Legends Go Toe to Toe at USATF 10K Championships at the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham Massachusetts

April 25 2015. The 32nd James Joyce Ramble 10K presented by Subaru of New England is the host for the USATF 10K Masters Championships on Sunday, April 26. This event attracts top masters runners from around the country to compete for glory in this small New England town located on the outskirts of the Greater Boston area. Right now the forecast for race time tomorrow is mid-50's and partly cloudy with very light winds, near perfect conditions. The athletes are competing for national championships in one of the most popular distances in road racing, and over $10,000 of prize money. There are cash awards for individuals who win their 5-year age group, for the top 15 age-grading runners across all of the masters age groups, and for the first three finishers in the Masters race overall, with an equal number of prizes for the men and the women. In addition there are cash awards for the first and second place teams in the ten-year age categories from 40+ up through 80+.

The headline event at the Championships is the first meeting between Masters legends, Christine Kennedy and Kathryn Martin, in recent memory. In 2011 Kennedy and Martin shared the prize for the outstanding female Masters Runner of the Year. The following year, Kennedy took the prize alone and in 2013, the prize went to Martin alone. Martin is already in the Masters Hall of Fame and Kennedy will, no doubt, be there soon. At the beginning of the year, Martin, now 63, held virtually every 60-64 age group record from 5 kilometers to the marathon. At the USATF 8 km Championships in Brea, California, Kennedy took one of those away as she lowered Martin’s record by over 50 seconds.Kennedy joined Martin’s 60-64 age group earlier this year and has stated her intention to crack as many of the records as possible. Her main goal this year, however, is to become the first woman in the world, 60 or over, to complete a marathon in under 3 hours..

Christine Kennedy, #4294, on her way to the new national 8K record in Brea CA [photo by Thuc Tran]

The 10 km is a race that Martin runs often and Kennedy runs rarely. Kennedy is a marathon champion, who notes that one of her 2015 goals is to be the first woman in the world, aged 60 or over, to break 3 hours for the marathon. Martin’s 10 km record was set on this same championship course at Dedham a year ago in 40:10, but she also ran a 40:17 at Joan Benoit Samuelson’s challenging Beach to Beacon 10K. Kennedy’s fastest recent 10 km appears to be a 39:30 run at the USATF 10 km Championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan, when she was 57. If Kennedy can come close to that performance, she should have another record to add to her sterling resume. However, she will have to beat Martin in the race, which will be no easy task. It should be an epic race.

Kathy Martin strides to the finishing tape to take first place in her age group and to take the overall Age-grading first prize at the USA 5 km Masters Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

Two other legends in the making, Doreen McCoubrie (Malvern, Pennsylvania) and Marisa Sutera Strange (Pleasant Valley, New York), teammates at the Athena Track Club, will go head-to-head again. Last year at these Championships, Sutera Strange held the edge, taking first place while McCoubrie settled for second. McCoubrie had the edge for the circuit, however, as she took the 2014 USATF Individual Grand Prix title for the age group.

On the men’s side, Brian Pilcher (Ross, California), 2012 USATF Male Masters Road Runner of the Year and 2013 Masters Athlete of the Year, continues his comeback from an injury sustained in 2014. He took second place in his age group, 55-59, at altitude in Boulder, Colorado, in early February, and he stormed back in late February to take first in the 8 km championship at Brea. He looks to cement his hold on first place in the 2015 Individual Grand Prix, and to take home the M55 age group crown and some serious age-grading cash.

Brian Pilcher, Tamalpa Runners, #213, leading a pack of younger age group runners, at the USA Masters Cross Country Championships at Boulder Colorado  on February 7, 2015

And what about Jan and Jan? The favorite in the men's 70 to 74 category is Jan Frisby (Grand Junction, Colorado). A USATF 50-54 and 55-59 Runner of the Year in the 1990s, nagging injuries slowed him down and kept him from competing as consistently throughout the 2000s. It appears he is now back on his game as he concludes his first year in the 70-74 age group. Earlier this year he finished first at Boulder and first at Brea. He looks to continue his winning streak and take a shot at the M70 record of 40:45. This will be Jan Holmquist's first appearance at a USATF event this year but she already holds the masters record for the women's 70-74 age group, set last year at the Lone Gull 10K in Gloucester MA with a 45:45. Will she better that tomorrow?

Francis Burdett (Worcester, Massachusetts) looks to continue his streak in the 50-54 category, going for his third victory in a row in 2015. Lloyd Hansen (Salt Lake City, Utah), USATF Male 65-69 Runner of the Year in 2014, would be the favorite for that category in Dedham, but he is being honored by the Road Runner Clubs of America this weekend at their National Convention in Des Moines, Iowa.

Now for the individual races, with the women first, followed by the men.

WOMEN

OVERALL MASTERS RACE

Last year Melody Fairchild barnstormed in from Boulder Colorado to claim first. Unless there are last minute changes to the entry list, Fairchild will not be in attendance this year, and that should allow East Coast dynamo, Abby Dean (Phoenixville PA) to claim the prize that eluded her last year. She finished second last year in a time of 37:51; if she can come close to that this year, the prize should be hers. Although Mimi Fallon (Walpole MA), who ran 38:12 on this course in 2013, will have something to say should Dean's pace falter at all. Caroline Bjune finished 5th last year but only 29 seconds behind Dean so she cannot be counted out. Two newcomers, Erin Corcoran and Renee Tolan may well be factors in the race. Corcoran ran 18:12 at the Freihofer's Run for Women 5K last year so she has the speed. And she ran 1:03:33 in the Adirondack Distance Run 10 miler so she has some staying power as well. Tolan ran the same two races and finished just ahead of Corcoran in both, recording an 18:11 at Freihofer's and a 1:03:10 at the Adirondack event. Another newcomer, Jennifer St. Jean ran 19:12 in the CVS Downtown 5K in Providence RI and so, along with veterans Holly Madden (Scituate MA), and Melissa Senall (Fairport NY) could also be in the mix.Looks like a barn burner, as usual.

Abby Dean [photo at: www.phillymag.com]

W40-44

As suggested above, this looks like a close race between Dean, Fallon, Bjune, Corcoran, and Tolan, with Senall just a bit back. I make Dean a slight favorite but the margin is likely to be slim.

Erin Corcoran [photo at: crss4htrainer.com]

W45-49

 Mimi Fallon, as suggested above, is the favorite for this group. She finished 3rd in this age group last year on this course but the first two finishers from last year are elsewhere this weekend. Her 3rd place time last year was 40:25 but the year before she ran 38:12. And this past summer, she ran 38:21 at the challenging Beach to Beacon 10K course. But there are challengers of course. 

Mimi Fallon [photo at runningnetwork.com]

Mary Pardi (Dirigo Running Club) is a newcomer to Dedham but has some notable recent performances. She finished 4th in the W40-44 group last fall at the .US National 12K Road Race in 50:59; earlier in the summer she finished only 36 seconds behind Fallon in the Beach to Beacon 10K. Madden, who was 2nd in 2013 in this age group and Audra Naujokas-Knapp, who was 6th in the 40-44 group two years ago, will also try to press the pace.

W50-54.

Doreen McCoubrie (Malvern PA) and Marisa Sutera Strange (Pleasant Valley NY), the two 'frenemies' from the Athena Track Club appear to be the class of this age group. Last year at this same venue the contest went to Sutera Strange who took the title by 14 seconds over McCoubrie in 38:47.

