Recap of 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championships-Spirited Competition, Fast Times, 1 US Record

Sunday, April 30th was close to perfect for racing in Dedham MA. It was a little sunnier and windier than ideal but those are quibbles. Temperatures were in the mid-50’s, a good day for racing made great by the individual performances. Martin Hanley, Race Director for the James Joyce Ramble, aided by Steve Vaitones, USATF-NE, did a great job of assembling a sterling Championship field. The Championship recorded 232 finishers, a 10K record, with 99 of them, another record, turning in a National Class performance or better, and earning elite performance medals.

US Record The most impressive performance was that of Sabra Harvey, who broke World Masters Track records at Perth last year, taking gold in the 800 and 1500 meter runs. The current holder of the 42:37 10K record for Women 65-69, the 68 year old Harvey is running so well she was able to lower that record, set here at Dedham two years ago, by over half a minute. Her new record of 42:04 is especially remarkable because the course here is definitely not flat and fast; it is best described as rolling hills rather than hilly, but there are real hills.

Age Grading Championship Not only did Harvey break the American record, her performance age-graded at 103.56%. Anything over 100 exceeds the existing standard for World’s Best performance. The remainder of the Age_grading podium consisted of Jan Holmquist,72, who ran 48:01 for a 96.59%, 

Jan Holmquist, looking fresh as she crosses the finish line with a 96,6% Age grade Score for 2nd place at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

and Edie Stevenson, 67,who turned in a 44:20 time for 96.56%. I am not sure when Stevenson last ran without turning in a World Class performance of 90% or better but last year she broke 90% in every Championship she entered and so far this year too. 
 

Edie Stevenson running strong to the finish to take 3rd place in Age-Grading at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Age-grading prize money went five-deep. Marisa Sutera Strange, 53, ran 37:55 for a 93.73%, and Laura Bruess, 56, who ran 40:51 for 90.33%. Strange is just as consistent as Stevenson and Bruess has now turned in outstanding performances in both Virginia Beach and Dedham.

Sabra Harvey 103.56%     Jan Holmquist 96.59%     Edie Stevenson 96.56%

Nat Larson, 54, with 33:30 for a 92.80%, Kristian Blaich, 50, 32:58 for 91.13%, and Derrick Staley, 58, a 35:51 for 89.84%, comprised the Age-Grading podium for the men. Larson is always a safe bet in Age-Grading, as is Blaich when he is healthy. 

Nat Larson crosses the finish line just before teammate, Kent Lemme, nailing 1st and 5th place in the Age-Grading competition at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Nat Larson crosses the Finish Line just before teammate, Kent Lemme-1st and 5th in Age-Grading at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship
Staley does not travel far afield for Championships but he has always put up strong numbers here in Dedham and in Syracuse when he makes it. The other two prize winners were: Tom Bernhard, 65, who ran 38:17 for 89.80%, and Kent Lemme, 50, who ran 33:32 for 89.59%. Bernhard is still on the comeback trail; he normally scores well over 90%. 

Tom Bernhard, from the East Bay of San Francisco, strides to the finish line and his 4th place Age-Grading Prize at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

For Lemme, this is his second consecutive World Class performance, at the 8K in Virginia Beach and here at the 10K.

Nat Larson 92.80%     Kristian Blaich 91.13%     Derrick Staley 89.84%

Overall Race Championship The early stages of the Men’s overall race was marked by a battle royal between David Angell and Derrick Jones. Angell would gradually create a small gap 

David Angell (L) leading Derrick Jones early in the race at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

and then Jones would attack, perhaps surging up a hill to take the lead. But then Angell would gradually reinsert himself at the front and the process would repeat itself. After the 5 mile mark, Jones had little left, as Angell pulled away for a dominating win in 32:37.The chase pack of  Ryan McCalmon of the B.A.A., Kristian Blaich, the 2015 winner, and Frankie Adkins, of the Asheville (NC) Running Collective stayed strong and close. When their duel heated up over the final 500 meters, they found their speed carrying them up and past Jones, who had little left after giving everything for the win. In the shake-out over the last 200 meters, it was McCalmon taking 2^nd in 32:55 with Blaich claiming the third spot on the podium in 32:58, followed by Adkins in 33:01, and Jones in 33:04. 

Ryan McCalmon (foreground) and Kristian Blaich digging for the finish and 2nd and 3rd place overall at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Just off the pace were: Greg Putnam in 33:12, Ryan Carrara in 33:23, Aaron Totten-Lancaster, of the colorful sunglasses, only 1 second back in 33:24, followed by Christopher Magill and Harry Stants, rounding out the top ten in 33:26 and 33:28. Also winning at the Masters 8K Championship at Virginia Beach in mid-March, Angell notched his 2^nd Masters Road Racing Championship in a row. Only 5 seconds separated 6th from 10th-talk about a wild sprint to the finish-Wow!

David Angell  32:37       Ryan McCalmon 32:55       Kristian Blaich 32:58

On the women’s side, local newcomer, Ginger Reiner, of Running Lincoln MA, running for Craft Concept, was able to gradually pull away from Holly Ortlund to take the Overall win by 18 seconds in 37:11. 

Ginger Reiner closes in on the finishing line and the Overall Win at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Ortlund, who finished 5^th at the 5K championships last year, finished strong, avoiding any possible late surge by defending Champion, Marisa Sutra Strange. Ortlund seems to be running better than ever.

Holly Ortlund finishes off strongly to ensure her Second Place finish at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Strange won last year in 36:48. Unable to match that on Sunday, she was nonetheless able to win a tight duel with Cassandra Henkiel for the final spot on the podium, 37:55 to 37:58. After Henkiel's 37:58, it was a half minute back to Christin Doneski in 38:32 to round out the top 5. Sixth through tenth included: Heather Webster 38:34, Mary Zengo  and Mimi Fallon, both at 39:10, Mary Pardi 39:32, and Diana Bowser only 5 seconds back in 39:37. Only a minute and five seconds between 5th and 10th so there must have been quite a tussle over the final mile with some moving up and others gamely holding on-great racing!

