Final Preview of USATF Masters Half Marathon Championship

June 2 2018. The online registration for the 2018 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championship has closed. There may well be some last minute entrants at packet Pickup on Saturday but if so, they will not be previewed here. The earlier preview posted on May 21, 2018 has the baseline preview and predictions. This post is an update based on entrants from that date until the close of online registration on Wednesday May 30. In addition to change in entrants, the weather forecast has been updated. The temperatures and wind have not changed much; both are favorable, with temps rising from the upper 50's through to the upper 60's during the race. Earlier forecasts were for mostly sunny skies. Current forecasts call for a possibility of light ran during the race. As long as that is not sufficient to cause slippery conditions under foot, it is probably a net gain for the runners in the Championship.

OVERALL
No new contenders for the Men's Championship have popped up in the ensuing week. The earlier preview stands as written. Even though Sam Teigen is not picked for the podium, he is very capable and has had strong outings on the roads this year; he could be a surprise podium finisher.

David Angell    Gregory Mitchell     Olivier Vrambout.

There are new contenders for the Women's crown but the prediction for the winner is unchanged. Melissa Broyles and Erin Larusso will try to make things a bit more interesting in the Overall race. Broyles finished 4th in the recent 5th 3rd River Bank Run [25K],finishing in 1:45:18, hitting her Half Marathon split in 1:28:24. As Gacek finished 2nd in that race four minutes ahead of Broyles, it seems likely that Gacek will maintain her edge. But Broyles will, no doubt, make an effort to stay with Gacek a little longer on Sunday. Larusso will also challenge and is a good bet to make the podium although it would be a stretch for her to match either Gacek or Broyles. Larusso's most recent Half Marathon was a 1:30:14 effort at the Akron HM last  year. The 1:07:18 she ran at the Crim 10 Miler suggests she might be able to improve a bit on the Akron effort. The Crim result is age grade equivalent to a 1:28:56 HM. 

Melissa Gacek     Melissa Broyles     Erin Larusso

AGE-GRADING
There is no reason to second guess the prediction of Rick Becker, 62, Gene Dykes, 70, and Roger Sayre, 60. They are all likely to turn in World Class performances of 90% or better. But there are few certainties in competitive distance running. Should any of those three have an off day, there are a few others who will be pushing the age-grade pace. Should either Greg Mitchell or Olivier Vrambout, both 44, get down around 1:10, they would score in the upper 80's and might make the podium. Dave Walters, 62, ran a 1:21:35 Half Marathon last August. If he could match that, he too would score in the upper 80's.

Rick Becker     Gene Dykes     Roger Sayre

Michelle Simonaitis, 52, is now entered and could be a factor in age grading, but she will need her best outing to make the podium. At the 8K she finished just behind the initial favorites for this race, Doreen McCoubrie, 56, Jeanette Groesz, 68, and Suzanne Ray, 66; McCoubrie edged Groesz 91.87 to 91.82, with Ray at 90.21. At the 10K, Simonaitis came in ahead of Ray, who had an off day, but behind Groesz again; McCoubrie did not contest the 10K as she ran the Boston Marathon instead. Patrice Combs, 60, could also factor into the age grading contest. At the 10K, she finished behind Groesz but ahead of Simonaitis and Ray. Groesz and McCoubrie both contested the Half Marathon last year and Groesz edged McCoubrie by a half percentage point. Ray ran a Half Marathon in 1:37:15 and ran 1:08:59 at the 15K Championships in Tulsa; that is age grade equivalent to a 1:37:58. If she can shrug off her race at Dedham, and turn in something like a 1:38:00 or faster, she could well win the contest by age grading at 93% or higher. It is a very tough contest to call. Ten days ago I thought the order would be McCoubrie, Groesz, and Ray. If I base it on the 8K, McCoubrie makes sense, but that distance is quite a bit shorter than the HM. On the other hand, McCoubrie loves the longer races so maybe last year was just off for her in the HM and 15K. If I base it on Ray's HM and 15K last year, she becomes the favorite, but I have to balance that against a subpar outing at the 10K last month. Was it just an off day or was it due to an injury that will have lingering effects? Groesz is just steady, almost always on the age-grading podium. I will stick with my earlier call, but the order could easily be changed and Combs could find her way onto the podium. Simonaitis is a bit more of a long shot but certainly capable as well.  

Doreen McCoubrie     Jeanette Groesz      Suzanne Ray

AGE DIVISIONS

40-44 Nothing new here for the men, although Sam Teigen will not be far off and could wind up on the podium if he has one of his best days or if anyone else is a bit off. 
David Angell     Greg Mitchell     Olivier Vrambout

As noted above, local runner, Melissa Broyles, will try to stay with Melissa Gacek longer than she did at the recent Fifth Third River Bank Run, where Gacek finished 2nd and Broyles 4th. In that race, Gacek forged a minute and a half lead in the first 7 miles and grew it to nearly three minutes by the 12 mile mark. As of now, Janice Rumph is the 3rd runner entered and needs only to finish to wind up on the division podium.

Melissa Gacek     Melissa Broyles     Janice Rumph

45-49 The earlier analysis of the Men's race holds with no amendments.
Philippe Rolly     Jonathan Frieder     Brent Fields

Erin Larusso is now entered and the favorite for a podium finish overall. She should win the division handily. There is a good chance she can crack 1:30 but as long as she is near that, she should take the division. GVH teammates, Caroline Bucci and Melissa Senall, should both come home under 1:45 and if either has a strong day, a sub-1:40 is not out of the question. Bucci's most recent Half Marathon is a 1:43:20 from 5 weeks ago whereas Senall's 1:42:27 is from March of 2017. It is really a toss-up but I will go with Bucci because of the more recent HM outing.

Erin Larusso     Caroline Bucci     Melissa Senall

50-54 There is no new information here but I have had time to ponder a bit more and am now second-guessing my earlier prediction order of Eric Stuber, Paul Mayer, and Alan Evans. I perhaps over-weighted the breaking news of Stuber's 1:21:54 in the Flying Pig HM. That definitely shows he is ready to run a fast HM. But is it enough to put him ahead of Evans? Evans ran a 2:52:16 at Grandma's Marathon in June of 2017 and he was able to come in ahead of Stuber at Club XC in December, a distance less to his liking than the longer races. I also learned that a 1:21:00 Rite-Aid Cleveland HM outing belonged to a different Paul Mayer than the one entered in this Championship. Mayer's 1:02:40 in the Crim 10 Miler last year is probably the best indicator of his likely time for an HM and that equates, in age-grade terms to a 1:22:54. So I will now order them:

Alan Evans      Eric Stuber    Paul Mayer

The entry of Michelle Simonaitis changes things for the women. Simonaitis is likely to run around 1:30 or better. That should be enough to take the division title. Dana Blum and Kris Huff both have recent HM's in the 1:37:30 range. Since Blum's time was 21 seconds faster than Huff's, I made her the favorite for the 2nd place finish and see no reason to change that.

Michelle Simonaitis     Dana Blum     Kris Huff

55-59 There are no major changes, but having a little more time to ponder this division makes me realize I was over-weighting the update on Dennis Kinney's 2013 1:24:01 in the Flower City HM. John Van Kerkhove has been battling to come back from an injury over the last year or so. Nonetheless, Van Kerkhove came in a minute and a half ahead of Kinney at the 10K Championships in Dedham last month. That suggests Van Kerkhove's current fitness may be superior to Kinney's. Van Kerkhove has apparently run nothing much over 10K in the last few years but in 2014 he ran a 58:05 15K which suggests that at the time he could probably have broken 1:23 at that time. With a 1:22:43 at the 017 Half Marathon Championships, Jim Zoldy remains the favorite to take the division crown. But with a 3:15:52 at Boston this spring and a 56:45 15K, Leaman should be able to come in ahead of Van Kerkhove and Kinney, and may have a legitimate shot at the title. The 15K time is age-grade equivalent to a 1:20:45.  Jeff Rothstein could also challenge for that final spot on the podium. His 1:02:36 15K from last November is age-grade equivalent to a 1:29:05 HM.

Jim Zoldy     Gary Leaman     John Van Kerkhove

Karyl Sargent and Nancy Schubring are now entered and should be in the hunt for a podium finish. Doreen McCoubrie is still favored for the Division title. Even if she can just match her 1:29:33 from last year's Masters HM Championships, she should take the title. And, based on her 31:33 win at the 8K Masters Championship in March, she may run faster this year. Sargent ran 33:25 at the 8K and 42:36 at the 10K Masters Championships this spring. It seems to much of a stretch for her to catch McCoubrie but she may well have enough fitness to compete well with Beth Ann Ciantis, Kelly Dworak, and Janet Smith. Sargent's best recent HM was a 1:42:52 HM in February in New York, but that may have been run under difficult conditions. Her recent 10K time suggests she should be able to run under 1:35. If so, she should claim 2nd. Dworak and Smith are both capable of running around 1:38, with Ciantis not far off. Schubring also has run her Half Marathons in the 1:38 to 1:40 range. As with the earlier prediction, I will give the edge to Dworak based on her recent 1:38:13 Half Marathon.

