Chattanooga TC will also be in the hunt. He edged Dragstedt here last year on this course by a single second. Two months later he ran 17:45 at the Silver Bell Sprint 5k.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Scott Grandfield Mark Hixson Nat Larson
65-69 Rick Lee New Jersey Greater Philadelphia TC enters the favorite. Second here last year in M60 at 18:16, probably equivalent to a sub-18 minute effort on the accurately measured course. Lee is known for running everywhere at every distance, from the Mile to the Ultra Marathon. He is the current M65 American Record holder in the 1 Mile (pending ratification) at 5:09.2 and still holds the M60 AR's for 50K and 50 Miles. Earlier this year, he broke the M65 World Record for the 2000M Steeplechase on the track. This April, he ran the Boston Marathon on Monday, drove home to New Jersey and flew out of Philadelphia the following morning to compete in the Masters Road Mile Championships in Des Moines. Even with the Boston Marathons till in his legs, Lee finished second! In a race where he had not run a marathon the day before, Lee finished first M65 with a 5:06 at the Fifth Avenue Mile this year! A month before he won M65 at the Asbury Park 5K in New Jersey with a 17:52.
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| Rick Lee far left leads Nat Larson third from left and other 55+ and 60+ athletes around a turn in the early going at the 2023 USATF Masters 12 Km Championships Hosted by USATF-NJ at the By Hook Or By Crook Race Photo by Jason Timochko |
No one else in the entry list has recent results I can find suggesting they are likely to break twenty minutes by much. The strongest contender appears to be Paul Beers Virginia who finished seventh here last year in 21:05. He ran a 19:50 5K at the Ashland Half Marathon on August 29th in Virginia. Casey Hannan Georgia Atlanta TC and Philip Ippolito Florida have recent results suggesting they can run close to twenty minutes flat as well. Lee appears to be a lock for the win unless something goes seriously wrong. After that, Beers seems a good pick for second place. Ippolito has faster recent times at races in southern California, but Hannan has the local advantage. It appears a toss-up for third place. I will go with Ippolito's faster times this year as the decider. John Glidewell Alabama won here last year in 18:43. If he had entered, Lee would have enjoyed the competition for the win.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Paul Beers Rick Lee Phillip Ippolito
70-74 It will be up to Ken Youngers Georgia Atlanta TC, new to the M70 division this year, to defend the home roads against Kevin Dollard New York Shore AC and Harold Leddy New Jersey Shore AC , from the northeast, and Jack Pottle Colorado Boulder Road Runners, from the Colorado mountains! Youngers finished 4th M65 last year in 20:30 [perhaps closer to 19:30 on a true course?]. At Peoria in the 4 Mile Championships this past June, Youngers also finished 4th M65 in 27:26. His most recent outing is a 19:51 on an 'Atlanta Flat' course for the Fireman's Bravest 5K on September 12th. Pottle was first M70 in Peoria, running 26:38, almost a minute faster than Youngers' time. Pottle also collected an M70 Silver Medal at the 10 Km Championships in April, finishing a good minute and more ahead of Dollard, Linn and Leddy. Youngers has recently had a good training block; he was off of Strava in the spring. My guess is that Youngers might be faster now than in June. The most recent race result I can find for him is the always challenging Bolder Boulder 10K, at altitude. He ran 43:07. Dollard and Leddy were a minute slower than Youngers. Pottle and Youngers should enjoy a great duel for the win.