Doreen McCoubrie crossing the finish line at the 2014 USATF 5K Championships in Syracuse NY [photo at:www.runningprof.com]

Last year, Strange seemed to be a few steps quicker at the few races they had in common but that was not the case in past years. maybe this will be McCoubrie's year. Lorraine Jasper (Birchrunville PA), and another Athena member, will be vying with Jennifer Rapaport (Melrose MA) for the third spot on the podium. In 2013 Jasper came in 52 seconds ahead of Rapaport but last year it was Rapaport coming in a minute ahead of Jasper. Erin Chalat (Dirigo Running Club) may also be in the mix. She appears to be new to USATF Championships but she ran a 40:59 in the Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine last year. If she can duplicate that tomorrow, she will be right  there with Rapaport and Jasper.

W55-59.

The top 3 finishers from last year are all pursuing other objectives this weekend so it leaves a wide open race. Karen Lein (Newton Highlands MA) who finished 4th in the group last year is the top 2014 finisher entered this year.  But the winner from 2013, Liane Pancoast (Greater Lowell Road Runners) who won with a time of 43:34, is back and looks like the runner to beat.

Liane Pancoast [photo at: www.coolrunnning.com]

Other runners from 2013 who should be challenging for podium finishes include Susan Stirrat (Quincy MA--Shore AC) who finished 4th in the W55 category in that race in 47:40 and  Drusilla Pratt-Otto (Liberty AC) who finished 10th in the W50 group in 49:48. If their fitness is good, they appear to have the pace to keep Lein just off the podium again.

W60-64

As indicated in the start of this article, this is the marquee matchup of the day, pitting Christine Kennedy against Kathryn Martin.  It appears that a slight edge goes to Kennedy but knowing that Martin will be pushing all the way will certainly keep Kennedy pumping. And that may be just enough to get her (or Martin) into record territory with a sub 40:10. The race for the third spot on the podium also appears to be tight with Elizabeth Cooney (Somerville Road Runners)who finished 2nd in this race in 2014 in a time of 45:04 being a slight favorite over Sharon Moore (Genesee Valley Harriers).

Elizabeth Cooney [photo at: www.boston.com]

W65-69

Mary Harris, an unattached runner, is unchallenged for the W65 crown. If this is the Mary Lou Harris from  Camp Hill Pennsylvania, she is a newcomer to Dedham but ran the Boston Marathon last year and finished 6th in her age group at the 2014 TCS New York Marathon in 4:28:54.

W70-74

Jan Holmquist (Burlington MA--Whirlaway Racing Team) was the USATF Age Group Runner of the year for W60 in 2006, W65 in 2013 and for W70 in 2014. She currently holds the W70 records for the 5K and the 10K. She can improve on her record-breaking performance at the lone Gull 10K last year if she can break 45:45. She will be unopposed in this age group but if she can find some runners from a younger age group like Cooney and Moore from the W60 group to run with, she can keep on pace for an attempt on the record.

Jan Holmquist, #122 [photo at: www.libertyac.org]

MEN

Overall

The overall Master's race appears to be very tight with the edge, on paper, going to Kristian Blaich of the Atlanta Track Club, who finished 4th overall last year in 32:55.

Kristian Blaich (left) and Cushing-Murray, charging for the tape with determination! At the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

But Christopher Magill of the B.A.A. should be right with him based on his 5th place overall finish last year in 32:58.

Chris Magill, running in the B.A.A. Half Marathon [photo at: runningnetwork.com]

And it looks like it could be  a battle between Kent Lemme, Greg Putnam, and Eric Stabb for the third podium spot. [See the M45 section below for details.)  And, of course, if either of the two favorites have fitness issues, there is not much of a gap back to the next three.


M40

Christopher Magill (Cumberland RI--B.A.A.)finished 3rd last year in 32:58 and is the only podium finisher from this group to return. It should be is race to lose. Ethan Nedeau (acidotic Racing), who is a snow shoeing champion in the winter, finished 6th in that race in 33:53, and looks to be the strongest contender for 2nd.

Dave DeChellis, winning the 2013 East End 5 Mile Road Race [photo at: www.coolrunning.com]

But he could well be pushed or even beaten by one of the following: Volker Burkowski (Willow Street AC), Dave DeChellis (Whirlaway Racing Team), Brent Fields (Atlanta Track Club), or Josh Harter (Genesee Valley Harriers). Burkowski finished 6th in the USATF 5K Championships in Syracuse in 2013 with a 16:36; DeChellis has run a number of 5K's in the 16:09 to 16:40 range; Fields and Harter have a number of 10K's each in the 34-35 minute range.

M45

Last year's winner,  Pete Hammer (B.A.A.), is not running this year. That leaves Kristian Blaich (Decatur GA--Atlanta Track Club) as the favorite. Blaich finished second last year, only 14 seconds back from Hammer in 32:55. Greg Putnam (Central Mass Striders) was in 5th in the M40 group last year but only 9 seconds behind Blaich so that is likely to be a battle. Kent Lemme (Greater Springfield Harriers) should also be in the hunt; he finished 4th in this group last year, 28 seconds back from Blaich.

A wild card in the mix could be Eric Stabb, who has mostly been running cross country. He has run close to Lemme and Blaich at National Club Cross.

M50

Francis Burdett  (Worcester MA--Greater Springfield Harriers) goes for his third straight USATF National Championship in this division. Victorious at the USA Cross Country Championships (8K) at Boulder CO and at the USATF 8 K Championships at Brea, CA,Burdett is clearly at the top of his game. Last year at these same championships, Burdett was in the younger and faster M45 class, finishing 5th in 34:01.

Rusty Snow, #239, Francis Burdett, #104 (M50), and Paul Thompson, #250, leading the chase pack right behind the overall leaders at the USA Masters Cross Country Championships at Boulder Colorado on February 7, 2015

Where will the challenge come from. One obvious possibility is Spyros Barres (Mystic CT--Mohegan Striders) who tends to focus on longer events. In 2014 he was the M50 national champion at both the Half Marathon in Melbourne FL in 1:16:48 and the Marathon at the Twin Cities in 2:38:48. They went head to head at the USA Cross Country Championships in early February and Burdett had the edge with a 40 second victory over Barres.

Spyros Barres [photo at: downthebackstretch.blogspot.com]

But that was at altitude and altitude affects some runners more than others. It will be interesting how this contest close to sea level turns out. Are there any other challengers? Alan Evans (Beaver Dams NY--Genesee Valley Harriers) finished 2nd in the M50 group last year on this course in 35:10. Mike Nier (Genesee Valley Harriers) has not run in these championships before but has run well at several USATF Cross Country Championships and at the USATF 5K Championships at Syracuse last year. In fact, both Evans and Nier narrowly edged Burdett at those championships.

But Burdett has tended to prevail at the longer distances.Others who might be in the mix for a podium spot if they are on their game include Daniel Verrington (Central Mass Striders), who finished 3rd in this group last year on this course in 35:55, and Gary Droze (Atlanta Track Club) who has not run in this championship before.

Daniel Verrington, on his way to victory in the M45 division at the USATF 50K Championship in 2008 [photo by: www.usatf.org]

In 2013 he finished 2nd in this age group at the USATF 8K Championships at Williamsburg VA in 29:03 and 3rd at the USATF 5K Championships at Syracuse in 16:49..