Doreen McCoubrie     Karyl Sargent     Kelly Dworak

60-64 The changes are that I found a 1:21:35 Half Marathon for Dave Walters and that Vermont's Norm Larson threw his hat in the ring. Ordinarily with Larson, he would be a sure bet for the podium but this field is packed. Larson will most likely be fighting for a top 5 finish. Roger Sayre has the best recent Half Marathon at 1:18:40 and 1:19:16. Of course both are point-to-point and downhill but offsetting that, at least partially, is the altitude. He also has a 55:29 15K on Tulsa's tough 15K Masters Championship course; that is age-grade equivalent to a 1:18:58. It seems likely he could break 1:20 or at least come close. And he had a better age-grade than Rick Becker at Club XC this past December, suggesting he should be favored here as well. Becker runs great on all surfaces but he is especially dominant on the XC turf. That Sayre could outpoint him suggests he should be favored for this HM Championship. But Becker will push him all the way. His 44:26 at the recent Lilac Bloomsday 12K, which is known for its tough course, is age-grade equivalent to a 1:19:54. Walters looks like a good bet for the final podium spot. Martin Lascelles, Norm Larson, and Michael Young should all come in somewhere around 1:25 or 1:26. Another intriguing entrant is David Burkhart, primarily a tri- and du-athete. He ran 39:23 for the 10K in a recent triathlon.

Roger Sayre     Rick Becker     Dave Walters

There is one significant change since the earlier preview, while most things remain as previewed then. Patrice Combs seems likely to run a sub-1:35 and that should still be enough to take the win easily. If Lyn Bernot can run close to the 1:47:08 she ran in the San Diego Holiday HM, she should claim 2nd. After that, it should be another duel between Cheryl Guth and Joanna Harper, but with a Michigan wrinkle. Harper edged Guth by a single second at the Masters 10K Championships in Dedham. Both seem capable of running in the low to mid 1:50's. Harper ran 1:51:27 at the 2017 Half Marathon Championships last May, while Guth ran 1:54:37 this April and a 1:48:37 at an HM last July. A new entrant, Carol Poenisch, from Northville Michigan, about 20 miles out of Ann Arbor appears to be in their league. She just clocked 1:54:25 at the Rock CF Rivers HM in March. It looks to be a toss-up between Guth, Harper and Poenisch. I will assume Poenisch has a home course advantage and give her the third place prediction.
Patrice Combs     Lyn Bernot     Carol Poenisch

65-69 Heath Hibbard is now entered in this division. He ran 39:55 in a 10K in early December and ran 1:03:10 in the 15K Championships over the tough course at Tulsa. That 1:03:10 is age-grade equivalent to a 1:29:59. Of course that is not the same as running a 1:30 HM but it does not seem like anyone else is ready to run that close to 1:30. As I noted in the earlier preview, I give the edge otherwise to 3-time Age Division Runner of the Year, Terry McCluskey, who clocked 1:11:06 in the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler which is age-grade equivalent to a 1:34:17 but if he can manage something closer to the pace he put down at the Crim 10 Miler last August when he ran 1:09:03, he will press Hibbard. John Hirschberger, Jerry Learned, and Eduardo Matsuo will probably not be far off McCluskey's pace. Hirshcberger ran 1:34:31 at the Masters HM Championship in So Cal last May. His recent 1:14:20 outing at the Norcal John Frank Memorial 10 Miler was not as impressive. Learned is a tough runner who is racing consistently well recently. On the other hand, I cannot find a Half Marathon for him within the last half dozen years. Based on the 1:06:58 15K he ran in Tulsa, it appears a 1:35 HM would not necessarily be out of his reach. Matsuo ran 1:34:44 at the Dexter Ann Arbor HM last year. With that kind of recent performance, I give Matsu the edge in terms of the third place spot.
Heath Hibbard     Terry McCluskey     Eduardo Matsuo

Nothing has changed on the Women's side of this division. Suzanne Ray should still win, as long as the subpar performance in Dedham is just a one-off event rather then being indicative of some lingering injury. Victoria Crisp and Jeannette Groesz will fight it out for 2nd and 3rd, with Crisp favored on the basis of slightly faster recent 10 mile and Half marathon times.

Suzanne Ray     Victoria Crisp     Jeanette Groesz

70-74 Nothing has changed in this division except the rumor that Bill Dixon might enter has not materialized. It seems unlikely he would wait to register until Saturday, although that has been fairly common practice for him with the 5K Championships in Syracuse. Perhaps the rumors confused Dixon  who is from Brattleboro VT, with Norm Larson who runs for the Green Mountain Athletic Association. Assuming Dixon does not show up at the last minute, the earlier preview can stand. Gene Dykes, who bested Dixon at the 10K Masters Championships and broke the American Marathon record in Rotterdam this year with a 2:57:43, should win with minutes to spare. Dave Glass and Lloyd Hansen should battle for 2nd and 3rd. I give Hansen the edge, in part because he ran 1:35:51 in the HM Masters Championships last year and also has a 53:15 12K on the tough Lilac Bloomsday 12K course in early may of this year, which is age-grade equivalent to a 1:35:56. Glass has recent 15K's which suggest he can run around 1:35 in the HM and it is also true that he came in a half minute ahead of Hansen at the 15K Masters Championship last year. But Hansen also appears to be running a little stronger this year after recovering from a sciatic nerve issue that plagued him for a year and a bit. As I mentioned at the time, Gene French, Przemek Nowicki and I [Paul Carlin], who have landed on the Masters HM podium in the past, have fitness issues. Nowicki won in 2016 and I won last year, with French in 3rd. French was running strong at the end of last year but ran into some problems this year and could only manage a 1:22:26 at the Sactown 10 Miler which is usually thought of as a flat, fast course. I only ran 20 seconds faster at the Papa John's 10 Miler, which is known for its tough hills over the middle section of the course. Just in the last two weeks, though, I feel I have largely put the high hamstring problem behind me. When I step to the line on Sunday, I will not be race fit, but I should be as close to being whole as I have been since May 2016. I should be more competitive later in the summer and fall.

The major change for the women is that Jo Ann Rowland will not compete after all. Her hamstring problem has hampered her training too much. If there are no additional entries,Irene Terronez only needs to finish the race to claim the division Championship.

75-79. There are no changes to the preview; no additional entries have been filed. The favorites are still:
Robert Hendrick     David Cohen     Charlie Patterson

There are no updates to the Team Previews; the earlier analysis can stand. Things will probably change at packet pickup. Most likely GVH will find a way to field a Women's 40+ team. The Ann Arbor Track Club is also trying to field a Women's 40+ team. If they are successful, there will be a race in that division. But no changes are known at this point.

An Early Look at Who’s Running Ann Arbor

May 21 2018. It is less than two weeks to Race Day on June 3^rd for the USATF  Masters Half Marathon Championship hosted by the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run [DXA2}. We have over a hundred entrants for the Half Marathon already, but expect dozens more.   There are already some intriguing matchups but there are, no doubt, more to come.

Overall Individual Championships

David Angell, of the Roanoke Elite, finished 3^rd overall in the Half Marathon last year in Orange County California, but the two who finished ahead of him were both from the West Coast and might not make the trip. No slouch, Angell ran 1:12:18 on a course that turned out to be tougher than it was billed. He ran 1:09:37 in the Richmond Half Marathon in 2016. 

David Angell heads for the win at the 2018 USATF Masters 10K Championship [Photo Credit-Mike Scott]

Will there be a Great Lakes challenger who could slow Angell down as he seeks to add the Half Marathon title to the crowns he already has this year for the 8K and 10K? There is at least one, Run Minnesota’s Olivier Vrambout, fresh off his Masters victory at the Fifth Third River Bank Run. He strode through the Half Marathon split in 1:12:57 on his way to victory in 1:26:42 and a victory margin of over two minutes. Vrambout also enjoyed a top five finish at the 2017 California International Marathon in 2:29:04. It looks like there could be a real duel. Who else will be in the pack? Philippe Rolly has been chasing Angell at Club Cross Country in Lexington, the 8K at Virginia Beach, and the 10K at Dedham. He has not caught him yet. But the Half Marathon may be a better distance for him. He ran 1:13:19 at the RnR HM in Philly last September and then won the Masters title at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2:34:29. Sam Teigen, who was only two minutes back from Vrambout in Sacramento has run very well recently in finishing 5^th overall at the 8K and 4^th at the 10K Masters Championships. He will surely try to stay in the lead pack. Jonathan Frieder has been having his usual good season on the roads. He just ran 53:48 at the Blue Cross Broad Street Run (10 Miles) but has been a few strides back from Teigen in recent races. Frieder will definitely be up there at the start. But it may not be too long before he will have to make a choice, whether to risk everything for a spectacular individual result or to focus on team and age division goals. Greg Mitchell, who has been absent from our Masters Road Championships for a while, will toe the starting line as well. The 2014 and 2015 Masters Grand Prix 40-44 Champion, Mitchell has won National Championships at every distance from the Road Mile to the 15K. 