Ginger Reiner 37:11     Holly Ortlund 37:29     Marisa Sutera Strange 37:55

Top Contenders in the Men's Race Break from the Starting Line at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship-L to R-Greg Putnam (#193), Ryan Carrara (#43), Kent Lemme (#136), Jake Stookey (#228), Christopher Magill (#146), Ryan McCalmon (#154), Kristian Blaich (red singlet on far right), and Frankie Adkins (#10)

AGE DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIPS

Women 40-44 Local runner, Ginger Reiner, from Lincoln MA and Craft Concept Racing battled the Atlanta Track Club’s Holly Ortlund over the first portion of the course but Reiner gradually pulled away to win in 37:11. Ortlund took 2^nd in 37:29, with a comfortable lead. Heather Webster  of the Genesee Valley Harriers battled Reiner's teammate, Diana Bowser, for third, claiming the Bronze medal by 3 seconds in in 38:34.

Ginger Reiner 37:11     Holly Ortlund 37:29     Heather Webster 38:34

Men 40-44 This division went the way of the Overall Race, with David Angell winning in 32:37, followed by Ryan McCalmon in 32:55, and Frankie Adkins in 33:01. Ryan Carrara and Aaron Totten-Lancaster raced across the line in 4^th and 5^th only 1 second apart in 33:23 and 33:24! And they needed every second because Christopher Magill and Harry Stants, both of the BAA, were 3 and 4 seconds back, respectively. No coasting into the finish in that race!

David Angell 32:37     Ryan McCalmon 32:55     Frankie Adkins 33:01

Women 45-49 Cassandra Henkiel just missed the podium for the Overall Race but she still went home to Austin Texas a National Champion; she claimed the gold medal for this division in 37:58. Next across the line was Christin Doneski of the local Whirlaway Racing Team in 38:32, followed exactly one minute later by ‘Down-Easter’ Mary Pardi who also cracked 40 minutes.Forty seconds later, Leslie Charles claimed 4th with Tracey Vanatta another 50 seconds back in 5th.

Cassandra Henkiel 37:58     Christin Doneski 38:32     Mary Pardi 39:32

Men 45-49 Derrick Jones could not match Angell in the Overall Race. Jones gave everything for the Overall win but though he was unsuccesful, he at least went home knowing he had defeated several very fine runners to take the age division win. Greg Putnam and Jonathan Frieder both cracked 34 minutes and Putnam was closing fast on Jones at the end. Jones took first in 33:05, with Putnam 2^nd in 33:13, and Frieder 3^rd in 33:35. Putnam ran 5 seconds faster a year ago but that got him not only the age group 2^nd place that he repeated this year, but 3^rd place overall; the field this year was very strong. Whirlaway’s Joe Navas ran 34:09 to finish 4^th with Atlanta TC’s Brent Fields 21 seconds back in 5^th.

Derrick Jones 33:05     Greg Putnam 33:13     Jonathan Frieder 33:35

Women 50-54 As in past years, Marisa Sutera Strange took this age group title without being pressed. Although off her usual standard, her 37:55 was still well over a minute ahead of her closest pursuers. But Mary Zengo and Mimi Fallon were focused on their own duel, so close that, at the end, they recorded the same 39:10 time, with Zengo awarded the 2^nd place finish and Fallon 3^rd. Lots of drama on East Street as those two approached the finish line! They had 48 seconds over the 4th place finisher, Holly Madden of Whirlaway.

Marisa Sutera Strange 37:55     Mary Zengo 39:10     Mimi Fallon 39:10

Men 50-54 Kristian Blaich’s 3^rd place overall translated into an age division win.  But with competitors like Nat Larson and Kent Lemme in the field, it is never easy. At the 8K in Virginia Beach, Lemme took 2^nd age division to Larson’s 3^rd.  Larson turned the tables on his teammate, Lemme, by running a 33:30 for 2^nd as Lemme settled for 3^rd two seconds back. Gregory Picklesimer, from the Somerville Road Runners, a local club, clocked a 34:17 for 4h place.

Kristian Blaich 32:58     Nat Larson 33:30     Kent Lemme 33:32

Women 55-59 Laura Bruess of Athletics Boulder returned to the Rocky Mountains with the age division gold medal that had eluded her at the 8K Championship in Virginia Beach. Her 40:51 gave her a comfortable lead heading into the finish line.  Lyn Malloy and Lorraine Jasper had quite the battle for 2^nd with Malloy pulling away to claim 2^nd in 42:29 with Jasper ten seconds back in 3^rd. Margaret Sloan ran 43:38 to finish 4^th with Lesley Hinz only 3 seconds back. That must have been quite a sprint to the finish line!

Laura Bruess 40:51     Lyn Malloy 42:29     Lorraine Jasper 42:39

Men 55-59 Derrick Staley from New York’s Willow Street Athletic Club, regularly graces the podium at these Championships. This year he took it one step further and took the gold medal in 35:51.  John Sullivan took 2^nd in 36:54, with last year’s age group winner, Mark Reeder, in 3^rd 9 seconds back. The last two years, Reeder and Brian Pilcher have battled for 10K supremacy, with Reeder winning last year in 34:56. But not this year; Pilcher is injured, enjoying an Elliptigo tour in Europe, and Reeder is off his usual form.

Derrick Staley 35:51     John Sullivan 36:54     Mark Reeder 37:03

Derek Staley sprints to the finish line and his National Championship Win for Men 55-59 at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Women 60-64 The Atlanta Track Club had the podium  in this division all to themselves. Margaret Taylor took the win in 48:00, with Cynthia Williams 2^nd in 48:24, and Mary Richards 3^rd in 48:31. Do not think they had it easy, though, Liberty AC’s Alda Cossi was only 4 seconds back from Richards in 4^th. There could be no letting up until past the finish line, that is for sure.