M55

Brian Pilcher appears to be back at the top of his game so the 2013 USATF Masters Athlete of the Year is the strong favorite for this group. He won the group at the USATF 8K Championships in Brea CA in February in 27:24. Also in 2013 he took the M55 crown on this course at Dedham in 34:36. Last year's winner in 35:03, Ken Youngers (Tucker GA--Atlanta Track Club), is back and will provide a real challenge if Pilcher has any fitness issues.

 Ken Youngers (left), receiving acclaim for his finish at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014[photo: Facebook]

Unless something surprising happens the rest of the field is competing for the third podium spot. Mark Reeder (Brighton MA--Greater Lowell Road Runners) finished 4th in this group in 2013 in 35:42. Paul Hammond (Lexington MA--Whirlaway Racing Team) finished 5th in the M50 group last year in 35:59. Reeder and Hammond should contend for the podium, with Reeder having a slight edge on paper.

M60

The top two finishers from last year, Tom McCormack, and Peter Mullin, are either injured or pursuing other objectives this weekend. hence the third place finisher from last year, Kirk Larson (Atlanta GA), in 39:12, should have a shot at a top finish. The favorite is Reno Stirrat (Rockaway NJ--Shore AC) who moved up this year from the M55 group.Stirrat did not compete here last year but knows the course from his 2013 experience. In the M55 division he finished 5th in a time of 37:07.

Reno Stirrat [photo by: www.runnersworld.com]

Even if he has slowed a bit over the last two years, that gives him a fair gap to work with. At the USATF 8K Championships in Brea CA in February, Stirrat prevailed over Larson by over a minute.

Another runner who could push Larson for a podium position is John Barbour (Greater Lowell Road Runners) who finished 3rd in the M55 race here in 2013 and 5th in the M60 group last year. His time last year was 41:28 but that may not be a good indicator of his ability; the year before he ran 36:40. If his current fitness is closer to his 2013 fitness, he will be challenging Stirrat for the win; if somewhere in between 2013 and 2014, he and Larson could have quite a fight for second.

M65

 In the absence of the top two runners from last year, Bill Dixon and Paul Carlin, the 2014 3rd place finisher, Gordon MacFarland becomes the favorite. If he can come close to duplicating his 40: 30 from last year, he should take the crown. Michael Reif Sr. (Victor NY--Genesee Valley Harriers) and Jerry Learned (Gainesville GA--Atlanta Track Club) should battle it out for 2nd and 3rd.

Coach Michael Reif, Sr. (far left) with his Genesee Valley Harrier teammates [photo: dougsrunningblog.blogspot.com]

In 2013 Learned had a 40 second margin on Reif but last year had some injury problems. If he is fully recovered he should be able to get 2nd.

M70

Jan Frisby (Grand Junction CO--Boulder Road Runners) should be the class of the field with the silver bullet from Milford Michigan, Doug Goodhue, still recovering from a knee injury sustained at the end of last year.

Jan Frisby, #134, establishing the early lead on his Men's 70-74 competitors, running easily along with Wally Hayes of the Ann Arbor Track Club , #153 - at the USA Masters Cross Country Championships at Boulder Colorado  on February 7, 2015

Frisby is back on his game after a decade of niggling injuries. He was the age group runner of the year three times in the 1990's and is gunning for a 4th this year. He has notches for the USATF Cross Country Championship and the USATF 8K Championship already this year. In 2013 he took 2nd in the M65 group at these championships in 41:32. If he can continue to run as he has in the first part of they year, the American record of 40:45 is certainly not out of his reach. If Frisby is on his game then John Noyes (Kennebunk ME), Przemyslaw Nowicki (Holmdel NJ--Shore AC), and Richard Paulsen (Woburn MA-New England 65 Plus Runners Club) should duke it out for the remaining two podium positions.Noyes took 3rd place in  this division at this race in 2013 in 45:44. Nowicki has not run at Dedham before but earlier this year he finished 5th in the M70 division at the USATF 8K Championships at Brea CA in 37:21. Last October he placed 4th in the M70 division at the USATF 5K Championship at Syracuse NY in 21:38. Those times suggest he may be able to run in the neighborhood of 46:30 for a 10K. Paulsen finished 3rd here last year in 47:17. If recent history is a guide, it should be Frisby and Noyes for 1st and 2nd respectively, with Nowicki and Paulsen battling for the final podium position.

M75

Bill Borla (Torrington CT--New England 65 Plus Runners Club) appears to have this race in the bag. Last year he took 2nd place in the M70 division in 43:32.

Bill Borla (3rd from the right) with his New England 65 Plus teammates and their friends from the Liberty AC (including Jan Holmquist (3rd from the left) at the USATF Indoor Track Championships [photo: masterstrack.com]

That gives him a substantial margin on paper over the other runners in the race. Roland Cormier (Shore AC) should have what it takes for a second place finish. Cormier finished 2nd in the M75 division at the USATF 8K Championship at Brea CA in February of this year with a time of 41:38; he took 6th in the younger and faster M70 division at the USATF 5K Championship in Syracuse NY in October of last year with a time of 22:59. Those times suggest Cormier should break 50 minutes and that looks like good enough for 2nd place tomorrow. Matt LaLumia (Clifton Road Runners), Jerry LeVasseur (New England 65 Plus RC), and Ram Satyaprasad (Shamrock RC) will battle it out for the final podium spot.

M80

Lawrence Cole (Harwich MA--Cape Cod Athletic Club) is unopposed so will repeat as champion. Perhaps he can beat his 2014 wining time of 1:17:09.
 

RECORD WATCH

Women--F60-64--Record is 40:10

Held by Kathy Martin. Can Chris Kennedy or Kathy Martin break it?  
-----------------------------------------
Women--F70--Record is 45:45
 Held by Jan Holmquist--Can she break her own record?
-----------------------------------------
Men--M70--Record is 40:45
Set by Hans Schmid in 2012--Can Jan Frisby break the record? 


 

See Running Times for my article on Age Grading

April 13 2015. On April 2nd, Running Times published my article on age grading for Master's runners in their online section. It is an intuitive introduction focusing on how the everyday runner can use it to improve their running. That's what they wanted as a first article--they may be open to  more substantive articles in the future about using age grading for awards--which they view as more controversial.


http://www.runnersworld.com/masters/a-guide-to-age-grading

USATF Masters LDR Individual Grand Prix Standings-Women--Commentary

April 3 2015. The initial set of standings for women and men in the 2015 USATF Masters Individual Grand Prix [IGP] are posted at:
http://www.usatf.org/Resources-for---/Masters/LDR/Individual-Grand-Prix.aspx

WOMEN'S GRAND PRIX

W40. In 2014, ten women qualified for an award in this category by running in at least 2 USATF IGP events. Melody Fairchild [CO] dominated the category by running in 5 events winning 2, and finishing 2nd in 3 others. Three events were enough for Sonja Friend-Uhl [GA]to finish comfortably in second, again relying on firsts and 2nd places. After that, it was pretty tight. Sheri Piers [ME] and Melissa Senal [NY] had 200 points each but Piers took 3rd as her two races were both winning efforts. After that there were only 15 points total separating 5th from 9th place.