Greg Mitchell [red singlet] and John Gardiner just starting to gap Neville Davey at the 2016 Club XC Championships in Tallahassee

He will be going for his first national Championship at the Half Marathon; he finished 2^nd to Kevin Castille in 2014 in 1:08:21. This spring he took Masters titles at the Mountain to Fountain 15K in Arizona in 48:55 and Portland Oregon’s Shamrock 8K in 24:50. He took 2^nd Masters at the prestigious Carlsbad 5000 in 15:30 and on Lilac Bloomsday’s tough 12K course in 39:58. It looks like Mitchell is ready to roll.

Angell     Mitchell     Vrambout

It is not as interesting yet on the Women’s side of the entry list. Melissa Gacek is the headliner but there is no one, yet, to challenge her. Gacek just claimed 2^nd Masters at the 5^th 3^rd River Bank Run, speeding through the Half Marathon in 1:25:10 on her way to a 1:41:22 25K. And that’s with only 4 week’s training outside, after their last big snow in the Twin Cities. The only one to beat her in the 25K was Jennifer Bayliss from California, just after winning her 2^nd National Masters Championship this year in the10K at Dedham. It seems unlikely Bayliss would make another trip to Michigan so soon, but Gacek would surely enjoy a rematch with a few more weeks of workouts under her trainers. Another possible entry might be Tammy Nowik, who hails from Michigan, and just finished 3^rd behind Gacek at the River Bank Run. 

Melissa Gacek takes the overall win at the 2016 USATF 15K Championship at the Tulsa Federal Credit Union Tulsa Run [Photo posted on Facebook]

Like Gacek, she probably can also benefit from the added weeks of outdoor training weather.

Gacek

Age-Grading Championships

There are at present a few likely contenders among both Women and Men. For the men, there are Rick Becker, Gene Dykes, and Roger Sayre. Becker topped Nat Larson in age grading at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee FL and that has not happened often. Becker is a terror on the Cross Country paths, but he has also done well on the road race circuit, finishing just behind Brian Pilcher and Larson at the 10K in Dedham in 2016 with a 90.93%. 

Rick Becker comes back a year after surgery to take 2nd Masters in the 60+ race at the 2018 Club XC Champinships in Lexington KY

Dykes is new to top age-grading performances in National Championships, but he has been on a tear this spring.  He finished 2^nd to Larson in Age-Grading at the 10K with a 92.90%.

Becker     Dykes     Sayre

For the Women, we have Jeanette Groesz, Doreen McCoubrie, and Suzanne Ray. At the 8K in Virginia Beach, it was McCoubrie, Groesz, and Ray, finishing 3^rd 4^th and 5^th, at 91.87%, 91.82% and 90.21%. But on the tough, cold 15K run in Tulsa last October, the order was Ray. Groesz, and McCoubrie. 

Doreen McCoubrie finishes the 2017 USATF Masters 15K Championship in Tulsa [Photo courtesy of Tulsa Sports Commission]

How will it come out this time? Ray should be looking to bounce back and one would say the longer distance might suit her, given the 15K results. But McCoubrie is very strong at the longer distances.

McCoubrie     Groesz     Ray

Age Division Championships

40-44 Angell, Mitchell,Teigen, and Vrambout should have quite a battle for the Overall win and the 40-44 division.

Angell     Mitchell     Vrambout

So far Gacek is solo in her division.

Gacek

45-49 Jonathan Frieder will try to see if he can catch Philippe Rolly. Forty-four seconds back at Club XC, 12 seconds back at the 8K Championships and only 2 seconds behind at Dedham, perhaps Ann Arbor will be the site where Frieder can close the gap all the way. Brent Fields has not quite been up to their level in recent months but shold be a good bet to make the podium.

Rolly     Frieder     Fields

Teammates Caroline Bucci and Melissa Senall are set to vie for 45-49 honors. Recently Senall has been a few steps ahead of Bucci, so she is the favorite as of today.

Senall     Bucci

50-54 The Genesee Valley Harriers are sending a strong contingent. If up to his normal fitness, Alan Evans might be the favorite. Evans ran 2:52:16 at Grandma’s Marathon last year and the year before ran a 1:19:46 at the Skunk Cabbage Classic HM. Mike Nier, his teammate, is usually a few steps ahead of Evans at shorter distances but a Half Marathon is a bit of a stretch. Still, he ran 3:23:14 at Boston in the very hot weather of 2017. Dale Flanders ran 1:22:56 in the Hooters to Hooters HM last year so he could make it onto the podium if things break his way. Two who might get in the way of the GVH crew are Paul Mayer of the Ann Arbor TC and Eric Stuber of Playmakers Elite. Mayer ran a 1:21:00 at the Rite-Aid Cleveland HM last year and a 1:02:40 at the Crim 10 Miler. Stuber ran a 1:18:53 at the Gasparilla HM in February of 2016 and in September of that year, ran 1:22:08 in the Capital River Run. But his most recent HM was in Florida in February when he ran 1:32:49. Otherwise Stuber has the fastest HM time of the bunch within the last two years. Hot off the presses; Stuber just ran 1:21:54 at the Flying Pig HM in Cincinnatti; that indicates current fitness at this distance. I will give the edge to Stuber because Mayer does not appear to have any races beyond 5k this spring. But there is no doubt it will be a real battle.

Stuber     Mayer     Evans

Dana Blum of the Impala Racing Team and Kris Huff of Atlanta appear closely matched. Blum ran1:37:20 in the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco HM earlier this year while Huff ran 1:37:41 in the Publix Georgia HM. They are the class of the field at present and it looks lie it would be quite a tussle.

Blum     Huff

55-59 Dennis Kinney, Gary Leaman and James Zoldy might well be the three to beat based on current entrants. Kinney’s claim is perhaps the more tentative being based on a 1:24:01 in the Flower City HM in 2013. Updating that to age 57 with the age-grading tables suggests it is equivalent to a 1:27:54 which would put him in the hunt. Leaman has a 1:27:00 in the Shades of Death HM and 3:15:52 in Boston this year (near gale conditions) and a 3:18:13 last year when it was so hot. But if one goes strictly on HM times, Zoldy should be the favorite. He ran 1:22:43 at the HM Championship last year in Orange County California and has other HMs in the 1:23 to 1:26 range.

Zoldy     Leaman     Kinney

Doreen McCoubrie is clearly the fastest of the current entrants. She won last year’s HM championship in Southern California in 1:29:33 and ran 3:17:26 in Boston this spring. Kelly Dworak is probably number two right now based on a 1:12:39 10 Miler and a 1:38:13 Half marathon. Beth Ann DeCiantis and Janet Smith should not be too far behind Dworak. I will give the edge for now to Smith whose 1:14:35 at the Norcal JF Memorial Run (10 Miler) is age-grade equivalent to a 1:38:32 HM. But De Ciantis ran a 2:19:29 18 Miler which is AG equivalent to a 1:40:10, so there is not a lot of space between them.

McCoubrie     Dworak    Smith

60-64 Rick Becker, Roger Sayre, Dave Walters, and Michael Young are the four from a strong field who are most likely to battle for the three podium positions. Known for his fierce runs on the Cross Country circuit, it appears Becker is now fully recovered from his operation in early 2017. He recently clocked a 44:26 at Lilac Bloomsday, which is known for its strenuous 12K course; that time is age-grade equivalent to a 1:19:54. Sayre, in the meantime has run a 55:29 15K on the tough, hilly Tulsa Run course, age grade equivalent to a 1:18:58. He has also run 2 sub 1:20 Half Marathons at altitude in Colorado. Those two seem most likely to duel for the win but Walters and Young will not be far behind. Walters ran 2:51:39 at the TCS NYC Marathon and 2:53:27 at the BOA Chicago Marathon, not to mention a 1:23:29 at the March Madness HM. Young has similar credentials, with a 2:57:26 Tucson Marathon and a 1:24:35 at the Rock CF Rivers HM last year.