Margaret Taylor 48:00     Cynthia Williams 48:24     Mary Richards 48:31

The victorious Atllanta Track Club Women's 60+ team at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship -L to R-Margaret Taylor, Cindy Lucking, Cynthia Williams, Mary Richards

Men 60-64 John Barbour of the Greater Lowell Road Runners, who finished second to Rick Becker last year in 38:06, moved a litttle faster this year to take first in 37:43. He needed that speed as Dan Spale and Kyle Hubbart, of the Boulder Road Runners, were close behind. Spale was 2^nd in 37:56, with Hubbart only six seconds back in third place. GVH’s Gary Radford was 40 seconds back in 4^th, followed by Reno Stirrat in 5^th.

John Barbour 37:43     Dan Spale 37:56     Kyle Hubbart 38:02

Second to Rick Becker in 2016, John Barbour storms to victory in the Men's 60-64 Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Women 65-69 This is a division like no other. Edie Stevenson is a top age grader and an amazing runner. Ordinarily she would dominate her age group. But there are two other women in the age group who are world class. Kathy Martin decided to run the MOVE Half Marathon for women in New York on the same day and ran faster than the current American record. Had she run in Dedham she would have beaten Stevenson but she still might not have won. Sabra Harvey has defeated her on the track and at Club XC this past year. And Harvey was entered and took down her own American record as noted earlier in this story. So despite age-grading well over 90% again, Stevenson could only take 2^nd in the Age Group. Harvey won it in 42:05. Two minutes later Stevenson came across the line in 2^nd with a time of 44:28. It would be over 4 minutes before the next competitor would come across the line. Karen Durante took 3^rd in 48:37. Cindy Ingalls was 4 minutes back in 4th.

Sabra Harvey 42:05     Edie Stevenson 44:28     Karen Durante 48:37

Men 65-69 William Dixon won this division regularly until 3 new guys joined the group this past year. Dixon joins the 70-74 group this year but there is no way he was going to give anyone a free pass. He made sure they earned it, clocking a 40:11 which age-graded to 88.99%. And earn it they did. Tom Bernhard, still getting back up to speed after knee surgery in December had plenty in the tank and enjoyed a wider margin of victory than last month in Virginia Beach. His 38:17 gave him well over a minute margin over Peter Mullin, who took 2^nd as at Virginia Beach, in 39:37, with Doug Bell 19 seconds back in third, but that gave the Boulder Road Runners M60+ team three runners under 40 minutes. A half minute behind Dixon, Kirk Larson took 5th. Had you looked up a minute and 20 seconds later you would have seen Larson's Atlanta teammate, Jerry Learned, and John Hirschberger hurtling toward the line at full tilt. In the end Learned prevailed by 2 seconds!

Tom Bernhard 38:17     Peter Mullin 39:37     Doug Bell 39:56

Peter Mullin (L) and Tom Bernhard (R), the Silver and Gold Medalists respectively in the Men's 65-69 Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Women 70-74 Perennial age division winner, Jan Holmquist, improved on her 2016 performance, hitting the finish line in 48:01. Although nowhere near her record pace of 45:22 when she set the American record on this course two years ago, the time was nearly a minute faster than last year’s time. Linda Zavalick took 2^nd in 1:06:01.

Jan Holmquist 48:01     Linda Zavalick 1:06:01
 

Men 70-74  A quarter mile into the race I (Paul Carlin) noticed Jim May pass me on my left and settle in a few strides ahead. May had won the 8K Championship 6 weeks earlier with a 13 second edge, and I was thinking, "Oh no, here we go again!" And I hoped the other main contenders, Marc Bloom, Jan Frisby, and Richard Kutzner, were out of sight behind me, not ahead. In the second half mile I noticed another M70 runner in what looked like GVH gear but I could not figure out who he was. I learned later that it was a new teammate of May's named Tony Gingello. A quarter mile later I had passed them both and hoped that was the last I would see of either of them. If so I would have successfully defended my 10K Championship from last year when I ran 42:19. I learned later that Gingello had been gradually closing the gap I had created. I saw him with about 200 meters to go when he raced by in full stride. I picked up my pace and for a brief moment saw that I was closing the gap but then Gingello seemed to get a second (or third?) wind, and pulled away for a 5 second win. 

Tony Gingello sprinting to the finish line and the Men's 70-74 National Championship at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Gingello won in 44:55; I got another silver medal to go with the 8K medal from March. May was not able to keep pace in this highly competitive group as he had an Achilles issue due to a Cross Country skiing mishap in late March. Richard Kutzner passed May shortly after I did and was able to come home in 3^rd in 45:56. Marc Bloom and Jan Frisby followed in 46:15 and 46:32 to take 4^th and 5^th.

Tony Gingello 44:55     Paul Carlin 45:00     Richard Kutzner 45:56

 

Women 75-79 Kathleen Scotti, the oldest women’s competitor at the Championship, took this category unopposed in 1:25:33.

Kathleen Scotti 1:25:33

Men 75-79 John Noyes, of Kennebunk Maine gradually pulled away from Hal Bennett to take the honors in this division with a time of 47:55. Bennett took second in 48:28, followed by Denny LeBlanc in 3^rd in 52:45. Three minutes later Robet Sullivan of Brookline, MA. came across in 4th. The term, 'Boston Irish' still has some credence as he  was one of four Sullivan's to finish this Championship 10K.

John Noyes 47:55     Hal Bennett 48:28     Denny LeBlanc 52:45

Men 80-84 William Riley of the New England 65+ Runners Club and Harry Carter, of the B.A.A., have apparently locked horns many times over the years and Sunday was no exception. Both 80, they finished only 14 seconds apart with Riley taking the honors and the Championship this time in 53:04, and Carter taking the Silver Medal in 53:18. Lawrence Cole took the honors as the oldest competitor of the day at 83 and ran 1:13:30 to earn the Bronze medal.

William Riley 53:04     Harry Carter 53:18     Lawrence Cole 1:13:30

TEAMS

Note: In USATF Road Races, each team may have up to 5 runners but the fastest 3 runners for each team have their times added up, with the lower total team time winning.