This year Fairchild is off to a good start again, with a 1st place age group finish in the USA XC event.

Melody Fairchild [W40], in hot pursuit of Colleen DeReuck [W50], at the USA Masters XC Championships in Boulder CO on February 7 2015

That leaves her tied with Cassandra Henkiel [TX] who took the title at the Brea 8K. Last year at this time, Fairchild  already had 285 points, scoring in the Half Marathon in Melbourne, FL and the Brea 8K, in addition to her finish at the USA XC. The half marathon was moved this year so that was unavailable but Fairchild did not compete in the Brea 8K this year. Last year Fairchild made 2 trips east; if she is willing to do that in 2015, she could take the IGP again. But Henkiel may have something to say about that. Last year she took 4th at Dedham and 9th at Bethlehem to finish 10th in the IGP.

Cassandra Henkiel (L), Overall Masters Winner and W40 winner at the 2015 USATF 8K Masters Championships in Brea CA on Feb 22 2015 .[photo: Thuc Tran]

Henkiel is already over two-thirds of the way toward last year's total. Club Cross in San Francisco is, no doubt, part of her plans. But if she can add the 15K at Tulsa, which is not far from her home base of Texas, and one or two trips east, she can be in contention for the top spot. Joanna Zeiger [CO] is currently in 5th place with 90 points. That is identical to her finishing spot last year, when she took 3rd at the USA XC championships and later took 2nd place at the Marathon championships in the Twin Cities. Will she be content with the same strategy this year or will she decide to travel once or twice more? Tulsa is not far from Oklahoma so the 15K would seem to be a reasonable option. And why not Club XC at the end of the year? Last year Friend-Uhl did not race until the fall; that may not be enough for a 2nd place IGP finish this year.

W45. All of the contenders in this group last year ran just two races. Terri Rejimbal [FL] won two races, one in her home state of Florida, and one in Oklahoma, winning both. As there are no races in Florida this year, she will have to travel some to be in contention for 2015. Cindy Abrami [CA] and Kirsten Leetch [CA] were 15 and 20 points back respectively. Abrami competed only at Boulder and Brea but Leetch, missing Boulder, showed a willingness to travel when she matched her 2nd at brea with a 4th at Club Cross in Bethlehem PA.

This year there are already four runners with two events under their belts. In 2015, Tania Fischer [CA] who ran only at Club Cross in 2014, has already run 2 races, winning at Brea and finishing 2nd at the USA XC meet, for 195 points. She must surely be planning on running Club Cross again as it is on the west coast.

Tania Fischer (L}, 3rd place overall Masters and 1st in W45 age division at the 2015 USATF 8K Masters Championships in Brea CA on Feb 22 2015. [photo: Thuc Tran]

And Leetch is keeping pace with her, finishing 6th at the USA XC and 4th at Brea, for 160 points. Kathleen Cushing-Murray [CA] can make it interesting as she too will, no doubt, compete in San Francisco at Club  Cross. She is currently tied for 2nd with Leetch, off of a 4th place finish at Boulder and a 7th at Brea. Abrami, so far, has only her 3rd place finish at Brea, leaving her back in 7th place. She is a quality runner but it is not clear how much she is willing to travel from her home base. It appears this category will be more competitive this year.

W50. In 2014, seventeen women from this category completed the requisite two events, making this the most active group on the women's side. The two Athena Track Club teammates, Doreen McCoubrie [PA] and  

Doreen McCoubrie, finishing strong at the National Club Cross Country Championship December 2014 in Bethlehem PA.

Marisa Sutera Strange [NY] went head to head, with McCoubrie completing 5 events, amassing 480 points to outpace Sutera Strange who only fit in 4 for 400 points.

Marisa Sutera Strange winning the W50 division of the USA 5 km Masters Cross Country championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

Runners from the Mid-Atlantic states dominated this category last year with runners from PA and NY taking 3rd through 7th in the IGP. Julie Hankin [PA] accumulated 335 points over 4 events to claim 3rd.

Last year's IGP podium finishers from this group will apparently wait, again this year, until the 10K in Dedham MA (at least) to start their quest for the Grand Prix win. So far this year, the leaders are Colleen DeReuck [CO] and

Colleen DeReuck, leading the pack in the midst of the race at the USA Masters XC Championships in Boulder CO on February 7 2015

Kathleen Phair [CA] with wins at Boulder and Brea respectively. Last year none of the west coast runners actively pursued the IGP title so a wait and compete strategy worked well for the easterners. It will be interesting to see if any of the western runners will take advantage of the extra races on the west coast to mount a more active challenge.Up to this point there is no indication of that, as all runners have only 1 race in so far.

W55. In 2014, seven runners competed in two or more events each. Carmen Ayala-Troncoso [TX] competed in 3, taking home 3rd place honors at Brea, with wins at Dedham and Bethlehem to total 290 points and the IGP top prize. Christine Kennedy [CA] took 2nd last year but has moved up to the W60 group. Andriette Wickstrom [IA] took 3rd by competing in the Marathon at the Twin Cities and the 5 km XC at Carmel IN. But it appears that Wickstrom has also moved up to W60.

None of the three leaders from last year appear in the IGP standings yet. And those who are at the top at present, did not compete in two events last year. Delicia Litt [CO]

Delcia Litt, stepping out smartly in the middle of the race at the USA Masters XC Championships in Boulder CO on February 7 2015

and  Suzanne Morris [CA]took 1st in Bouldeer and Brea respectively to tie for 1st so far with 100 points. And Nancy Simmons [CA] and Meredith Mills [CA] are tied for 3rd in the IGP with seconds at Boulder and Brea respectively. No one has competed in more than one event so far this year. That means Ayala -Troncoso could still mount a rush to the lead starting, perhaps , with the Dedham race. At the moment this category appears to be wide open to new blood at the top. Based on the evidence thus far, if any of the good runners sets their aim on competing in 3-4 races, there is a good chance they can wind up on the Individual Grand Prix podium.

W60. In 2014 eleven runners in this category competed in the necessary 2 events to qualify for an award.Kathryn Martin [NY] competed in the most events, 6, and won all of them, giving her a perfect 500 point score. Coreen Steinbach [NY] won almost every race that Martin did not, amassing 460 points over 5 events. Two other New Yorkers, Sharon Moore and Cindy Ingalls, competed in 4 events to finish 3rd and 4th respectively. Martin competed in Boulder and Florida last year as well as in the east and Midwest but the others restricted themselves pretty much to the east and Midwest; Moore did venture as far west as Tulsa to join Martin in the 15K contested there.

In 2015, Martin is off to a similar start as last year in that she ran the USA XC (and won) but skipped Brea.

Kathy Martin, putting on the brakes after crossing the finish line with a new 12K record in hand at the  .US Nationals 12 K Championship in Alexandria, Virginia on November 16 2014 [photo: USATF, Marlene Van den Neste]

The only difference is that in 2014 she ran and won the Half Marathon in Melbourne FL. The race has been moved this year and is expected to be contested in San Diego at the end of May. If so, Martin can get back on track with her 2014 pace by racing there. On the other hand, an injury forced her to miss Flint, Syracuse and Carmel races last year so she may figure she can easily pick up 5-6 races without another west coast trip. Christine Kennedy [CA], new to the age group, is tied with Martin, thanks to her 1st place finish at Brea.