Sayre     Becker     Walters

Patrice Combs appears to be a pretty safe bet in this division, at least with current entrants. She just took this division handily in Dedham at the 10K Championship in 43:09; that is AG equivalent to a 1:33:27. She validated that by actually running a 1:34:26 in the Publix Georgia HM. Lyn Bernot of Team Red Lizard is the 2^nd favorite based on her 1:47:08 in the Holiday HM in San Diego and her 1:15:08 in the Portland Shamrock 15K, AG equivalent to a 1:46:42. Cheryl Guth and Joanna Harper may have the same kind of attle for the last podium spot that they had in Dedham where Harper edged Guth by a single second.

Combs     Bernot     Harper

65-69 Among the entrants thus far, John Hirschberger, Jerry Learned, Eduardo Matsuo, and Terry McCluskey appear to be the strongest Half Marathoners. Hirschberger ran 1:34:31 in the HM Masters Championship last May. This spring he has a 34:50 at the 8K National Championship and a 1:14:20 at the Norcal John Frank Memorial 10 Miler. That is AG equivalent to a 1:38:31. But then last fall he ran 1:32:12 at the Clarksburg Country HM. Learned is a very steady runner and is running very well over the last couple of years after putting some injuries behind him. Nonetheless, this appears to be a little bit of a stretch in distance for him. He ran a 1:06:58 at the 15K Championship in Tulsa, AG equivalent to a 1:35:29. He came in 21 seconds ahead of Hirschberger in the 8K Championship at Virginia Beach. Matsuo ran just a little bit faster at Tulsa, clocking a 1:06:03, AG equivalent to a 1:34:05. He also has some home course experience, having run the DXA2 in 1:34:42 in 2015. Finally there is McCluskey who is easing back into Masters Championship events before turning 70 this summer. He finished half a minute ahead of Learned, despite losing some time at the beginning of the 8K race in Virginia Beach. His 1:09:03 at the Crim 10 Miler last August is AG equivalent to a 1:31:34. That kind of time may be out of reach as his time this spring in the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler was 1:11:06. Nonetheless, unless someone else enters, I make McCluskey the favorite; he beat tow of the other three in the 8K and has a faster 10 Miler time than Matsuo’s 15K. Plus McCluskey is a 3-time Age Division Runner of the Year.

McCluskey     Matsuo     Hirschberger

Suzanne Ray, Jeanette Groesz, and Victoria Crisp are all strong runners. With the exception of the 10K in Dedham last month, Ray typically comes in ahead of her teammate, Groesz, although Groesz typically gets the age-grade edge. Ray ran a 1:37:15 HM this year along with a 1:15:14 in the Pear Blossom 10 Miler, equivalent to a 1:39:25 HM. Crisp ran a 1:42:10 HM this year, a race that she ran in 1:39:48 last year. Groesz’s best recent effort over a comparable distance is her 1:14:07 at the 15K Championship in Tulsa. That is equivalent to a 1:45:14. That is a tough course, so perhaps its true equivalence is a bit lower than 1:45. Still it appears Crisp seems likely to come in ahead of Groesz.

Ray     Crisp     Groesz

70-74 If things continue as they have been going this spring, Gene Dykes is a heavy favorite to take this division. He ran 2:57:43 at the Rotterdam Marathon, taking down the American Record, and then at Dedham took down the American 10K record in 39:04. It is rumored that Bill Dixon might enter but if so, he will most likely be gunning for 2^nd place. In Dixon’s absence, Dave Glass and Lloyd Hansen should battle for 2^nd and 3^rd. Glass won almost every race last fall and Hansen is trying to regain the fitness he had in 2014 when he was 65-69 Runner of the Year. Last October in Tulsa, Glass ran 1:06:15 to Hansen’s 1:06:46. Glass’s recent 3^rd place finish at the 10K Championship in Dedham in 43:49 suggests he is close to that fitness now. Hansen just ran 53:15 on the challenging Lilac Bloomsday 12K course. That is equivalent to a 1:35:56 and maybe a bit faster adjusting for degree of difficulty. That suggests Hansen might be able to run faster than the 1:35:51 he posted in last year’s championship. I will give the edge to Hansen because he has run more HMs recently than Glass but it is likely to be close. Gene French, Przemek Nowicki, and I are all at various stages of rehab so will probably not land on the podium.

Dykes     Hansen     Glass

There are two entries, Jo Anne Rowland and Irene Terronez. Even though Rowland is coming off an injury, it appears she should still be able to take the division. Not up to her former standard, Rowland still was able to run 1:51:44 at the Clarksburg Country HM last Fall and her 39:32 at the 8K in Virginia Beach suggests she should be able to run around 1:50. She ran 1:43:35 at the 2016 Masters HM Championship by contrast. Terronez, in that same race, ran 2:21:44. She took 2^nd at last October’s 15K Championships in 1:39:03.

Rowland     Terronez

75-79 Robert Hendrick, who won this division at the USATF Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee and the 8K at Virginia Beach, was hoping for a rematch with Doug Goodhue, who took the division title in Dedham at the 10K. Unfortunately, as Race Director, Goodhue has too much on his plate. He had hoped to run, but duty calls. With Goodhue out, Hendrick should have clear sailing for the win. He ran 1:41:27 at the Ft. Lauderdale HM and anywhere near that will give him the win. David Cohen and Charlie Patterson should have another great duel for 2^nd and 3^rd. Cohen ran 2:02:01 at the RnR HM in New Orleans in March, and just clocked 53:02 at the 10K Championship in Dedham.  That is AG equivalent to a 1:55:17. Charlie Patterson ran 1:56:14 in last year’s HM Championship in Orange County. Patterson did not compete in the 10K Championship this year but he did run a 12K in mid-February in 1:07:12. That is equivalent to a 55:33 10K. But that suggests another two months of training might bring Patterson and Cohen pretty close. Last summer, Patterson beat Cohen by 4 seconds at the Road Mile Championship in Flint Michigan but then Cohen beat Patterson by 6 seconds in the 15K Championship in Tulsa. I will give the edge to Cohen for having won the longer of the two races, but look for another tight contest!

Hendrick     Cohen     Patterson

Teams

It is hard to say much about teams until they are set in the final week.

Men’s 40+ has only one complete team, the Garden State Track Club-New Balance. The same is true for the Genesee Valley harriers in the Women’s 40+ division.

Men’s 50+ has more complete teams. It appears that GVH has a slight edge over Playmakers Elite and Ann Arbor TC. Stuber just ran a 1:21:54 in Cincinnati at the Flying Pig HM. That suggests it will be really tight between Ann Arbor and Playmakers for 2^nd and 3^rd. It looks like the top runner for each time is very close and it is hard to call the race between #2’s and #3’s; in fact it is hard to know who is #2 and who #3 on each team. If Lambrecht can crack 1:30, that would probably give it to Playmakers but that may be a tall order.

GVH     Ann Arbor TC     Playmakers Elite

Women’s 50+ has 3 complete teams and one that the rest hope stays incomplete. Athena TC has only Doreen McCoubrie entered right now. If she is joined by some of their other distance specialists like Teri Cassels and Mary Swan, they become the favorites. In their absence, Dana Blum and Janet Smith should lead Impala to victory. Atlanta and GVH would then strive for 2^nd and 3^rd.  Atlanta looks to have the stronger #1 with Kris Huff who should crack 1:40. But if Carol Bischoff can come close to her 1:43:49 at the NYC HM and if Beth Anne DeCiantis can run close to 1:40, that should give the edge to GVH for 2^nd place.

Impala     GVH     Atlanta

Like 50+ the Men’s 60+ race will be a ‘barn burner.’ Boulder is sending a strong contingent. If Roger Sayre is fully recovered from his Boston Marathon ordeal, he should be able to crack 1:20 and lead the Boulder contingent of Martin Lascelles, George Braun and Nate Anderson to victory.  But first they will need to get past Atlanta. The trio of Ken Youngers, Mike Anderson, and Phil Richey have helped Atlanta take Boulder’s measure at both the 8K and the 10K. But neither Youngers nor Richey is entered yet and Mike Anderson is not at peak fitness. Perhaps Atlanta will not field a complete team? The other three teams, Ann arbor, GVH, and Shore appear to be pretty close. After Boulder, I give the edge to Ann Arbor TC. But every runner will need to do his best. If Michael Young can come in under 1:25 and if Eduardo Matsuo and Terry McCluskey can both hit 1:35 or better, they should claim 2^nd, a few minutes ahead of Shore AC  If Stirrat and Dollard can average 1:30 between them and if Scott Linnell can stay under 1:40, Shore should claim 2^nd just ahead of GVH. The one chance for GVH seems to be if Rybinski’s fitness is continuing to improve and he can somehow crack 1:25. It is a tall order but then GVH might have a chance at the podium.

Boulder RR     Ann Arbor TC     Shore AC

Team Red Lizard is entering their usual sterong tri of Jeanette Groesz, Joanna Harper and Suzanne Ray. They will be the favorites even if GVH can field a complete team to contest the division.