Women 40 and Up The main contenders were the Atlanta Track Club, the Dirigo RC from Maine, the Genesee Valley Harriers from upstate NY, and the local Whirlaway Racing team. Holly Ortlund came in a minute ahead of the field, giving Atlanta the early lead. Whirlaway's Christin Doneski came in next but only 2 seconds ahead of GVH's Heather Webster. A minute later Dirigo's first runner, Mary Pardi, came in. Sixteen seconds later, the first of the 2nd team runners crossed the line, Atlanta's Kathy Wiegand, giving Atlanta a solid lead. GVH's Wakenda Tyler came in just 12 seconds ahead of Whirlaway's Holly Madden, but that was enough to put GVH ahead by ten seconds in what looked like the race for 2nd place. 

Wakenda Tyler, a key runner in GVH's Team Gold Medal in the Women's 40+ Division at the 2017 USATF Masters Championship

Dirigo's Kelly Brown, ran well but could not move Dirigo up. GVH's Tracey Vannatta, was the fastest of the #3 runners; her 44:04 was fast enough to get past Atlanta in the final tally, the team winning by just 19 seconds. 

First Place Winners in the Women's 40+ Team Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

Atlanta took 2nd and Dirigo's 3rd runner, Denise Curry, enabled Dirigo to race past Whirlaway for the bronze medal.

Dirigo RC's Women's 40+ Team with their Thiird Place Plaque at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship 

72-year old, Jan Holmquist, brought it home for Whirlaway's W40+ team. but could not get them onto the podium. Other teams competing included: Western Mass Distance Project, Greater Lowell Road Runners, and Tri-Valley Front Runners.

1^st G.V.H. (H. Webster, W. Tyler, T. Vannatta) 2:03:24 2^nd Atlanta Track Club (H. Ortlund, K. Wiegand, S. Whitis) 2:03:43 3^rd Dirigo R.C. (M. Pardi, K. Brown, D. Curry) 2:05:51

Men 40 and Up The Atlanta Track Club came with their best team in years and the B.A.A. countered in turn. Ryan McCalmon gave the BAA the early lead by coming in 3 seconds ahead of Atlanta's Kristian Blake. Fifteen seconds later Greg Putnam gave the Central Mass Striders the early claim on the Bronze medal. With 46 seconds on Willow Street AC's Jake Stookey and another ten on Whirlaway's Joe Navas, it was looking good for the final podium spot. The BAA and atlanta had the first two team spots nailed, but who would take the crown. 

Aaron Totten-Lancaster trying to stretch his lead over his BAA rivals-Every second counts! He helped the Atlanta Track Club to 2nd place in the Men's 40+ Team Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

When Atlanta's Aaron Totten-Lancaster came in 3 seconds ahead of the BAA's Christopher Magill, the two teams were technically tied but Magill's teammate, Harry Stants, was headed for the finish line stride for stride and crossed just 1 second after Magill. 

Christopher Magill  (R) and Harry Stants (L) bringing it home for the BAA Men's 40+ Team, Winners of the Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship 

With only 33 seconds between their first and 3rd runners, the BAA had a tight, swift pack, just what is needed to claim the Gold medal. Atlanta's Brent Fields ran great, cutting almost two minutes off his 2016 time. But with that kind of opposition, winning the Silver medal was quite an accomplishment!

In the battle for the final podium spot, Whirlaway's 2nd runner, Dave DeChellis, closed things up quite a bit on CMS's Joshua Perks, leaving only an 8 second lead. Willow Street was now all but out of it, over a minute back. The next runner across the line was Whirlaway's Brad Klinedinst, 8 seconds ahead of CMS's  David Principe. So it was a team time tie. (Try that for an elocution exercise!) But USATF rules provide a tie-breaker. The rule used to be to compare 1st runner to 1st runner, 2nd to 2nd and 3rd to 3rd, and give the win to the team with the most 'wins' in the comparison. But the current rule is simple and, in this case, awards the victory to the same team. Just look at the time of the last scoring runner, 3rd in this case, and give the win to the team with the faster time for that runner. Whirlaway makes the podium with Central Mass Striders in 4th. A great race for Gold and an even tighter race for the Bronze; that's icing on the cake.

1^st B.A.A. (R. McCalmon, C. Magill, H. Stants, M. Herman, R. Davenport) 1:39:50 2^nd Atlanta Track Club (K. Blaich, A. Totten-Lancaster, B. Fields, B. Slavens) 1:40:52 3^rd Whirlaway Racing (J. Navas, D. DeChellis, B. Klinedinst) 1:44:37

Women 50 and Up The Athena Track Club left nothing to chance. Marisa Sutera Strange gave her teammates nearly 4 minutes to work with but her two reliable colleagues, Lorraine Jasper and Julie Pangburn each added more than a minute to the final margin of victory. 

Runners on the Winning Women's 50+ Team, the Athena Track Club: (L to R) Julie Pangburn, Lorraine Jasper and Marisa Sutera Strange

GVH and the New Balance Tampa Racing Team battled for Silver. Michelle 'Shelly' Allen ran a terrific 1st road 10K but it was not enough for the lead as Kathleen Hayden gave GVH a 23 second lead. 

Shelly Allen sprints for the tape, helping her New Balance tampa team to 2nd place in the Women's 50+ Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship

NBT's Lesley Hinz was next across the line; her 28 second bulge over GVH's Carol Bischoff gave the lead back to NBT. NBT's Captain, Susan 'Lynn' Cooke is still adjusting to the transition from track athlete to road athlete and struggled a bit. Still she had plenty of grit and just enough gas in the tank to make it to the finish line ahead of GVH's Bonnie Lindblom. 

Runners for the New Balance Tampa Masters Racing Team-Second Place Winners in the Women's 50+ Team Division [L to R: Shelly Allen, Lynn Cooke, and Leslie Hinz)

That gave NBT 2nd and GVH 3rd. The Liberty AC was 6 minutes back in 4th, followed by the Western Mass Distance Project, the Tri-Valley Front Runners, and the Heartbreak Hill Striders.

1^st Athena (M. S. Strange, L. Jasper, J. Pangburn) 2:03:41 2^nd New Balance Tampa Racing (M. Allen, L. Hinz, L. Cooke) 2:10:15 3^rd GVH (K. Hayden, C. Bischoff, B. Lindblom) 2:12:40

Men 50 and Up The Greater Springfield Harriers had a similar experience in this age group, except they have two top runners to set the table. Nat Larson and Kent Lemme were the first two in, only two seconds apart. That only left them 47 seconds ahead of the first runner on the closer pursuer but by the time the 2nd runners came in, the two of them had staked the GSH to a lead of over 5 minutes. Alejandro Heuck outran all of the other number 3 runners to put the lid on it. GSH took the title by over 6 minutes. 