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| James Linn right Crosses the Finish Line to Finish 2nd with Kevin Dollard right behind him in third at the 2025 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships hosted by the Atlanta Track Club in Atlanta GA Photo By Pam Fales |
Dollard and Leddy are likely battling for bronze. Dollard has, typically, been faster than Leddy over the last year or so but there is not a lot of distance between them. Dollard edged his teammate by just four seconds last year here in Atlanta! It could go either way. For the sake of having a podium list, I will say that Dollard has earned the spot. There appears to be a small gap back to strong runners like Douglas Chesnut Texas Boulder Road Runners and Dennis Kurtis California Ann Arbor TC. James Linn is a last day entrant. Linn finished 2nd M70 here last year in 21:13. Linn's 27:12 at the Masters 4 Mile Championships left him a half minute behind Pottle, in 2nd place for M70. Linn joins his teammates, Dollard and Leddy in the battle for the podium. A podium spot is by no means guaranteed for Linn but he could easily dislodge one of the three favorites listed.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Kevin Dollard Jack Pottle Ken Youngers James Linn?
75-79 Doug Bell Colorado Boulder Road Runners and Don Morrison Pennsylvania Greater Philadelphia TC top the list of entrants. Morrison and Bell have traded wins all year. Bell started the season on a high note, finishing second at Club Cross in Tallahassee in January, with Morrison a minute back in third. Morrison came roaring back at the first road race of the year, the 1 Mile Championships in Des Moines. Morrison won M75 in 6:34, edging Bell by three seconds. A few days later in late Apri, Morrison won the M75 10 Km Championship in Bell's absence. But in early June the two met again at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in Peoria. This was Bell's turn; he ran 29:07 to take the M75 crown, almost a minute ahead of Morrison. At this championship last year, Morrison won M75 in 23:22 but Bell did not enter. The last time they competed in Atlanta over 5 Km was the 2024 Masters 5 Km Championships. Bell's 21:06 earned him 4th place in M70; Morrison was 19 seconds behind in fifth.
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| Don Morrison Heading for the Finish Line and Fifth Plac%e in M70 at the 2024 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club in Atlanta GA Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Track Club |
Clearly this race could go either way. It seems likely they will enjoy another epic duel for the win! Teammates, Kirk Larson and Jerry Learned will determine the final podium spot. Hstorically, Larson has run faster than Learned. In 2024, for example, Larson ran over a minute faster than Learned. But Larson, by his own admission, is less invested in the Grand Prix than he was a few years ago. He did not compete at Tallahassee, Des Moines nor Peoria, for example. That may leave an opening for Learned. To be fair, Larson did compete at the Masters 10 Km Championships and finished a minute and a half ahead of Learned. I will go with Larson for the final spot on the podium. But Learned is a tough competitor; he could surprise!
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Doug Bell Kirk Larson Don Morrison
80-84 With Gary Ostwald passing up the chance to compete in Atlanta, something would have to go seriously wrong for Gary Patton to finish with anything other than the gold medal. His strongest competition will come from Przemek Nowicki, a very strong runner. Still, Patton defeated Nowicki by six minutes at the 10 Km Championships and Patton gets stronger as the distance shrinks.
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| Gary Patton Crosses the Finish Line to Claim the M80 Gold Medal at the 2026 USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Hosted by the Grand Blue Mile in Des Moines IA Photo Courtesy of Grand Blue Mile |
Patton is in the Masters Hall of Fame for his exploits on the track as a middle-distance runner, primarily in the 800M and 1500M/1Mile. At the World Masters Athletics Championships in South Korea this August, Patton won the gold medal at 800M, a silver medal in the 6000M Cross Country event, and a bronze medal at 1500M. He finished 5th in the 5000M on the track, two minutes ahead of Nowicki, who finished 8th. Nowicki has competed at a very high level over the last two years. This year, Nowicki kicked off the road season with an M80 silver medal at the Masters 10 Km Championships in April, and won the four Mile Championship in Peoria in June with a 37:53. As noted, he also competed well in Korea. He has the clearest path to the silver medal. At the 2025 Masters 4 Mile Championships, I, your author, Paul Carlin Michigan Ann Arbor TC was able to edge Nowicki by a single second in 35:50. But I have not been close to him since. I finished almost two minutes behind him here in Atlanta last October when Nowicki finished third in M80. At the Masters 10 Km Championships in April, I again finished two minutes behind Nowicki's silver medal effort. Ed Bligh Georgia Atlanta GA will challenge for the bronze. Last year, I finished 5th M75 in 30:27; Bligh was just ten seconds back, finishing 4th in M80. In Tallahassee, I reportedly brought a big smile to his face when he passed me and stayed ahead all the way, coming in a good minute ahead of me. According to Bligh, it was the first time he had ever done so, at a Club Cross championship. Even if so, he has still never beaten me on the roads. We shall see how it turns out on Sunday. For now, I will say, based on past experien5ce on the roads, I should pick myself for the final podium spot. It is a great chance for Bligh to prove me wrong.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Paul Carlin Przemek Nowicki Gary Patton
M85 No entrants
M90 Sid Davis has the field to himself. Getting to the start line at age 91 is definitely a victory in itself. If he also finishes, Davis gets the Gold Medal!