Men’s 70+ looks right now to be a battle between the Ann Arbor TC and Atlanta. If Lloyd Hansen can stay close to or beat Dave Glass, and if I (Paul Carlin) can come in ahead of the rest of the Atlanta crew by a few minutes, then David Cohen should finish off our scoring well enough to cement the win. I have been trying to right my downward spiral and feel like I am turning the corner, but my fitness is way off where it would normally be. Still I should be able to come in under 1:50 and that might be enough; I hope to crack 1:45. I won the 70-74 division last year in 1:41:42.

Ann Arbor     Atlanta

That is the early preview, the best I can do with limited information on who will contest the races. I will offer an update when we are closer to the end of online registration the 30^th of May. That is only 9 days away. If you sign up early, that makes my preview job easier. And it takes one more thing off your mind.

USATF 2018 Masters 10K Road Championship- Records Fall Amidst Fantastic Competition

May 6 2018. The Masters 10K Championships were contested for the sixth consecutive year as part of the James Joyce Ramble on the last Sunday in April in the picturesque town of Dedham Massachusetts, founded in 1640.  A record field of over 280 registered runners enjoyed the week ahead forecast of sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60’s. Of course, it being the Greater Boston area in springtime, it was not to be.  But everyone agreed that cloudy skies with sprinkles of rain, 50 degrees and not much wind was certainly just fine. The horn sounded and the Masters Athletes headed off over the rolling hills of the 10K Championship course.

They are off and running 300 meters into the race

The top 4 Women and others at the 300meter mark of the race-2018 USATF 10K Masters Championship

Here is what transpired.

AMERICAN RECORDS

Gene Dykes was fresh from lowering the 70-74 American Record for the Marathon to 2:57:43 in Rotterdam on the 8^th of April when he won his Boston Marathon age division by a half hour in challenging, near gale conditions 8 days later in 3:16:20. Now it was only 13 days after Boston and Dykes was looking for another Championship. At first, I had thought he would scratch after two tough Marathons but no, there he was at the starting line smiling and appearing confident, hoping to make voice and eye contact with his main rival before the horn sounded. He was squaring off with William Dixon, 6-time Age Division Road Runner of the Year, who was coming back from an injury that slowed him down last year. But Dixon had run a 19:30 5K recently, after clocking 41:00 in a 10K on St. Patrick’s Day. He seemed primed to break Jan Frisby’s 70-74 American Record of 40:15. Dixon took off at a good pace, but Dykes was right on his heels. They stayed that way as they raced through the center of town, down a short hill and up a longer, steeper one. After running through some quaint neighborhoods, they turned onto High Street to race towards the Noble and Greenough School grounds. Dykes made his decisive move then and Dixon could only watch as Dykes pulled away. When Dixon flashed across the finish line in 39:41, that was the good news; he smashed the American Record by over half a minute-terrific! But he knew that Dykes had preceded him across the finish line; his record-breaking time only netted him second place. Dykes finishes off the kind of month most can only dream of, topping it with the 10K crown and the American 70-74 record of 39:02 (39:04 Gun time for the Championship but net time is used for Masters Records).

Gene Dykes cracks the American 70-74 Record by Over 2 Minutes at the 2018 USATF 10K Championship at the James Joyce Ramble [Thanks to Mike Scott for providing all complimentary photos used here.]

The other record-breaking attempt on the day was Anny Stockman’s assault on the 85-89 Women’s American record. She took down the 5K record last October in Syracuse at the Masters National Championships with a 39:41. The current record listed for the 10K is a 1:35:59 effort by Mary Grosse in 2016 listed as pending. Pending means it has not yet been ratified, but it could be yet. It was on a record-eligible, USATF certified course, so presumably the paperwork could still be submitted by the race. That meant Stockman had to beat it to be sure she had the new record. She knew if she could keep up a 14 minute per mile pace she would claim the record. She actually averaged well under 14; she  claimed a new American Record by over 11 minutes, crossing the finish line in 1:24:50!

Anny Stockman crushes the 80-84 American Record by 11 Minutes

OVERALL INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP

In the race to be first Masters Athlete across the finish line, Roanoke Valley’s David Angell aimed to defend his 2017 Championship and to extend his 2018 winning streak to two, adding this to the 8K title he enjoyed in mid-March. The BAA’s Ryan McCalmon, who finished 2^nd last year, and Atlanta’s Kristian Blaich, who finished 3^rd, were also in the field. Others to worry about included Philippe Rolly who had finished 3^rd behind Angell at the 8k Championship on St Patrick’s Day and took the Masters title at the Chicago Marathon in 2:34:29 last October. David Bedoya, McCalmon’s teammate, had pressed Angell at the Club Cross Country Championships in Lexington Kentucky last December, before finishing 22 seconds back by the end. Garden State’s Sam Teigen also figures in. He finished just behind Rolly at the 8K, and clocked a 2:31:35 of his own in the California International Marathon. The CIM is slightly downhill overall but Chicago is flat and fast, so it is hard to know how to rank those two efforts.

McCalmon led them out through the first mile before Angell surged past into the lead, with Rolly following close. Going out of the town center, Angell surged again and opened up a bit of a gap. By the time Angell was powering up the hill before mile 2, Bedoya had moved into 2^nd and was surging to close the gap. That did not happen, however, as Angell accelerated his pace along the flat road through the neighborhoods of Dedham. By the time they were approaching the 3 mile mark, Patrick Rich, who had been biding his time, moved into 2^nd. But Angell had a good lead and maintained it all the way to the finish, claiming the win in 32:33, four seconds faster than 2017!

David Angell breaks the tape as the Overall Winner at the 2018 USATF Masters 10K Championships

Rich was not one of the pre-race favorites but showed he should have been, as he held strong all the way to the line, claiming 2^nd a half minute back. The final mile is a gradual upslope, but it can be a long pull at the end of a 10K; runners are often overtaken along there. It unfolded that way again as Teigen and the 55 year old wonder, Nat Larson, surged past Bedoya and Rolly to claim 3^rd and 4^th in 33:22 and 33:24.

David Angell 32:33     Patrick Rich 33:02     Sam Teigen 33:22

Ginger Reiner won here last year in 37:09 and then took the 5km Masters Cross Country title in October. The favorite would have to contend with a strong field however. Jennifer Bayliss is in top form; she won the Masters Race at the USATF Cross Country Championships in early February. Marisa Sutera Strange won here in 2016 with a time of 36:49 and her recent Overall victory at the 8K Championships in Virginia Beach reminded us that she is always a threat. Heather Webster came in ahead of Strange at the 2016 Masters Race at Club Cross Country in Tallahassee. Karolyn Bowley had a strong 1:24:12 New Bedford Half Marathon in March. Finally, Jennifer St. Jean, known more for her prowess on the track, ran 38:17 here in 2015, so should make things interesting. No one would want to hear her footsteps behind them in the final 500 meters! Michelle Simonaitis, who took 2^nd behind Strange at the 8K Championships in March, and was a top flight Masters runner a few years ago, might also be a factor.

When the horn sounded, Bayliss moved out to the front of the Women's field, with Reiner falling in right on her heels, and Webster a few strides back. In the first 200 meters, they already had a gap on Strange and Simonaitis, running side by side. And then it was further back to St. Jean who was taking a cautious approach at the start. Bayliss gradually pulled away from Reiner and then Bowley moved up past Webster and then Reiner. Bayliss took the win in 37:19 with Bowley second in 38:02.

Jennifer Bayliss drives to the finish line and the Overall Title at the 2018 USATF Masters 10K Championships

St. Jean who started out cautiously moved up through the pack over the second half of the race. She never quite made it up to the leaders, but finished a strong third in 38:27, nearly a half minute ahead of Strange who took 4^th. This gives Bayliss two wins in two tries at USATF National Masters Championships this year.

Jennifer Bayliss  37:19     Karolyn Bowley 38:02     Jennifer St. Jean 38:27

AGE-GRADING CHAMPIONSHIP

Age-Grading provides a way of measuring how each runner stacks up against a statistically generated World’s Best for their age and sex, with 100% being equivalent to that standard and slower times receiving lower scores. USATF refers to 90% and above as ‘World Class’ and 80% and above as ‘National Class.’ I am trying to popularize the idea of referring to the 85% to 89.99% level as ‘International Class.’ Gene Dykes, 70, got an American record but Nat Larson, 55, had the best age grade, which is based on a World standard. Larson’s 33:24 and 93.90% gave him his 2^nd age grading title of the year already.