The Greater Springfield Harriers, Winners of the Men's 50+ Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championships (L to R-Francis Burdett, Alejandro Heuck, Kent Lemme, and Ronald Jacobs)

GVH, the HFC Striders, and the Somerville Road Runners contested the remaining spots on the podium. Greg Picklesimer got Somerville on the board first among these three with a 40 second margin over Jason Cakouros of the HFC Striders and over a minte on GVH's Mike Nier. GVH is known for packing it up though and with Nier's alter ego, Alan Evans, coming in just 10 seconds later, that flipped the tables. After John Sullivan and Rory Fagan came in for HFC and Somerville respectively, GVH had a 4 second lead on HFC and 1:20 on Somerville. Dale Flanders put the nail in the coffin by coming in more than 2 minutes ahead of the #3 runners for the other two teams.  

GVH's Men's 50+ Team, 2nd place in their Team Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship (L to R-Mike Nier, Theodor Schnaufer, John Van kerkhove, and Dale Flanders)

Chris Kelly came in well ahead of Somerville's Mike Quinn to finish off HFC's Bronze Medal effort. GVH's 'B' team, the BAA and the Greater Lowell Road Runners came in 5th, 6th and 7th.

1^st GSH (N. Larson, K. Lemme, A. Heuck, R. Jacobs) 1:43:28 2^nd GVH (M. Nier, A. Evans, D. Flanders, J. Van Kerkhove, T. Schnaufer) 1:49:05  3^rd HFC Striders (J. Cakouras, J. Sullivan, C. Kelly, P. Parks, C. Diehl) 1:51:32

Women 60 and Up The 3 top runners from the Atlanta Track Club, Margaret Taylor, Cynthia Williams, and Mary Richards went 1-2-3 to win the division by nearly 15 minutes.

The Genesee Valley Harriers took 2nd place in the Women's 60+ Team Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Champiionship (L to R-Cindy Ingalls, Sharon Moore, Jeanne Herrick)

GVH’s runners, Sharon Moore, Cindy Ingalls, and Jeanne Herrick, are on the comeback trail from a season beset by injuries, and this constitutes another step on that path.

1^st Atlanta Track Club (M. Taylor, C. Williams, M. Richards, C. Lucking) 2:24:55 2^nd GVH (S. Moore, C. Ingalls, J. Herrick) 2:39:22

Men 60 and Up It is tough to beat the Boulder Road Runners.  Their top runner, Dan Spale, finished only 13 seconds behind Greater Lowell's John Barbour, the top runner in the age group. Kyle Hubbart, Boulder's 2nd runner, came in 6 seconds later. At that point Boulder had nearly 2 minutes on Greater Lowell, despite a terrific run by Bill Dixon, in his last few months in the age division. Boulder's third runner, Doug Bell, gave them a third runner in under 40 minutes, something none of the other teams could match. That gave the Gold Medal to Boulder by 4 minutes. 

The Boulder Road Runners, winners of the Men's 60+ Team Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championships (L to R-Kyle Hubbart, Doug Bell, Dan Spale, and George Braun)

A strong performance by John Barbour, the first runner for the Greater Lowell Road Runners,  gave them a minute lead over GVH;  the 2^nd runner for GVH, Kevin Clinefelter, cut into the lead but could not eliminate it; Greater Lowell's Ken Goodin slammed the door by coming in 9 seconds ahead of GVH's Bill Beyerbach. Given the competition it was no small feat for GVH to claim the Bronze medals. 

The Genesee Valley Harriers, 3rd place winners in the Men's 60+ Team Division at the 2017 USATF Masters 10K Championship (L to R-Mitch Moore, Bill Beyerbach, Gary Radford, Kevin Clinefelter, and Mike Reif)

They were able to edge a tough Shore AC team by a minute despite strong runs from Reno Stirrat, Kevin Dollard, and Patrick Gaughan. The Heartbreak Hill Striders finished third but were almost an hour behind Shore.

1^st BRR (D. Spale, K. Hubbart, D. Bell, D. Braun, J. Frisby) 1:55:54 2^nd GLRR (J. Barbour, W. Dixon, K. Goodin, S. Sartori, W. Mann) 1:59:54  3^rd GVH (G. Radford, K. Clinefelter, B. Beyerbach, M. Moore, M. Reif) 2:00:47

Men 70 and Up  GVH dominated this division. The only runner from another team who could stay with GVH's top 3 was Paul Carlin from the Ann Arbor TC. But he was the only runner on his team to come in under 55 minutes. GVH had three runners under 50 minutes, Tony Gingello, Liam Finnigan, and Jim May; they took the crown by more than ten minutes! 

Two-Thirds of GVH's Winning M70+ Team Along with their Fan Club (L to R- Tony Gingello, Jim May and fans)

Ann Arbor TC did not factor in the race for the remaining podium positions.  The New England 65+ Runners Club ‘A’ team brought three runners, Robert Knight, Clayton Zeke Zucker, and David Pember, across the finish line between 50:21 and 52:27; that was enough for 2^nd place. Their ‘B’ team brought three runners, Hal Bennett, Bill Riley, and Robert Sullivan,  across the line between 48:28 and 55:24, allowing them to take 3^rd place ahead of the Atlanta TC, the North Shore Striders and Ann Arbor.

The New England 65+ Runners Club took 2nd and third place in the Men's 70+ Team Division- This is the 'A' Team that took 2nd  (L to R- Joe Noonan, Dave Pember, Zeke Zucker, Bob Knight, and Richard Paulsen)

1^st GVH (T. Gingello, L. Finnigan, J. May) 2:21:30 2^nd NE65+ ’A’ (R. Knight, C.Z. Zucker, D. Pember, J. Noonan, R. Paulsen) 2:34:36  3^rd NE65+ ’B’  (H. Bennett, W. Riley, R. Sullivan, L. Cole) 2:37:26

The James Joyce Ramble 10K and the USATF-NE organization do a tremendous job of turning out so many New England teams; it generates a great competitive spirit and is the heart and soul of this 10K Masters Championship.