Christine Kennedy, being congratulated at the Awards Ceremony on her New American 8K Record by Don Lein, USATF Masters LDR Chair--at the 2015 USATF 8K Masters Championships in Brea CA on Feb 22 2015 [photo: Thuc Tran]

In past years, Kennedy has only competed in a couple of USATF races and that would seem to be a reasonable prognosis this year. She is focused on becoming the first woman 60 years of age or older to break 3 hours in any marathon. Apparently she has decided to forego Boston and focus on the Chicago marathon in the fall. In the meantime, she can pursue her other goal of breaking as many W60 Masters records as possible. She already has the 8K in her pocket from Brea. She just ran 19:11 at Carlsbad, missing Martin's record by 4 seconds. That may encourage her to run the 5K championships at the Syracuse Festival of Races, known for its fast course. Still it seems unlikely Kennedy would run enough USATF events to seriously challenge Martin and Steinbach if they run as many events as last year.  Another wrinkle is that Andriette Wickstrom [IA] and Elizabeth Cooney [MA]who finished 3rd and 4th in the 55-59 category last year will move up sometime this year into the 60-64 group.

W65.  In 2014 31 runners competed in this category but only 4 competed in the requisite 2 events to be award eligible. Sabra Harvey [TX], a 5K record-setter in 2014, took first easily by racing and winning 3 events. JoAnne Rowland [CA] also took first in the events she raced, but she only raced in two events. With two additional races west of the Mississippi perhaps she will consider increasing her participation at championship events. Susan Gustafson [MA] who took a 2nd and a 3rd in her two events was not too far back with 185 points.

So far this year, Rowland is the only runner from the 2014 GP podium to be in the standings. Running and winning at the 8K at Brea, as with last year, ties her for the early lead. This year she is tied with Laurie Rugenstein [CO] who took first at Boulder. Tied for third are Sandi Wiebe [CO] and Irene Herman [CA], who took 2nd place at Bouder and Brea respectively. It will be interesting to see if Rowland chooses to increase her participation this year to take a shot at the top spot. Edie Stevenson [CO] who competed in the 60-64 group last year, will move up to this group sometime this spring or summer. She could be a formidable competitor but, unlike last year, Stevenson did not compete at Boulder this year. Will she compete at Dedham this year as she did last year? Here's hoping the difficulty she had with injuries earlier in her running career have not popped up again.

W70.  In 2014, twenty runners competed in this age group; five participated in 2 or more events. The top three all competed in 5 events as teammates. Ellen Nitz, Shirley Larsen, and Janet Wallen all run for Playmakers Elite/New Balance of Lansing MI. Nitz typically led the trio across the finish line, garnering 455 points to take the GP crown. Larsen and Wallen battled it out with sometimes one and sometimes the other prevailing. In t he end, Larsen eked out a narrow victory, 415 to 405 points. And their triumph was almost short-circuited by the fast closing rush of Ruth Thelen, also of Playmakers Elite/New Balance, who moved up to this category late in the year and started leading the group across the finish line. She wound up with 380 points. With Nitz moving up to the 75-79 category this summer, it appears that 2015 should belong to Thelen, Larsen and Wallen.

The early lead, however, goes to Anita Gonzalez [CO] and Norma Thomas [CA], the victors at Boulder and Brea, with Betty Valent [CO], who took 2nd at Boulder, holding the third GP position with 95 points. At this point there is no reason to think these western runners are interested in competing for the GP crown against the Michiganders but time will tell.

W75. Eleven runners competed in this age group in 2014 but only three entered the two events needed to become award-eligible. Madeline Bost [NJ] competed in three events, finishing 1st, 2nd, and 6th to take the GP crown with 270 points.

The celebrated runner, Libby James [CO] took first at Boulder and at Syracuse; those two events gave her 200 points and a 2nd place tie with Heide Moebius [NY] who landed firsts at Alexandria (12K) and at Bethlehem's Club Cross competition.

So far in 2015 it looks like 2015 is as good a guide as any. James again won in Boulder and neither

Libby James saunters home with a strong win in the Women's 75-79 age group at the USA Masters XC Championships in Boulder CO on February 7 2015

Bost nor Moebius have yet competed. The major difference will be that Nitz is also moving up from the 70-74 age group to contend for this groups GP prize.

W80. In 2014 three women competed in this age group but only Edna Hyer [NY] competed in two events. Her first place finish at Dedham (10K) and second place finish at Syracuse (5K) gave her 195 points and the GP crown. So far in 2015, as in the early part of 2014, no one has competed in this age group. So the best prediction at this point is that Hyer may well take the group again.

Who Are the Early Leaders in the Masters LDR Club Grand Prix Competitions?

March 25 2015. This posting will focus on the Club Grand Prix. The Individual Grand Prix standings will be covered in the next posting. The official standings on the USATF website are here:
http://www.usatf.org/usatf/files/69/69f054f0-cd10-4cfd-a309-147bd518b593.pdf

The first two events in which runners and teams could score Grand Prix points were the USA Cross Country Championships in Boulder, Colorado and the 8K National Road Championships at Brea, California. Both races are in the books. As both were staged out west, the western teams are off to a strong start. With the next event being at Dedham, Massachusetts, things will even up a bit. But with two of the three cross country events out west, this will be the best opportunity in years for west coast runners and teams to earn awards. This year there will be a team competition in the half marathon but it does not count toward the Club GP Championship.

Scores from the best 5 team finishes are totaled for the Club Grand Prix standings; teams must compete in at least 3 events to qualify for an end-of-year award. The top ten teams win a certificate; the 2nd and 3rd place teams get a cash prize in addition; the winner gets a larger cash prize and a clubhouse banner. A west coast team can get 3 events by having competed in the Brea 8K and entering the Club XC in San Francisco, and then must have either traveled to Boulder for the USA XC championships or make the trip to Tulsa in October for the 15K. If they did all 4 then they would only need 1 transcontinental trip to get the maximum 5 events in. Many eastern teams are already planning on Club Cross in San Francisco. if they do that race then it should be easy enough to get 4 other races fit in among Dedham, Flint, Syracuse, Saratoga Springs and Alexandria.

In the end the teams with the best totals from their 5 best events will receive awards. The top ten teams (plus tying teams) qualify for awards.

Last Year's Top Three Teams and 2015 Team Standings as of March 25 :

WOMEN

Women 40+: Last year the Genesee Valley Harriers [NY] took the crown with the Athena Track Club [PA] in second. They were the only two teams with the requisite 3 events.

The Jane's Elite team [CA], which finished tied for fourth last year in terms of points scored, is off

The Jane's Women's Elite Racing Team at Brea CA on February 22nd 2015 [Facebook photo]

 to a fast start. Based in Southern California, they naturally competed in the Brea 8K but they also competed at Boulder. Last year they only competed at Brea and at Club Cross. They look certain to get in at least 3 events this year.The Colorado teams dominated the USA XC results but the Jane's were able to eke out a 4th place finish there for 70 points. Three weeks later, in Brea, they did even better, picking up 100 points for first place.  Seventy points back with 100 points is the Boulder Mountain Warriors team [CO]. Tied for third with 90 points each is the Colorado Racing Club which finished 2nd in Boulder and Team Run Coach [CA], which finished 2nd in the Brea 8K. Other teams in contention include:
5T. Runners Roost Colorado and A Snail's Pace Running Club [CA] 80
7.  Santa Barbara Running and Racing 70
8T. Athletics Boulder and Mountain West Track Club [MT] 60
10T. Cal Coast Track Club  and  Revolution Running [CO] 55

Women's 50+: Last year the Athena Track Club [PA] dominated this age group with 5 wins in five events. Finishing a strong 2nd was the Genesee Valley Harriers [NY], with 28 points over 4 events. No other teams in this division competed in more than 2 events.