Nat Larson finishes strong to take 4th Overall and win the Age Grading Championship

Dykes took second with his 39:04 (gun time) and 92.53, with Bill Dixon, 70, right behind at 91.01. Tom Bernhard, 66, 90.80, and Mark Reeder, 58, 90.09, rounded out the cash prize winners.
Nat Larson 93.90     Gene Dykes 92.53     Bill Dixon 91.01

Jan Holmquist, 73, moved up from 2^nd last year at this race to take the win with a 50:29 that grades at 93.37%. Marisa Sutera Strange, 54, repeated her 2^nd place finish from the 8K Championships last month with a 38:54 and 92.50, just 0.40 ahead of Karen Durante, 67, whose 46:37 netted a 92.10.

Marisa Sutera Strange takes 4th Overall and 2nd in Age Grading

Jeanette Groesz, 67, and Patrice Combs, 60, were also in the money with their 90.55 from 48:08 and 89.99 from 43:13 respectively.
Jan Holmquist 93.37     Marisa Sutera Strange 92.50     Karen Durante 92.10

AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS

40-44 As David Angell, Patrick Rich, and Sam Teigen are all from this age division, the Overall Championship story from above works here too as they came 1-2-3, ahead of David Bedoya and Lee Danforth of the HFC striders.

Patrick Rich captures 2nd Overall and in the 40-44 Age Division 10K National Masters Championship

Though Jennifer St. Jean was never able to move all the way up in the overall contest, she did make her way to the front of the division field. Ginger Reiner had gone out with Bayliss at the front of the Women’s race, with Heather Webster tracking them a few strides back. St. Jean caught and passed Webster  and then Reiner. St. Jean clocked 38:27 with Reiner a minute back in 39:28 and Webster 15 seconds further back in 3^rd.

Jennifer St Jean takes 3rd Overall and wins the 40-44 Age Division at the 10K National Masters Championships

Ashley Krause of the Western Mass Distance Project was just off the podium with a 40:19.

Jennifer St. Jean 38:27     Ginger Reiner 39:28     Heather Webster 39:43

45-49 The main contenders are no strangers. Philippe Rolly and Jonathan Frieder finished 1-2 at the 8K Championships in Virginia Beach in March. Frieder and Greg Putnam have see-sawed back and forth over the past year. Putnam took Frieder at this race in 2017 33:12 to 33:35 but Frieder had the edge over Putnam on the roads in the fall at the CVS Downtown 5K, the 5K at Syracuse, and the Rothman Institute 8K. Then Putnam bounced back, enjoying a 3 second edge at Club Cross Country. Putnam’s teammate, Derrick Jones, should also play a role. Last year at this race he threw a number of surges at David Angell before Angell finally broke away; Jones was passed in the last few hundred meters by several runners but still managed a 33:04 , finishing ahead of Putnam and Frieder. Jones did not have as strong a fall campaign but his Gate River Run time of 45:20 this spring was within two seconds of his time last year, so his fitness should be similar to last year. Jones went out at the head of the division pack, with Rolly tucked in right behind and then Frieder a couple of strides back from Rolly. It was several more strides to Putnam who was taking a more measured approach to the race, his first after losing time to a hamstring issue. After the first mile Rolly moved past Jones to see if he could stay close to Angell. That proved unworkable but it did give him a gap on Jones and Frieder which he was able to hold until the end, winning the division in 33:33, with Frieder almost catching him!

Philippe Rolly finishes 5th Overall and wins the 45-49 Age Division at the National 10K Masters Championships

Putnam passed Jones, taking 3^rd in 34:19, leaving Jones just off the podium in 4^th.

Philippe Rolly 33:33     Jonathan Frieder 33:36     Greg Putnam 34:19

The top two women in this age division were the top two overall, Jennifer Bayliss and Karolyn Bowley, in 37:19 and 38:02.

Karolyn Bowley captures 2nd Overall and in the 45-49 Age Division at the 10K National Masters Championships

Then there was a gap of over 6 minutes. Sally Drake, Sharon O’Grady and Melissa Senall battled for the final podium position. O’Grady, who runs for Greater Lowell, had just enough to repel Willow Street’s Drake and GVH’s Senall, claiming 3rd, with Drake 14 seconds back and Senall 30.
Jennifer Bayliss 37:19     Karolyn Bowley 38:02     Sharon O'Grady 44:38

50-54 Nat Larson who finished 2^nd in this division last year has aged up. But the 1^st place and 3^rd through 5^th, Kristian Blaich, Kent Lemme, Gregory Picklesimer, and Jason Cakouros, were all registered (although Picklesimer did not run). Lemme’s teammate, Mark Hixson, did not run here last year but when he does, he is usually not far behind Lemme. Blaich ran 32:58 and Lemme 33:32 here, but Lemme finished 48 seconds ahead at the Club Cross Country Championships, their most recent encounter. Francis Burdett, who was struggling with injuries a year ago, has finally gotten back close to the fitness he enjoyed in 2015 when he won the Masters Grand Prix for this age division. He ran 17:04 in the BAA 5K and 35:38 in the Crescent City 10K. Blaich, Hixson and Lemme went off side by side 3 abreast, with Burdett and Cakouros only a few strides back. Once Lemme made his move, he pulled away into ‘No Man’s Land’ but he was comfortable there, and kept it going all the way to the finish, winning the division in 33:50.

Kent Lemme wins the 50-54 Championship at the 2018 National Masters 10K Championship

Hixson and Blaich, in the meantime, found themselves running with Gregory Putnam from the 45-49 group. They drove home as a trio with Putnam and Hixson gradually pulling away as Hixson took 2^nd by 2 seconds from Blaich! Burdett was just off the podium in 4^th in 35:29, with Cakouros in 5^th 27 seconds back.
Kent Lemme 33:50     Mark Hixson 34:22     Kristian Blaich 34:24

Marisa Sutera Strange may struggle to stay on the Overall podium but she has no problem retaining her dominance in the Age Division. Simonaitis started out by her side and stayed there as long as she could. But eventually the time came, Strange surged to try to catch the Overall leaders, and Simonaitis had to let her go. Strange did not quite catch the leaders but she won the division handily in 38:54. Simonaitis ran strong all the way to the tape, claiming 2^nd in 39:48.

Michelle Simonaitis takes 2nd in the 50-54 Division while finishing 7th Overall at the 2018 National Masters 10K Championship

Two Massachusetts rivals, Mimi Fallon of the HFC Striders and Holly Madden of Whirlaway got locked in a duel. But Madden pulled away taking 3^rd, fifteen seconds ahead of Fallon, in 4^th.
Marisa Sutera Strange 38:54     Michelle Simonaitis 39:48     Holly Madden 40:36

55-59 No one has been able to stay with Nat Larson since he moved into this group last fall. Mark Reeder, like Burdett, has been on the comeback trail from injury. In 2016 he won the division here in 34:55 but was two minutes slower the next year. His 55:12 in the Tune-Up 15K earlier this spring suggests he is still not all of the way back, but that a 36 minute run might not be a stretch. John Sullivan of HFC, finished 2^nd here last year in 36:54, nine seconds ahead of Reeder, and James Zoldy was just 7 seconds behind Reeder. Larson started out toward the back of the main lead pack, but moved up, eventually finishing 4^th overall and winning this division by more than two minutes. Reeder ran even better than expected, clocking 35:45, to take 2^nd with more than a minute margin.

Mark Reeder finishes 2nd in the 55-59 Age Division at the 2018 National Masters 10K Championships

Sullivan ran a remarkably consistent race, finishing with exactly the same time as last year to take the final podium spot. Zoldy finished in 5^th, a half minute back from Sullivan and was just nipped by Steven Blostein who claimed 4^th by 3 seconds.
Nat Larson 33:24     Mark Reeder 35:45     John Sullivan 36:54

Lorraine Jasper who finished 3^rd here last year in 42:39, was the only one of the top 5 to return. Her teammate, Mary Swan, has been running well lately and her 33:49 at the 8K Championships suggested she too might break 43 on Sunday. Another athlete likely to be in that same range was Willow Street’s Beth Stalker who ran 1:04:36 at the Stockade-a-thon 15K last fall. No one else in the field had recent times suggesting they could carry a sub-7 minute pace. Swan and Jasper went off at the head of the division field, side by side. But pretty soon it was clear that this would be Swan’s day as Jasper fell back and focused on trying to hang onto a podium spot. Swan captured 1^st in 42:37 with a margin of nearly a minute.

Mary Swan captures her first 55-59 Division title of the year at the 2018 National Masters 10K Championship

Stalker passed Jasper and had a gap of more than 45 seconds by the end. But Jasper hung in there for her Athena team and nailed third place for herself as well. She was able to hold off Michele Keane of the Atlanta Track Club and Liberty’s Victoria Bok, who took 4^th and 5^th.
Mary Swan 42:37     Beth Stalker 43:35     Lorraine Jasper 44:23

60-64 Once Brian Pilcher scratched due to a recurring hamstring issue, it appeared it would be clear sailing for Atlanta’s Ken Youngers; he took the 8K championship in mid-March with a 28:45. He might well break 36 if he could run as strong here at Dedham. Greater Lowell’s John Barbour ran 37:42 in 2017 but he has been rehabbing an injury since December and was not likely to run within two minutes of that time. The one other contender who might have a chance seemed to be local runner, Charlie Muse, of the Cambridge RC. His 18:15 in the BAA 5K suggests a 37:30 would be within Muse’s reach. Reno Stirrat of Shore AC ran 39:04 last year and one cannot ignore his potential to land on the podium; he is a battler. And Norm Larson’s 59:53 in the Boston Tune-Up 15K puts him in Stirrat’s neighborhood.