Podium Favorite:
Sid Davis
WOMEN 40-44 I picked Lund and Pezzullo to battle for the gold medal and Popp to challenge for the bronze. They are my 1-2-3 picks for this division. Update: See Overall for Webb update.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
April Lund Stephanie Pezzullo Megan Popp
45-49 Last year at these championships, Emily Noble Georgia Athens Road Runners won the bronze medal in 20:38. This year she ran 20:25 in the Atlanta Pride 5K in June and clocked 42:49 at the AJC Peachtree Run in July. She is the favorite for the win on Sunday. Shawanna White South Carolina finished 5th here last year in 21:19. White's 5K's this past year have fallen in the 20:05 to 23:57 range.
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| Shawanna White Closes Off Her Run with an Emphatic Finish at the 2025 USATF USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club in Atlanta GA Photo By Pam Fales |
But she has typically clocked in the upper 21 to lower 22-minute range. Brooke Novak Georgia Atlanta TC finished 6th here last year in 23:55. This year, Novak claimed W45 Bronze at the Masters Road Mile Championships in Des Moines in April with a fine 6:42.7. In April she ran 20:01 at the Teardrop 5K. Between July and September, Novak clocked 25:10 at the Decatur Dekalb 5K; 24:26 at the Mustard Seed 5K and 22:17 at the fast Macon Labor Day 5K. Giving more weight to those last three than the April race, the most likely outcome is Noble-White- Novak, in that order. Vanessa Lordi California finished 7th here last year, almost two minutes behind Novak. Lordi ran 23:14 at the Carlsbad 5000 this April but that too is a fast course. I give Novak the nod for bronze.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Emily Noble Brooke Novak Shawanna White
50-54 This is a tough division to be competing in. I suggested Bloomer and Hayden as co-favorites for Overall Bronze, with Tolan a possible challenger for bronze.
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| Lorilynn Bloomer foreground Claims Fourth Overall and first W50 at the 2025 USATF USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club in Atlanta GA Photo By Pam Fales |
Bloomer and Hayden are, therefore, co-favorites for W50 Gold, with Tolan a challenger who may have to be happy with a bronze W50 medal. A strong runner, like Christie Nie New Jersey Shore AC, who finished third at the Masters 10 km Championships in April with a 42:20 could be shut out of the medals. Of course, Nie also is shooting for team medals.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Lorilynn Bloomer Dana Hayden Ivanka Tolan
55-59 Cassandra Henkiel Texas and Rachel Hopkins should challenge each other for the win. Henkiel finished second W50 in the 2022 Masters 10 km Championships with a 39:18, equivalent on age grading with a 19:30 5K. At Golden Gate Park in December 2022, Henkiel finished 4th W50 in the Club Cross Championships, five seconds behind Hopkins, who claimed the W50 bronze medal. Hopkins won the bronze medal here last year in 21:23. Henkiel's more recent efforts include 19:14 for the Austin Sunshine 5K in May of last year and 21:14 at the Bayou Hills 5K in Pensacola this March. Hopkins finished third in W55 last year in 21:33 [probably sub-21 on a true 5K course]. This May, Hopkins ran 43:04 at the Marigold 10K, age grade equivalent to 21:23.