None of the teams in this group competed in both of the first two events this year, so there are many ties. Athletics Boulder [CO] and A Snail's Pace Running Club [CA] took the titles, and the 100

Athletics Boulder September 2014 [Facebook Photo]

points, in Boulder and Brea respectively to tie for the lead.  Second place, and 90 GP points each, went to Cal Coast Track Club and Flatirons Running [CO] at Brea and Boulder respectively leaving them just off the lead in the Club GP, tied for third. Other teams in contention include:
5T. Boulder Striders and Cal Coast Track Club 80
7T. Club Ed Running [CA]and Revolution Running A [CO] 70
9T.  Revolution Running C and Santa Barbara Running and Racing [CA] 60

Women's 60+: Last year the Genesee Valley Harrriers ran in 4 races and won them all to take first place. The Playmakers Elite/New Balance team [MI] took 2nd while competing in 4 races; the Impala Racing team had the third highest number of GP points but did not compete in the required 3 events to qualify for an award.

This year the Impala Racing Team won at Brea and Revolution Running [CO] took the crown in Boulder. They both have 100 points and share the lead.  

Revolution Running February 2015 [Facebook Photo]

Impala can compete in 2 events by just adding Club Cross (San Francisco) to their event list. If they add the 15K in Tulsa OK, they will be a formidable competitor without needing to travel to the East Coast.  This year, the Boulder Road Runners A and Boulder Road Runners B [CO] took 2nd and 3rd respectively in Boulder to wind up in 3rd and 4th in the CGP standings, with 90 and 80 points. They, too, can compete in 3 events without traveling ot the east coast. So far no other W60+ teams have competed; that will change as the GP tour swings from Southern California eastward across the Continental Divide, over the mighty Mississippi, across the Appalachian range, landing in the quaint New England village of Dedham, about 15 miles outside of Boston, Massachusetts.

Women's 70+: Last year Playmakers Elite/New Balance [MI] competed in and won 5 events to dominate the division. They were the only team in this division to compete in the minimum required 2 events to qualify for an award. Perhaps there will be more competition this year.  

A Snail's Pace Running Club [CA] and the Boulder Road Runners [CO] took first place in Brea and Boulder respectively this year and share the lead, with 100 points each.

MEN


Men 40+: Last year the Atlanta Track Club took first over 5 events. The Cal Coast Track Club scored in 4 events to take 2nd. The Genesee Valley Harriers, scoring in 3 events, leap-frogged over four teams with more points but only two events, to take the third spot in the GP.

This year two teams competed in both events and they are tied for 1st. The Cal Coast Track Club A took first in Brea, winning on their home turf and nabbing 100 GP points. It was another story in the mile high environment of Boulder where they mustered a 4th place finish to add 70.  
Santa Barbara Running and Racing was more even across altitudes, finishing 2nd at Brea and 3rd in the Rockies. They got 90 points for the second place finish and 80 for their third place finish to match Cal Coast's 170 points. The first and second place finishers at the USA XC Championships, the Boulder Running Company/Adidas stands in third, with 100 points --the result of winning in Boulder but not competing in Brea. Santa Barbara will no doubt compete in the Club Cross Championships in San Francisco. They can add a third event by competing in the 15K in Tulsa. Others in hot pursuit include:
4. Bowerman Track Club [OR] 90
5. A Snail's Pace Running Club A [CA] 80
6. Cal Coast Track Club B 70
7T. Beach City Runners [CA] and LRC Racing [NB] 60
9T. A Snail's Pace Running Club B and Flatirons Running [CO] 55

Men 50+:  Last year the Playmakers Elite/New Balance team, the Genesee Valley Harriers, and the Atlanta Track Club all competed in either 5 or 6 events with Playmakers taking the title with 46 points, followed by Genesee with 40 and Atlanta with 39, making this the most tightly contested division.

This year the Cal Coast Track Club is the only club to have run in both  events; as a result, they are in sole possession of first, with 100 points for the win at Brea and 80 points for their third place finish at Boulder. The Genessee Valley Harriers [NY] are in second, thanks to their win at Boulder, with 100 points - definitely a successful western trip for the guys from upstate New York.  Athletics Boulder [CO] and A Snail's Pace Running Club [CA] are tied for third with 90 points each for second place at Boulder and Brea respectively. Others in contention include:
5. Club Ed Running A [CA] 80
6T. Colorado Racing Club and Santa Barbara Running and Racing [CA] 70
8T. Club Ed Running B and Playmaker's Elite/New Balance [60]
10T. LRC Racing [NB] and San Diego Track Club [CA] 55

Men 60+: In 2014, the Ann Arbor Track Club competed in 8 events, the most of any club in any division; they took 4 firsts and 4 seconds, giving them 48 points and the GP win. Their arch rivals, the Atlanta Track Club, raced in 6 events, amassing 42 points in their best 5 events.The Shore Athletic Club [NJ] competed in 4 events and finished third.

The Ann Arbor Track Club December 2014 [Facebook Photo]

This year the Ann Arbor Track Club [MI] has taken 3rd place in both Boulder and Brea, to earn 160 points and the lead in this division.

The Boulder Road Runners B [CO] team took top honors at Boulder and the Cal Coast Track Club took top honors at Brea, leaving them tied for second place with 100 points each. Rounding out the top ten are:
4T. Boulder Road Runners A [CO] and Tamalpa Runners, Inc. [CA] 90
6T. Genesee Valley Harriers [NY] and A Snail's Pace Running Club [CA] 70
8T. Club Ed Running [CA] and Revolution Running [CO] 60
10. Cal Coast Track Club B [CA] 55

Men 70+:  The Ann Arbor Track Club competed in 7 events, amassing 50 points in their best 5 events. The Atlanta Track Club compiled 30 points in 4 events for 2nd place, followed by the Shore AC with 26 points over 3 events.

This year the 1st place clubs in the Club GP competition for this age group are those who took first in Boulder and Brea, respectively, the Boulder Road Runners A team [CO] and the Tamalpa Runners, Inc. [CA], both with 100 points. Tied for third are the second place finishers at Boulder and Brea, the Atlanta Track Club [GA] and the Santa Barbara Athletic Association [CA], both with 90 points. The remaining contenders include:
5T. Boulder Road Runners B [CO] and West Valley Joggers and Striders [CA] 80
7T. Ann Arbor Track Club [MI] and the Shore Athletic Club [NJ] 70

Men 80+: Last year no teams competed in more than a single event. The Boulder Road Runners and the Syracuse Chargers Track Club tied for most points with 10 each.

This age group has only been contested at Boulder so far this year. The GP standings mirror the outcome of that race; the Boulder Road Runners A team is in first with 100 points, followed by their B team with 90 points.

That's it as of March 25 2015. Next update on the Club Grand Prix will come after the USATF 10K Championships on April 26th. Let's hope we see lots more East Coast and Midwest teams join the West Coast clubs in the race for the 2015 Club Grand Prix Championship.