When the horn went off Youngers surged to the front of the division field. By the time they reached the Estate grounds, he already had 15 meters on Stirrat and twenty on Larson of the Green Mountain AA. Youngers led throughout the race until the final 600 meters or so when Muse came past. Youngers answered Muse with a kick of his own which brought him back into first. But Muse was not done; he had one final surge left that carried him away from Youngers for the win in 37:54 and a final margin of 6 seconds.

Charlie Muse wins the 60-64 title at the 2018 National Masters 10K Championships

No one is a machine and perhaps this was just not Youngers’s day. Unlike Muse, Larson was never able to bridge the gap, finishing 19 seconds behind Youngers in 3^rd. Martin Lascelles of the Boulder RR, was able to push past Stirrat and claim 4^th in 39:39 with a 13 second gap back to Stirrat.
Charlie Muse 37:54     Ken Youngers 38:00     Norm Larson 38:19

Atlanta’s Patrice Combs ran 20:39 in the 5K National Championship at Syracuse last October, suggesting a sub 44 was well within her scope. Claire McManus of the Greater Boston TC had a 5-mile time that suggested a sub-48 was within her reach, but there was no evidence that anyone else was poised to break 48 minutes. It appeared that Team Red Lizard’s Joanna Harper, Liberty’s Alda Cossi and Atlanta’s Cynthia Williams would be fighting for the final spot on the podium. Would Williams be resilient enough to bounce back from her fractured elbow in Virginia Beach? Combs had no trouble once the horn sounded, racing to a 3-minute victory in 43:13.

Patrice Combs wins the 60-64 Age Division Championship at the 2018 National Masters 10K Championship

McManus, in the same way, ran a fine race, establishing herself early and finishing 2^nd in 46:52. Cossi ran almost as fast as last year, capturing 3^rd in 48:47. Williams lost some training time no doubt but demonstrated her resilience once again as she finished just off the podium in 4^th.
Patrice Combs 43:13     Claire McManus 46:52     Alda Cossi 48:47

65-69 Tom Bernhard has dominated this category since he entered it in mid-2016. His high point, so far, came when he captured the division 5K American Record in Syracuse in October of that year. Even though he was not quite as dominant in 2017 as in 2016, he won every national championship race he entered. And this year he came in a minute and a half ahead of everyone who competed at the 8K Championship in Virginia Beach and was entered in this race. No one expected that to change in this race and everyone was right. Bernhard got out strong at the start and pulled steadily away for the win.

Tom Bernhard successfully defends his 65-69 10K title and finishes 4th in Age Grading as well at the 2018 USATF 10K Masters Championships

Chuck Smead and Doug Bell of the Boulder Roar Runners were focused more on their team competition than trying to stay with Bernhard. At their last race in Virginia Beach, Bell finished 18 seconds ahead of Smead but on Sunday Smead reversed the tables, coming in almost a minute ahead of Bell who lost time in the final mile when his back tightened up. Atlanta’s Kirk Larson was 13 seconds back in 4^th.
Tom Bernhard 38:14     Chuck Smead 40:08     Doug Bell 41:02

Team Red Lizard’s duo, Suzanne Ray and Jeanette Groesz had taken 1-2 at the 8K Championship and were looking to sweep the top 2 spots again. But they would need to get past Whirlaway’s Karen Durante. Her 1:12 in the Boston Tune-Up 15K and her 1:41 New Bedford Half Marathon put her right in their midst in terms of projected 10K times. As it turned out, Durante ran even better than those times suggested, as she sped across the finish line in 46:37 with a minute and a half on Groesz, as Ray had an off day, finishing another half minute back in 3^rd.

Karen Durante takes the 65-69 title while capturing 3rd in Age Grading at the 2018 National Masters 10K Championship

Karen Durante 46:37     Jeanette Groesz 48:05     Suzanne Ray 48:45

70-74 As noted in the Records section above, this division was a showcase for the two new ‘kids’ in the division, the double-D’s, Dixon and Dykes. Dixon ran 39:45 last year right before his 70th birthday. He ran an 18:50 5K right after so he was at the top of his game then. I surmise some kind of injury issue popped up because by mid-June he ran a 10K in 40:46 and then a 5 miler in 33:30--excellent times for most 70-year olds, but not by Dixon's standards. In March of this year, his times were n better but he must have been on an upward swing, getting good training in but still recovering fitness. I heard he ran a 19:30 5K in mid-April; that shows his trajectory was good. Dykes, on the other hand, was running out of this world. Just before his 70th birthday he ran 30:54 at the 8K Championship; that is age-grade equivalent to a 38:59. Not only that, he went to Rotterdam and lowered the 70-74 American Record for the Marathon with a 2:57:43 on April 8th and 8 days later ran a 3:16:20 in the near gale conditions at the Boston Marathon, winning his age division by nearly half a minute. If he could come back from those efforts and run an American 70-74 10K Record time, it would be barely believable.

Bill Dixon [#42] breaks the American 70-74 10K Record and finishes 2nd in the Age Division while capturing 3rd place in Overall Age-Grading

In any case, Dixon led them through the first 2 and a half miles and then Dykes took over. Dixon had no answer to the surge that Dykes put on, but he continued at record pace. They both broke the American Record, Dixon by over a half minute and Dykes by over a minute, in 39:02 (39:04 gun time but net time is used for Masters records)! It was 4 minutes before the rest of the field showed up. Dave Glass showed again that he is the best of the rest, as he nailed third with a 43:50. A minute later Boulder’s Ray Eck came across the line in 4^th, followed closely by Gordon McFarland and Jim May.
Gene Dykes 39:04     Bill Dixon 39:43     Dave Glass 43:50

Even though she is recovering from some nagging injuries, Jan Holmquist, the American 70-74 10K record holder and the 2013-2017 Age Division Road Runner of the Year, still dominates this division. She ran two minutes faster in 2017, but her 50:29 this year saw her come across the finish line more than two minutes ahead of Elizabeth Gonnerman who, in turn had a four-minute margin on the third place finisher, Diane McLaughlin.
Jan Holmquist 50:29     Elizabeth Gonnerman 53:00     Diane McLaughlin 57:29

75-79 Doug Goodhue, despite battling leg injuries, was the 2017 Runner of the Year in this division. He continues the rehab and recovery process and that relegated him to 2^nd place at the 8K Championship. Robert Hendrick, who won in Virginia Beach, expressed confidence that Goodhue would come back to the front of the group soon; it was just a question of when. Goodhue felt he was still a couple of months away from being able to compete with Hendrick, who also won the 75-79 division at the USATF Cross Country Championships. But anyone can have an off day and this was Hendrick’s. Goodhue, as usual, threw caution to the winds and took it out hard, with Hendrick struggling to keep up. Goodhue’s ailments did catch up with him momentarily, late in the race, as he had to stop and walk for a bit. But then he was able to resume and finish off his race, winning in 46:55.

Hall of Famer and Multiple Year winner of the Division Road Runner of the Year, Doug Goodhue, captures his first Age Division title of 2018

Hendrick struggled as well over the last uphill mile but came home second nearly two minutes back. David Pember of the New England 65 Plus RC, took the final podium spot 5 minutes later, with a 5 minute gap back to the the rest of the field.
Doug Goodhue 46:55     Robert Hendrick 48:36     David Pember 53:29

Hartford, Connecticut’s Kathleen Scotti took the Women’s title in this division unopposed, as she did last year.   
Kathleen Scotti 1:25:54

80-84 The annual battle for 10K supremacy among two long-time rivals, Harry Carter of the BAA and Bill Riley of the New England 65 Plus RC, was the featured event. Riley took the 2017 honors by 10 seconds in 53:04. Would Carter be able to prevail this year? The answer was no, and, in fact, there was a greater margin this year as Riley came close to matching his 2017 time with a 53:13, but Carter was almost a minute back. Both are clearly way ahead of the pack however, finishing almost 20 minutes before the rest of the field. Joe Cordero took 3^rd, 5 minutes ahead of Lawrence Cole and Jerry Levasseur.
Bill Riley 53:13     Harry Carter 54:05     Joe Cordero 1:13:40

85-89 Anny Stockman took this title unopposed and, as noted in the Records section, smashed the current pending record by over 15 minutes with her 1:24:50 (1:24:58 gun time but net time is used for Masters records)!
Anny Stockman 1:24:58

TEAMS

40 and Up Heather Webster led the defending champion Genesee Valley Harriers (GVH) to the 40+ team victory supported by Melissa Senall and Caroline Bucci, who bunched up nicely, finishing within 24 seconds of one another. Their average time was 43:28. The Western Mass Distance Project took 2^nd with a 44:38 thanks to Ashley Krause, Vanessa Diana, and Karin George.