ELITE PERFORMANCE MEDALS

Age-Grading is the statistically-based procedure developed by Alan Jones [http://www.runscore.com/Alan/AgeGrade.html] using the data base of Ken Jones on World Best Performances [http://www.arrs.net/] to provide a level playing field for awarding excellent running performance across all ages of Masters Runners. A World's Best is projected for each single year of age and commonly run distance (both road racing and track but the road racing procedure gets much more use). If the World's best for a given distance and age is 40 minutes and your time is 44 minutes, then your age grade is (roughly) (40/44)*100 or 90.91%. If your time is 48 minutes, your age grade is (40/48)*100 or 83,3%. [This is just an intuitive explanation. For technical details see Alan Jones's site.] This is the second year that USATF Masters LDR Committee is awarding Elite Perfomance medals to all athletes who achieve the standards: WORLD CLASS--90% and above (Gold); NATIONAL CLASS--85%-89.99% (Silver); and NATIONAL CLASS--80% - 84.99% (Bronze).

A record 99 runners ran National Class times and qualified for an Elite Performance Medal. They are listed below in order of Age-Grading percentage.

GOLD: Sabra Harvey, Edie Stevenson, Marisa Sutera Strange, Nat Larson, Kristian Blaich, Laura Bruess, Mary Swan

SILVER: Derrick Staley, Thomas Bernhard, Kent Lemme, John Barbour, William Dixon, Mimi Fallon, Mary Zengo, Greg Putnam, Lesley Hinz,Gregory Picklesimer, Peter Mullin,Cassandra Henkiel, Derrick Jones, Karen Durante, Doug Bell, Lyn Malloy, Christopher Lawrence, Jason Cakouros, Jonathan Frieder, Dan Spale, Reno Stirrat, Kyle Hubbart, Mark Reeder, Frankie Adkins, Kelly Brown, John Sullivan, Margaret Sloan,Alan Evans, Christopher Magill, Harry Stants, David Ott, Lorraine Jasper, Mike Nier, Lynn Cooke, Joe Navas, Holly Ortlund, Christin Doneski

BRONZE: David Angell, Ryan McCalmon,  Gary Radford, Holly Madden, James Zoldy,  Kirk Larson, Michelle Allen, David Principe, Ginger Reimer, Jerry Learned, Alejandro Heuck, Mary Pardi, Brad Oveturf,  Aaron Totten-Lancaster, Brent Fields, John Stadtlander, Kathleen  Hayden,  John Van Kerkhove, Ryan Carrara, Kevin Clinefelter, Amanda King, Heather Webster, Timothy Riccardi, Mary Richards, Jake Stookey, Cynthia Lucking, Margaret Taylor, Dale Flanders, Richard Kutzner, Brian Murray, Michael Gardella, Ronald Jacobbs, Kevin Dollard, Theodor Schnaufer, John Hirschberger, Julie Pangburn, Jennifer Hegarty, Paul Carlin, Alda Cossi, Matthew Herman, John Noyes, Bill Riley, Michael Stadolnik, Dave De Chellis, Jan Frisby, Brad Slavens, Carol Bischoff, Diana Bowser, Harry Carter, Tony Gingello, Jeff Conston, Cynthia Williams,Andy MacDonald, Patrick Gaughan, Rory Fagan


SPECIAL FEATURES

These are my unofficial tabulations for 'mythical' awards that are not currently offered by USATF--perhaps some day.



OVERALL WINNER GRAND PRIX (for the Masters Grand Prix Circuit)
Recall that those who finish in the top 5 overall positions in the race earn points--10-6-4-2-1. 

After the First Two Events of 2017, the USATF  XC Championship in Bend OR and the USATF 8K Championship in Virginia Beach, the standings were:

MEN
David Angell 12 Jacques Sallberg 10 John Howell 6 Phillippe Rolly 6 Kristian Blaich 4 John Gardiner 4 Jake Stookey 2 Kent Lemme 1 Gregory Mitchell 1


WOMEN
Melody Fairchild 10  Perry Shoemaker 10   Janet McDevitt 6 Grace Padilla 6 Marisa Sutera Strange 5 Tania Fischer 4  Doreen McCoubrie 2 Susan Hay 2,  Mary Swan 1

After the First Three Events of 2017, the USATF  XC Championship in Bend OR, the USATF 8K Championship in Virginia Beach, and the USATF 10K Championship, the standings for individual overall GP  are:

MEN
David Angell 22 Jacques Sallberg 10 Kristian Blaich 8 [John Howell 6 Ryan McCalmon 6, Phillippe Rolly 6]  John Gardiner 4 [Frankie Adkins 2 Jake Stookey 2] Derrick Jones 1 Kent Lemme 1 Gregory Mitchell 1


WOMEN
[Melody Fairchild 10 Ginger Reiner 10 Perry Shoemaker 10]  Marisa Sutera Strange 9 [Janet McDevitt 6 Holly Ortlund 6 Grace Padilla 6]  Tania Fischer 4 [Susan Hay 2 Cassandra Henkiel 2 Doreen McCoubrie 2] [Christin Doneski 1 Mary Swan 1]

AGE-GRADING Individual GRAND PRIX  
(for the Masters Grand Prix Circuit)

Recall that those who finish in the top 5 overall age-grading positions in the race earn points--10-6-4-2-1

 After the First Two Events of 2017, the USATF  XC Championship in Bend OR and the USATF 8K Championship in Virginia Beach, the standings were:

MEN. 
Brian Pilcher 10 Jacques Sallberg 10 Nat Larson 6  Joe Sheeran 6 Kristian Blaich 4 Pete Magill 4 Matthew Farley 2 Mike McManus 2 John Gardiner 1 Kent Lemme 1

WOMEN. Marisa Sutera Strange 12 Edie Stevenson 10  Tania Fischer 4 Doreen McCoubrie 4 Susan Cooke 2 Jeanette Groesz 2 Laura Bruess 1 Kirsten Leetch 1 