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| Rachel Hopkins Finishing off her W55 Bronze Medal Run at the 2025 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club in Atlanta GA Photo By Pam Fales |
There seems no obvious evidence favoring one over the other on the roads. They are co-favorites for the W55 win. Anna Green South Carolina Greenville TC If Anne Green listed in Athlinks as running in the Greenville area is the same as this Anna Green], Lisa Horgan Shore AC [Palm Coast FL on Athlinks], and Ann Kim New Jersey Shore AC should have an exciting battle for the bronze medal. If I have Green and Kim correctly from Athlinks the following discussion applies. Green ran 22:26 at the Mountain to Main St 5K in SC in mid-May and 6:38.5 in the Honor Tower Mile on May 25th. Horgan ran 22:28 at Pink Up the Pace 5K in Florida on October 3rd. Kim ran 22:19 at the Fitzgerald Lager 5K on June 14th and 22:58 at the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K on August 8th. It looks to be a toss up on these records. Since my identification of Kim is quite certain and there are questions bout the other two, I will add Kim's name to the list of podium favorites. If Anna and Anne Green are the same person or if the Horgan who ran in Florida and is listed with a Florida address in Athlinks is the right Lisa Horgan, then they have an equal chance to be on the podium. Update: There are two last day entries, Katherine Huggins New Jersey Garden State TC and Melissa Landers-Potts Georgia Athens Road Runners. Huggins has focused on longer distances prior to this year. One of her shorter outings was her 51:09 W50 silver medal effort at the 2024 Masters 12 Km Championships. Earlier this year, she dropped down to two 5K's in part as preparation for the World Masters Athletics Championships. Huggins ran 20:56 at the Red Bank Classic in June and 20:11 at the Asbury Park 5K in early Augst. Huggins came back from WMA-Daegu, South Korea, with a ton of medals, including a gold medal in the 10K road race in 43:44 (in very warm, humid conditions). Landers-Potts finished 2nd W55 here last year in 20:55 [probably closer to 20 flat on a 'true' 5K]. She clockerd 20:58 at% the Athens Twilight 5K this past April.
It seems likely that Huggins and Landers-Potts can both run with Henkiel and Hopkins at the front of the W55 field. One of those four will likely displace Kim from the podium. The addition of these two makes for an exciting race in this division.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Cassandra Henkiel Rachel Hopkins Ann Kim Katherine Huggins Melissa Landers-Potts
60-64 A week ago I would have written this up as an epic Suzanne La Burt vs. Sue McDonald matchup of the top road racer against the top middle distance trackster. But I learned that La Burt will not be in top form and is running for team points. In a recent USATF Association race, La Burt aggravated an old calf injury. She still hopes ot make it to Atlanta for her team. That does not mean she will not run well but La Burt is certainly not focused on an epic battle for the individual win. McDonald holds American 60-64 Records for distances from the 400M, 1:01.73, to the 1 Mile, 5:28.02, on the track. McDonald is from Santa Barbara and an athlete named Sue McDonald ran 22:16 at the Rabbit Run 5K in Santa Barbara in April of 2025. Whether that was McDonald testing the waters for a 5K championship effort or not, this is a big step up in distance for her. It will be extremely interesting to see how she does. Knowing McDonald, I am sure she is well prepared. If La Burt has to run conservatively or does not run, who else will challenge McDonald?
Late-breaking news: I learned Saturday afternoon that Sue McDonald is nursing a TFL strain and doesn't want to jeopardize her intended Club Cross race in December. She will not be racing.