Heather Webster, first runner in for GVH's victorious 40+ team

Their ‘insurance’ 4^th runner, Susan Scott, was only 15 seconds behind George. Alda Cossi stepped down from her 60-64 group to help out the youngsters, Kathleen Goodberlet and Jennifer Stewart, as Liberty AC captured the final podium spot with a 46:23 average. The Greater Lowell RR finished 4^th.
GVH 2:10:23     Western Mass Distance Project 2:13:54     Liberty AC 2:19:09

Last year it was the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), the Atlanta Track Club and Whirlaway finishing 1-2-3 when the Central Mass Striders (CMS) missed out on the podium on a tie-breaker. CMS wanted to be sure that could not happen again! With a couple of new recruits, Patrick Rich and Michael Quintal, and the sole returning runner, Greg Putnam, CMS was not only able to make the podium outright but to come away the winner!

Greg Putnam gives his all to finish #2 for the winning 40+ Central Mass Striders

Their average time of 33:55 was almost a minute faster this year. That gave them the edge over the B.A.A., whose team, consisting of David Bedoya, Matthew Herman, and Ryan McCalmon, clocked an average of 34:14 for 2^nd and the Garden State Track Club-New Balance, with Sam Teigen, Jonathan Frieder and Aaron Cooper netting an average of 34:23. Atlanta finished just off the podium.
Central Mass Striders 1:41:44     B.A.A. 1:42:41     Garden State 1:43:08

50 and Up The Athena Track Club has dominated this division, winning the Women’s 50+ Masters Club Grand Prix every year since its inception in 2012. They won the first 2018 road race team competition in the 8K Championship in March, and seemed primed to do it again. Marisa Sutera Strange led the way as usual but last month her prime support was Doreen McCoubrie; this month it was Mary Swan finishing ahead of all the other #2 runners. Lorraine Jasper closed the deal allowing Athena to take the win with a team average of 41:58.

Lorraine Jasper closes off the scoring for the victorious 50+ Athena squad at the 10K Masters National Championship

The Willow Street AC finished 2^nd with a 43:04 average for Emily Bryans, Anne Benson and Beth Stalker. Atlanta’s Laurie Wharton, Michele Keane and Kris Huff claimed third with a 44:30 average, holding off Whirlaway and the HFC Striders who finished 4th and 5th.
Athena TC 2:05:54     Willow Street AC 2:09:10     Atlanta TC 2:13:29

Although their streak is not as long, the Greater Springfield Harriers (GSH)have owned this division as much as Athena has for the Women for the last year and a half. GSH was so confident going in that they split their crew to make a ‘B’ team.They had no trouble defending their team championship and taking their third title in three tries this year as Nat Larson, Kent Lemme and Mark Hixson got the job done with no insurance, finishing with a 33:52 average.  No other team cracked 37 as an average! If there had been an Overall Team Championship, GSH would have won it!

Mark Hixson closes out the 50+ win for the Greater Springfield Harriers

The Genesee Valley Harriers (GVH), with Mike Nier back leading the way ahead of Dale Flanders and Theodor Schnaufer clocked a 37:05 average to make sure that GSH A and B did not sweep the top 2 spots. The GSH B team came through in 3^rd with Francis Burdett leading the way, ably supported by Alejandro Heuck and Doug Guertin, averaging 41:48. The Greater Lowell Road Runners were in 4^th.
GSH 1:41:34     GVH 1:51:15     GSH-B 1:55:30

60 and Up The Atlanta Track Club and Genesee Valley Harriers (GVH) finished 1-2 last year but faced a new challenger this year as Team Red Lizard from Oregon may have their sights on a Masters Club Grand Prix victory this year. They took the title at the 8K Championships and were entered here too, the first two times they have made these cross country trips. But Atlanta tipped the balance when they convinced Patrice Combs to make the trip to Dedham. Combs led the way, as noted in the 60-64 age division recap. That allowed the team, with Cynthia Williams and Cindy Lucking finishing as #2 and 3 scorers, to attain an average of 47:40. That gave Atlanta a comfortable edge over the Red Lizards who had to settle for 2^nd. Jeanette Groesz, Suzanne Ray, and Joanna Harper averaged 49:27. GVH took 3^rd thanks to Sharon Moore, Cheryl Guth, and Cindy Ingalls averaging 52:23.
Atlanta TC 2:22:58     Team Red Lizard 2:28:19     GVH 2:37:08

Last year the Atlanta TC did not even field a 60+ team for this race and this year they entered as the favorites, slim favorites perhaps but favorites nonetheless. With team wins in the Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee and the 8K in Virginia Beach, adding a 10K win would be a giant step toward taking the 2018 Club Grand Prix title. Ken Youngers got Atlanta an early lead and a cushion, but maybe not quite as big a cushion as they had expected. As noted above, Youngers had an off day. Still, with a 38:00, he had over a minute and a half on the #1 runner for every other team. That is still a nice cushion to work with.

Ken Youngers, first finisher for the 60+ Atlanta TC and first finisher in the 60-64 team contest

Martin Lascelles came in for the Boulder Road Runners at 39:39. When George Braun arrived at 40:01 and Chuck Smead at 40:08, they gave Boulder three runners in before Atlanta’s 2^nd scoring runner, Phil Richey, who was, admittedly, only 14 seconds back from Smead. Their 3^rd runner, Mike Anderson, finished just 21 seconds later, giving Atlanta a 39:42 average. That was 14 seconds per runner ahead of Boulder, giving Atlanta 1^st and Boulder 2^nd. Last year the Lowell RR benefitted from John Barbour being at his best, cracking 38 minutes. So even though Bill Dixon and Ken Goodin were a little off their best, Lowell still took 2^nd in 2017. This year Dixon and Goodin were back on their game, but Barbour is in the midst of rehab. So they were a pretty tight threesome instead of having one up front guy with two in supporting roles. Dixon, stepping down from the 70-74 division, had such a good day that he actually had the best time of the three. As a result they averaged 40:22 and took 3^rd away from the GVH squad that had an average of 40:35, a mere 4 seconds per runner ahead of Shore AC, in 5^th. Boulder is the Club Grand Prix defending champion but injury is sidelining some of their key runners and some are competing while off their best. They look forward to providing more stringent competition in the second half of the year. If so, the Club Grand Prix contest may well be settled in Tulsa at the 15K, the final race of the 2018 season.
Atlanta TC 1:59:05     Boulder RR 1:59:48     Lowell RR 2:01:06

70 and Up GVH entered as the favorites given their victories at the previous two championships, the Cross Country at Tallahassee and the 8K at Virginia Beach. Even though one of their top 2, Tony Gingello, was a little off his best, Jim May ran his usual strong race as #1 and Liam Finnegan and Keith Yeates provided solid backup runs.

Jim May, top runner for the victorious GVH 70+ squad at the 2018 National Masters 10K Championship

They won again with a 46:41 average. Dave Glass had an excellent run for the Atlanta TC giving them a 3 minute cushion to work with. The Ann Arbor TC had no one to match up with Glass on this day. Both Doug Goodhue and Paul Carlin (your author) are rehabbing leg injuries; at Virginia Beach, I had a better day but at Dedham I tweaked my hamstring a week before the race, and Goodhue had the stronger race. In any case, Goodhue finished about 3 minutes behind Glass, and I was another minute and a half back from Goodhue. When Curtis Walker and Sam Benedict came in just behind me and well ahead of our Marathoner turned 10K guy, David Cohen, that sealed the deal for Atlanta. Their 47:29 was well ahead of Ann Arbor’s 49:32. The New England 65 Plus Runners Club finished 4^th.
GVH 2:20:02     Atlanta TC 2:22:25     Ann Arbor TC 2:28:34

*No Women’s Teams competed in the 70+ division.

American Records falling and great Individual and Team competition among the fastest Masters Long Distance Runners in the country! What more could you ask for?! It was another great 10K outing, hosted by the James Joyce Ramble.

Next up on the Masters Grand Prix circuit is the USATF Masters Half Marathon Championship at Ann Arbor MI on June 3rd. If you like the distance, and especially if you are from the Midwest, don’t miss your chance. From 2009-2014 they HM Championships were in Florida and from 2015-2017 they were in Southern California. Who knows where they will be in 2019?