 After the First Three Events of 2017, the USATF  XC Championship in Bend OR, the USATF 8K Championship in Virginia Beach, and the USATF 10K Championship, the standings for Age Grading Individual GP are:

MEN. 
Nat Larson 16  [Kristian Blaich 10 Brian Pilcher 10 Jacques Sallberg 10] Joe Sheeran 6 [Pete Magill 4 Derrick Staley 4] [Tom Bernhard 2 Matthew Farley 2 Kent Lemme 2 Mike McManus 2] John Gardiner 1 

WOMEN. [Edie Stevenson 14 Marisa Sutera Strange 14] Sabra Harvey 10  [Jan Holmquist 4 Tania Fischer 4 Doreen McCoubrie 4] [Laura Bruess 2 Susan Cooke 2 Jeanette Groesz 2]  Kirsten Leetch 1
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Post-Race Pics:

Old Pals, Mike Anderson (R)  and John Barbour(L) from Barbours days in georgia before the move to New England,

Harry Carter and Bill Riley, longtime rivals now in the Men's 80-84 Division

Heather Webster with her award and her post-race sustenance, with Paul Carlin [left background] announcing, and right background, USATF LDR Division Chair, Mike Scott handing a medal to Mary Rosado, Masters LDR Chair, with Steve Vaitones in the cap, USATF-New England's Master of All Trades

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PHOTO CREDITS: Scott Mason's watermark appears in the lower right-hand corner of his photographs. To peruse more of his photographs from the 10K Championship, please direct your browsers to: http://www.scottmasonphoto.com/RUNNING-2017/James-Joyce-Ramble-2017-USATF-National-Masters-10k/

Credits with no watermark were posted by USATF-New England on their Facebook page.
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The next recap will be for the USATF Masters Half Marathon Championship.

2017 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championship-Preview

May 5 2017. NEWPORT BEACH/COSTA MESA CA.  Earlier in the week it looked like there would be a chance of rain during the race but now the forecast is for low 50's temperatures, partly cloudy skies and moderate winds of 7-8mph. The race starts at 6:15 AM in Newport Beach in front of the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa, proceeds down to the oceanfront and through Corona Del Mar and then up along the bluffs overlooking the Upper Newport Bay Estuary Reserve, finishing at the Orange County Fair and Event Center. The course has a net elevation drop of about 30 meters. According ot the map posted by the OCHM, there is a gradual incline over the first mile followed by a rolling slope down toward the sea between miles 1 and 4.5, then a flat stretch until mile 7 when there is an incline, a 25 meter climb over half a mile. From 7.5 to the finish the course is roughly flat with a couple of dips, at mile 9 and just before mile 11. Conditions appear to be favorable for good times; the course is not record eligible so no records will be broken..At the end of online registration  88 runners are registered; the field is not large but there are strong runners in almost every division.

AGE-GRADING. The top 5 returning men from last year's Masters HM Championship in San Diego in terms of age-grading are, in order, Fred Zalokar, Kevin Broady, John Gardiner, Kevin Zimmer, and Peter Mullin Although entered, Greg Mitchell has had to scratch due to hamstring issues. Mike McManus, who age-graded over 90% at the 8K Masters Championships in Virginia Beach could press them. But McManus has no recent long races, certainly nothing as long as a Half Marathon. So there is some doubt; he will probably have to crack the 1:14 mark to have a chance at the age-grading podium.

Zalokar       Gardiner         Broady

John Gardiner winning the USATF Masters 15K title last year at the Tulsa Run

 

The top returning women are Honor Fetherston¸ Kelle Taylor, and Kathleen Cushing-Murray, all in the high 80’s. Championship newcomers, Doreen McCoubrie, 55, Suzanne Ray, 65, and Jeanette Groesz. 67, may be the favorites. Groesz’s  recent Pear Blossom 10 Mile run in Portland in 1:17:14 age grades just over 91%. Ray's 1:39:21 in the Blue Diamond Almonds Shamrock'n Half Marathon in mid-March age grades at 90.92%. McCoubrie’s 31:10 8K at Virginia Beach age-graded at 92%. But will McCoubrie be fully recovered from a tough Boston Marathon this year? 

Ray        Groesz        McCoubrie

Doreen McCoubrie leading the Athena TC to victory in the Women's 50+ category and claiming the Third Place Age-Grading Medal in the 2017 8K Masters Championships at Virginia Beach

OVERALL. As far as the Overall race goes, David Angell, of the Roanoke (VA) Racing Elite will be trying for the trifecta. With victories at the 8K in Virginia Beach and the 10K in Dedham MA, Angell will be one of the favorites. But he will have to overcome his nemesis, John Gardiner, of the Cal Coast Track Club. In their two contests at the end of last year, the 5K Championship in Syracuse and the 15K Championship in Tulsa, the West Coaster had the edge. Their best recent HM times are quite similar so it should be another classic dustup. Angelll captured the Masters title at the Richmond VA HM last November in 1:09: 37. Gardiner took 2^nd to Masters legend, Kevin Castile, in last year’s Championship in San Diego in 1:09:57. Orin Schumacher, of the Bowerman TC, will also be in the lead ppack, and could cause trouble if he is there with a few miles to go. He has run in two Half marathons this spring, clocking a 1:12:10 at the Cottage Grove HM and a 1:11:40 HM at the Corvallis HM, both in Oregon. Jose Merino will also press the pace. Two months ago he was the outright winner of the Tustin Hangar HM in 1:12:31, finishing 4 minutes ahead of his nearest competitor. He may be able to find the extra speed he needs in a more competitive environment. If Mike McManus knows how to translate his speed at races over 8K to 10K to a Half Marathon race, he could factor in the race for the podium.  Brantley Lutz ran 1:11:58 here last year but his most recent HM is the Albuquerque HM which he ran in 1:14:21; that would make him a 'dark horse' at best.
Gardiner       Angell       Schumacher    

David Angell winning the 2017 Overall Masters crown at the 8K Championships in Virginia Beach.