Noriko Charnley New Jersey Shore AC has 5K times of 21:30 in June, 21:42 in August, and 21:01 on October 4. Mimi Fallon Massachusetts Liberty AC ran 20:45 at the Kickin' Kids 5K in May and 20:54 at the Great Bear 5K two weeks later. Fallon has, of course, been a top Masters runner in New England for a long time. More recently she has competed at national road championships. In 2025, she finished 4th W55 at the Masters 10 Km Championships with a 44:34.
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| Mimi Fallon On Her Way to a 4th Place Finish in W60 at the 2026 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo By Michae Scott |
Roxanne Springer North Carolina Pursuit of Excellence TC finished 4th in W55 at the 2023 Masters Road Mile championships in Indianapolis with a 5:58. She ran a 20:37 5K at the Snohomish River Run in October of 2024. This past month, Springer clocked 20:43 at the Stead Tread 5K in Durham NC. Those three are clearly quite competitive with one another. Fallon and Springer have somewhat faster recent 5K times. I will put the two of them in with McDonald as podium favorites. But Charnley could easily prove me wrong. And that is not to mention Pamela Ricker and Kris Huff, who finished 2nd and 3rd here last year in 22:33 and 22:36! Of course, I would also not be surprised to find that, despite an aggravated calf, La Burt could well wind up on the division podium. It has happened many times with other top Masters athletes.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Mimi Fallon Sue McDonald Roxanne Springer
65-69 Lesley Hinz has had a very strong year on the roads, even though her favored surface is the track. She finished second in W65 here last year, in 23:23 [probably sub-23 on the 'true' 5K course]. Hinz ran a super race in Des Moines in April, earning the overall age grading silver medal, only to find herself trailing the incomparable Nancy Simmons and just nipped by Julie Hayden, both of whom are two years younger. A podium spot in such a field was quite the accomplishment! Hinz followed that up, five days later, with a W65 Gold Medal at the Masters 10 Km Championships with a kick to the finish four second win in 46:27. With home roads knowledge, Hinz will be tough to beat!
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| Lesley Hinz finishing Off Her W65 Silver Medal Run in the Rain at the 2025 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club in Atlanta GA Photo By Pam Fales |
But it is tough to win a national championship in the last two years of any age group. There are three others entered with strong credentials who have a good shot at the win. Mary Cass has moved up from W60. Cass finished 2nd in W60 at the Masters 4 Mile Championships in Peoria this past June with 29:23, equivalent roughly to a 22:46 5K. Since then she has run two sub-23-minute 5K's, a 22:07 at Gaspee Days 5K a week after Peoria; and a 22:27 at the Bulldog Dash on September 5th. The Impala athletes out of the Sann Francisco Bay area often head east for Cross Country. But this is one of the times they have sent a squad for a road championships. Eileen Brennan-Erler competed at Tallahassee in 2023 but has not competed recently in a 5K national championship. In 2017, when the championships were in Syracuse, she finished second in 20:08. This past April, Brennan-Erler clocked 22:17 at the Impala Stampede 5K. Her teammate, Diana Fitzpatrick, ran 22:59 at the Stampede. On September 19th she ran a 22:47 5K at the Alameda 10 Mile Run. Donna Grocki has been focused on the marathon this year, running 3:37:06 in Boston and finishing 2nd W65 at the Sydney Marathon in Australia, on August 29th, in 3:39:41. Earlier in the year, Grocki ran 21:55 at the Valentine's Day 5K in New Jersey. Hinz, Cass, and Brennan-Erler appear well matched. It should be quite a battle. With Fitzpatrick and Grocki pushing them, any let up will drop that athlete off the podium.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Eileen Brennan-Erler Mary Cass Lesley Hinz