Gate River Run 2015- My Experience as a Masters Competitor

March 17 2015. It is a USATF Open Championship, not a USATF Masters Championship, but I ran the Gate River Run on Saturday, March 14, 2015 as a prep race for the Boston Marathon a month from now.

Road Trip. I made it as a road trip, taking it easy on the way down from Indianapolis, Indiana to Jacksonville, Florida--2.5 days down and a bit harder on the way back-1.5 days. Kind of fun driving through Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and then Florida, seeing the varied terrain and the gradually changing flora. In Georgia I started to notice redbuds in flower peeking out from between the forest along the roadsides. They aren't usually in bloom in Indiana until the 1st or 2nd week in April. Other blooming trees were visible at a Georgia rest area:

Blooming tress in central Georgia

Pre-Race. So what was the pre-race like? It is pretty well organized. It is easy to find the race site which is where you pick up your pre-race packet. The Fairgrounds is right next to Everbank Field (home of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team). Actually it did take a little navigating to get into the area so if you're going for the first time, it would be a good precaution to drive there the day before the race at least.  Once you are there and parked, just follow the crowds streaming into the fairgrounds to pick up packets.

It can be pretty hectic in there. it was easy to get to the packet pick-up, just inside the entry area. The pleasant person there handed me a nice gym bag with the bib inside. If you are not  the most observant person, me for example, you might not have noticed the boxes of safety pins along the table to your right and you might have picked up your bib and packet assuming there were pins inside. Then I was directed to the t-shirt area. When I picked the t-shirt up, I asked the person there if there were safety pins included in the packet with the bib. She said, 'Yes, sure they are." But I should have gone back and checked; I learned later you had to pick them up and place them in your gym bag. So that was an extra trip back later in the day. On the plus side, I became more and more familiar with the route to the race.  :)

The morning of the race I left plenty of time, leaving the hotel at 6:10 am for what was supposed to be a 20 minute drive to the site. The race starts at 8:30 am. I figured it would be even faster at that time of day. Was I ever wrong, and glad I had allowed for extra time. Things started to go wrong when I ran into the tail end of a line of stopped cars at a drawbridge. It took a l-o-o-o-ng time for some boat to get through. I suppose 6:30 am is a good time to be going out into the ocean for fishing?! And then once I got within a half mile of the stadium, it was very slow. By the time I was in my parking spot it was about 7:10, so about an hour instead of 20 minutes. But everyone was parked around the stadium so it is very convenient in that one can use one's own car as a staging area. I usually switch shoes and socks about a half hour before race time  Except for that, it was all very organized and easy. I parked the car and walked over to the corral area, found that I could walk into the Wave 1 area  and drink a cup of water. There were also lots of portolets and a bag check. I could also take a nice picture of the starting area and send it out over FB.

Starting area for the Gate River Run 2015. The yellow area was where the runners in the Open Elite Championship congregated before the start. The area right behind that, in blue, is where Wave 1 (my group) congregated.

I also thought to take a picture of the cool sunrise.

Sunrise viewed from the Wave 1 Pre-Race Corral

With in/out privileges I went back to the car and started my warm ups (jogging and stretching). Then I switched into my racing shoes and new pair of socks and returned to the corral. There were more runners now but enough room to continue warming up and even work in some pretty good stride-outs. I was on the lookout for some Atlanta Track Club guys I knew but did not spot any. I did spot a Masters age runner from Shore AC, whose first name (read off his bib) was Wallace. We chatted briefly, wished each other good luck, and returned to warm-ups. At 8 am we were invited to move from the corral onto the road. All very orderly and still plenty of room to feel comfortable for stretching, although a little tight for jogging and certainly too close for stride-outs. [But anyone who needed to do stride-outs could go back into the corral area.] There was no problem of moving up within the corral toward the front, at least not until 8:20 or so. Chip timing of course so most were assuming that people would reasonably self-seed, but it did not make a huge difference.

Conditions. Before the race I was concerned when I read that the relative humidity would be between 98 and 100%, at the same time the temps would be in the upper 60's during the race. So I went online and learned that humidity is definitely considered a factor to contend with. One should be more conscious of hydration because it is harder for the sweat to evaporate off your body and have a cooling effect. But I also went to the National Weather Service's site for Heat Index and learned that having 66 degrees and 99% humidity results in a heat index of 67 degrees, so not really much effect. That level of Heat Index didn't even earn a 'Caution' about the danger of a heat disorder due to strenuous outdoor activity. And it did not feel oppressive or odd. A year earlier I had run a half marathon in Melbourne Florida with similar temperature and humidity readings. But there had also been fog so all of the runners were absolutely drenched. It must have been like running through a cloud. It was as if water droplets were in the air but, unlike if it had been raining, they were just there, not falling. But nothing like that today. Still, I resolved to be more careful about taking water than usual.

The Race. Eighteen months ago in fall of 2013 I had run 1:01:35 but that was pre-injury. Knowing I was not at peak fitness, still recovering from an upper hamstring injury, I did not even push to the front of the Wave 1 group. My goal was to try to run close to a 7:00 per mile pace. I had run an 8K three weeks earlier averaging 6:50 per mile so a 7:05 to 7:10 pace was what I was thinking for the first part of the race which is pretty flat. If I could stay in that range, I could at least break the 69-year old's record for the Gate River Run which was a tick or two under 1:07; that would be about a 7:10 pace.

Here's a Speedy Banana [from their FB page] picture of my wave [1] starting. I am in about the 10th-12th row back, probably obscured by the cannon smoke or the green Gate River banner. I ran past the starting line with the 'Present By Chase' banner to my immediate right.



The race was on and quickly I found myself easing into a comfortable pace that I hoped was close to 7 minutes per mile. As I looked around, though, I realized this was a group I don't always race with. There was one young fellow who definitely had a sizable spare tire around his middle and other runners who seemed a little gangly and uneven in their pace. But I needed to run easily and this seemed to be the right pace today. Somehow I missed the mile and 2 mile markers, being in the midst of a bunch of runners. We went over the first bridge, which is a relatively quick up and down compared to the Hart Bridge between miles 7.5 and 8.5. Coming off the bridge we were funneled through a narrow lane to the left of the main road and, despite a little closeness, everything went okay.

 This is what it looked like coming off the first bridge--for those in later waves--glad it wasn't this crowded where I was running! :)
Eventually we hit the 5K mark and I was brought up short by my time, 22:40 by my watch. A quick rough calculation said that was about a minute slower than 7 minute pace and 60 secs divided by 3 was 20...so I knew I was running closer to 7:20 than 7:10 pace.