70-74 Kitty Musante Florida Shore AC enters with, by far, the strongest credentials. She finished 3rd in 65-69 here last year in 24:43 [probably sub-24 on the true 5K course]. She cocked 23:47 at the Celebration of Running 5K on August 15th and added a 24:08 at the Battle of the Bands 5K on September 26th. Teammates, Cynthia Williams Georgia Atlanta TC and Margaret Taylor Georgia Atlanta TC might be able to keep her in sight. Williams finished 5th W65 here last year but was two minutes behind Musante. Williams finished 4th W70 at the 4 Mile Championships in Peoria in June, roughly equivalent to 27:49 for a 5K. Taylor finished 2nd W70 at the Masters 10 Km Championships at the James Joyce Ramble in April. Her 55:51 is roughly equivalent, via age grades, to a 27:44 5K. Consistent with that, Taylor ran 25:50 at the fast Macon Labor Day 5K this year. A month earlier, she clocked 28:22 on an 'Atlanta Flat' course, ATC's 'Atlanta's Finest' 5K which was the championship for the pre-Covid championships in Atlanta. Susan Stirrat could have pushed these three. She finished just six seconds behind Taylor at the 10 Km Championships. But she let me know that she would not be making the trip.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Kitty Musante Margaret Taylor Cynthia Williams
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| Start of the Women's Race at the 2025 USATF Masters 5 Km Championships Hosted by the Atlanta Track Club in Atlanta GA Photo By Pam Fales |
75-79 Norma Hudnall South Carolina Atlanta TC claimed W75 gold at this championship last year. She ran 28:41 [probably sub-28 on a true 5K course] to win by over four minutes. This summer, she won the W75 5000M on the track with her 27:19.71. Although Hudnall is the favorite, Joann Coffee New Jersey Shore AC may be able to run with her. At the 2023 Masters 12 Km Championships, Coffee finnished third W70 in 1:09:24. Using Age Grading to adjust for the distance and three years since that run, I come up with a rough equivalent of a 29:39 5K for that effort moved to a 5K in 2026. But adjusting times from longer races with age grading often comes down on the high side. Earlier that year, Coffee ran 26:23 at the Keane U Founders Day 5K. Bringing that forward in time suggests something closer in the high 27 minute range. But I can find no more recent results. So I keep Hudnall as the favorite. But she may have a W75 running companion for at least part of the race. Kathleen Allen, who finished second W75 here last year in 33:03, looks solid for the bronze medal. She can add that to the W75 gold medal she won in the 4 Mile Championships in Peoria earlier this year.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Kathleen Allen Joann Coffee Norma Hudnall
80-84 Andrea McCarter Atlanta Atlanta TC finished 2nd W75 here in 2024 with a 34:38. That is age grade equivalent to 36:40 in 2026. McCarter finished 2nd W75 at the Masters 4 Mile championships in Peoria this Jun with her 51:13. That equates to a 39:36 5K time. But that was a mid-70's, high humidity day. McCarter may not have pushed for her fastest time. Her likely running companion is teammate, Catherine Radle Atlanta Atlanta TC. Radle finished 2nd W80 here last year in 38:07. This May, Radle ran the Northside Hospital 4 Miler in 50:53. In August, she ran 40:49 at the Atlanta's Finest 5K. Those two teammates should be ablle to run together for much of the race and sort it out when they get close to the finish. Another teammate, Dolly Katz Atlanta Atlanta TC., ran 1:49:04 at the AJC Peachtree 10K. She is likely to finish a few minutes behind McCarter and Radle.
Podium Favorites in Alphabetical Order:
Dolly Katz Andrea McCarter Catherine Radle
85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite had to settle for second W85 here last year. This time, the incomparable Hodges-Hite will add to her large collection of gold medals. Her most recent road champiionship was in Peoria in June when she won the W85 Four Mile Championship in 1:21:53. Hodges-Hite keeps showing up, she keeps finishing, and she keeps winning!
Podium Favorite:
Joyce Hodges-Hite
That wraps up this preview. It looks like a great day for racing on Sunday with loads of intriguing matchups.
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Sources: USATF Events website and the Masters National Grand Prix webpage, my archives, Athlinks, Strava, Facebook, World Masters Athletics, and relevant race websites.
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