Could I speed up a bit? Maybe. I started looking ahead about 50-75 yards or so to pick out runners who looked like they were maybe slowing some, to see if I could pick them off. I also said I should try to speed up a bit when a runner passed me to see if I could stick with them for a bit. In any case I was moving up in the field overall but doubted I was really accelerating much. Pretty soon we turned off a main street into a Park area and I could see a water station up ahead. I had picked up a drink at a couple of these but wasn't sure if I would this time. I wasn't sweating overly much so maybe could have skipped it. We were about 36 minutes in so I figured around 4.5 to 5 miles in. So there would be plenty more water stops. But when I saw a young man on the left side, eagerly holding out a cup towards the end of the line, I made a sudden decision to go for a grab. I had slowed slightly to pick up the cup and was raising it to my mouth when all of a sudden I felt this arm in my back and heard an '"A-a-a-a-gh!" Someone had plowed into me, I took one more stride forward with my right foot and then my left, thinking I might be able to maintain momentum and right myself but no luck, down I went sprawling on the pavement. Luckily I took the main weight of the fall with my palms, which were pretty bloody,  but no chin or head impact...so scraped palms and right forearm and a surface pain on the right side of my chest...but nothing more--scrape yourself up off the pavement and get running. I never saw who it was and no one ever apologized, but several young runners (and at my age almost everyone is a young runner) around me asked, "Are you alright, sir?" Very respectful, but I was not feeling particularly sociable and hope I did not have too much opf a snarl on my answer--"Not alright but I can run, thanks!"

Of course the other thing I was worried about was my upper right hamstring. In early November I had  recovered back to 90% from my first upper hamstring tear, but I ripped it again at at a national cross country championship race. It was only about a hundred yards from the finish so somehow was able to finish that and help my team to the age group championship. Now I was worried that I would have trouble with that upper hamstring from this fall. It was certainly  sore now in a way it hadn't been a few minutes before. I knew I hadn't torn it-you don't miss that searing pain. But I was worried if the pain got worse I might have to stop. Luckily it did not. I know I lost about ten seconds just from the incident itself as I looked ahead to the group of runners who had been right ahead of me. They were now 50  yards or so ahead of me. The tightness in my upper hamstring probably reduced the effectiveness of my stride, not sure by how much. I was probably grabbing less real estate with each stride now.

We headed out onto a wide street, Atlantic Avenue, and after a bit on there swung to the left to go onto smaller streets through another residential area. I passed the 10K mark in about 46:30 so had clearly slowed down-no chance at a record. I was now in 'hang on' mode. My 2nd 5K, a quick calculation told me, was about a minute under 8 minute pace--so around 7:40 per mile. Soon after that an old guy with white hair went past me and I wondered what his age group was. A little after that another old guy with white hair under a cap went by. I knew the age group prizes went 5 deep so had originally figured that was pretty much a sure thing. Now I was worried I might not even get one of those.

Now we were approaching the Hart Bridge--just grind it out I kept telling myself--remember it's all downhill on the other side. With my somewhat shortened stride it seemed to take forever to get up,  but eventually the slope decreased and leveled out and I could feel my stride lengthening. I wasn't going to kill the last mile but I figured I was maybe running at sub-7 for the steeper parts, around 7 where it was starting to level out and not too much over 7 for the last flat quarter mile to the finish...Later I learned that was about right. They timed everyone's last mile with the prize to the top 2 fastest mile times in each age group getting a pair of Skecher's shoes. My last mile time, I learned later, was 7:03. And as things went this day, just out of the money. The guy who won the age group did 6:24, and the 2nd place finisher hit 6:35; I ran it about ten seconds faster than each of the 3rd-5th place finishers. Overall time--1:10:48 by the gun but about 1:10:40 by my watch (which I later verified as being the same as the official chip time). I had run 4-5 minutes slower than I had originally hoped for but I was very glad to be done.

We got a bottle of water right away and our nifty top ten finisher's caps--at least I wouldn't go home with nothing to show for it! Oh, and a finisher's medal that was very substantial. Because the race is so huge, you have to walk over to the Fairgounds on the other side of the stadium for refreshments, about a quarter mile from the finishing area. There they had all the water, chocolate milk, bananas and muffins you could possibly want--no bagels & no cookies but plenty of the 4 things I mentioned. Maybe there were oranges too--I can't quite remember. I do remember one of the aid stations had oranges...which I did not pick up. I remember telling myself that was a mistake and if I saw more up ahead I should grab one. And, of course, never saw oranges at any other aid stations.

Well that was it. After tanking up on the chocolate milk, bananas and muffins, I headed back to my hotel for a quick shower and was back on the road. That evening I looked for results and they had some posted. I verified my time and, according to what was posted at the time it looked like I had snuck into the top 5 in my age group with a 5th place finish. Unfortunately those must have been preliminary results because when I checked again a day later I found that I had actually finished 6th, 3 seconds out of 5th place. They must have updated their results and found some error. I guess the second old guy who passed me in around mile 7 or so was the 5th place guy.So five age group prizes and I finished 6th out of 178 old guys; two prizes for the fastest last mile, and I was 3rd. It was that kind of day.

Oh well, at least I know the race if I decide to come back next year, and I have the incentive of redemption. Add it to my list: Alexandria Virginia, New Haven CT, Jacksonville FL. It's a good race course although certainly no pancake. The Hart Bridge is tough, but not a killer. The humidity probably didn't help but it wasn't the worst conditions I've run in for heat and humidity; both the Stratton Faxon 20K in New Haven in early September 2013 and the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Melbourne FL in February 2014, were worse. So despite the scrape and the humidity and disappointments, if I can regain the fitness I had before these upper hamstring issues, I will definitely come back with more lofty aims!

In the meantime I have to focus on the Boston Marathon. But I know the Utica Boilermaker is another 15K course of some fame--may try that this summer if my fitness continues to improve and it fits in.

Is Jared Ward a Favorite to Make the Olympic Marathon Men's Team Next Year?

March 17 2015. With his impressive, intelligent race this past Sunday in the Los Angeles Marathon, Jared Ward placed himself firmly into consideration as one of the favorites to make the Olympic Marathon Men's team next year. It is not only his thrilling victory and strongly negative splits that makes him such a strong candidate. It is the progression. From an initial Marathon in Chicago that was not that impressive, he moved up to run a very strong second in the 2014 USATF National Marathon Championship in the Twin Cities last October. His time was 2:14 but that is known as a tough course.

Jared Ward, Provo Utah, capturing the USATF Marathon Title in Los Angeles March 15 2015

To win the 2015 USATF National Championship five months later on an easier course, but with much hotter conditions, marks him as a strong and flexible runner who can adjust to different circumstances. Under the tutelage of his coach, Ed Eyestone, Ward is developing nicely.

Until the last few months the members of the 2012 men's team, Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, and Abdi Abdirahman, were generally considered the favorites. But Meb is the only one of those three with strong races in the last couple of years.  We cannot count Ryan Hall out, despite another disappointing performance in L.A. Clearly he knows how to train hard and run a fast marathon. You do not run a sub 2:05 marathon at Boston by accident. Still, recent interviews suggest that he may not be as driven as other contenders. That is probably better for a fulfilling life, but it may not be the right attitude to punch a ticket to the Olympics.

So let's move Ward into that circle of favorites. But do not forget Tyler Pennel, who chose to run at the 15K National Championship in Jacksonville the day before the LA Marathon.

Tyler Pennel, heading uphill toward the finish line at the 2014 USATF Marathon Championship in the Twin Cities, with Jared Ward in the background.

Pennel had a spectacular debut marathon at last year's USATF Marathon Championship in October 2014. His time of  2:13:32 does not look spectacular, but the Twin Cities course is known to be challenging. Unlike Chicago, people do not go there to run a fast time. And it was his debut. And who did he beat by 28 seconds? Jared Ward finished second. So we must put Pennel in the mix as well. It should be fascinating to watch how things develop over the next 11 months...and to see if other contenders emerge.