The top returning women in the overall contest last year are: Ingrid Walters 1:24:33, Kathleen Cushing-Murray 1:28:00, Mary Lynch, 1:28:27, and Kelle Taylor 1:28:53. Cushing-Murray is running much faster this year, however, a minute faster at the Brea 8K and at Carlsbad. That suggests an HM in the 1:26 vicinity. That still might not be fast enough for the podium. Walters has a 1:24:23 HM to her name this year as well as a minute faster than Cushing-Murray at the Brea 8K. Newcomers this year who could challenge Walters and the others include: Amy Halseth who ran 1:23:12 in the San Diego HM in March. Others who could factor into the race include other regional elites, Erika Aklufi, Donna Mills-Honarvar, and Keri Olson, all of whom have recent HMs in the 1:25 to 1:26 range.

Halseth       Walters       Mills-Honarvar

 
AGE DIVISIONS

Women 40-44. Erika Aklufi of the Jane's Elite will go up against A Snail's Pace's Donna Mills-Honarvar and Cal Coast's Keri Olson. Mills-Honarvar has a 1:24:49 in a recent Half Marathon so i give her the edge but it is likely to be a real barn-burner. Aklufi has a 1:25:24 and Olsen a 1:26:01. 

Mills-Honarvar       Aklufi       Olson

Men 40-44. Gardiner, Angell and Schumacher are all in this division so the overall preview holds for this one as far as those three are concerned.

Gardiner       Angell       Schumacher

Women 45-49. As I have already picked Amy Halseth and Ingrid Walters for 1-2 in the Overall Race I had best duplicate that for this divisional crown. Celestine Arambulo should challenge them and could move higher on the podium with a good day. Her best recent HM is 1:26:40, finishing about three minutes behind Halseth at the San Diego HM. Kerry May's best HM time is in the low 1:30's.  If one of the three favorites has an off day, May could make it onto the podium.

Men 45-49. The Cal Coast team has the three favorites in this division. Tony Torres ran 1:15:29 in the Masters HM Championship last year in San Diego and is the favorite. Only one other runner has a recent HM in under 1:20. Michael John Stanley ran 1:18:26 last year in that same race. But he ran three half marathons in the run-up to the Boston Marathon and all were in the 1:28 to 1:29 range. And he did run the Boston Marathon on a tough day only 3 weeks ago, so it is hard to say how much energy he will have for this effort. A third member of the team is Steven Frisone, who has very strong credentials in the 5K to 10K range, on the roads and on the XC paths, but I cannot find a recent race longer than 10K. He has the potential to be in under 1:20 but there is some risk due to taking on a much longer race than usual. Mark Steyvers ran a 1:18:24 in the Southern California HM this spring.

Torres       Steyvers        Frisone

Women 50-54. In this division, Mary Lynch of the Cal Coast TC will take on the Jane's Elite Racing trio, Kathleen Cushing-Murray, Tania Fischer, and Kelle Taylor. Last year in the Championship in San Diego, Lynch was sandwiched in between Cushing-Murray and Taylor at the finish, with a 1:28:27 to their 1:28:00 and 1:28:53. Fisher is, by comparison, the wild card. This is a long race for her. Nonetheless she has proven herself a very tough competitor in races up to 10K, especially on the XC turf. If she can hang with her teammates over the first part of the race, she can certainly be a factor. Cushing-Murray has been running very strongly over the last 6 months; she beat her 2016 times at the Brea 8K and at Carlsbad by about a minute. I would not be surprised to see her come in under 1:28.

Cushing-Murray       Lynch       Taylor

Tania Fischer leading the Jane's Elite Racing to victory in Women's 50+ at the 2017 USATF XC Championships in Bend OR

Men 50-54. Kevin Zimmer finished 2nd to Kevin Broady last year in 1:16:56 and ran a 1:17:32 in the Encenitas HM at the end of March. He appears ready to move up to Number 1. Jeff Creighton will challenge though. he ran a 1:17:06 in the 2015 Masters Championships at San Diego .The only potential challenge to those two would come from Mike McManus. The 26:38 he ran in the Masters 8K Championship 6 weeks ago would be the rough equivalent of a 1:12:32 Half Marathon if there were no fall off in age-grading from the 8K to the HM for McManus. Most likely there will be some fall-off as McManus does not typically run HM's, at least not recently. But he does have some room to work with. It does not like anyone else could challenge these three. Cal Coast's Thomas Schumann should  ran 1:23:12 in the Masters Championship at San Diego last year. If anyone has an off day, Schumannn could work his way onto the podium.
Zimmer       Creighton       McManus     

Women 55-59. The Athena Track Club's long distance specialist, Doreen McCoubrie, will make the transcontinental trip to challenge for the title. Even if she is not fully recovered from her 3:13:57 Marathon on a very tough day, it appears she should finish no slower than 1:35 or so and probably will run faster. Ordinarily I would expect her to be around 1:30 or under. No one else appears to be quite in that class. The closest would be her teammate, Mary Swan, who ran a 1:04:52 15K last October. That is Age-Grade equivalent to a 1:32:06. Their teammate, Margaret Sloan, could make it a clean sweep for the Athenas. Although I can find no evidence of her running races longer than 10K, her 43:38 at the USATF Masters 10K Championship this past weekend is Age-Grading equivalent to a 1:34:26. Probably there would be some fall-off in Age-Grading but it is hard to tell how much.The two other contenders for the podium, who both run for the Impala Racing team,  ran last year on the fast RnR San Diego course. Teresa Quan recorded a 1:40:24 and Janet Smith a 1:42:58. Those are fine times but Sloan has the potential to run faster than that.
McCoubrie       Swan       Sloan

Mary Swan helping her Athena team to victory at the Masters 8K Championships in Virginia Beach

Men 55-59. Fred Zalokar is the defending Champion; he ran 1:16:28 last year. Unfortunately for Zalokar, Kevin Broady, who won the M50-54 division in 1:15:46, aged up into the 55-59 division and will be going all out for the win in his new age group. And Zalokar's 1:19:53 from the Aramco HM in Houston in January suggests that, at that point of the season, at least, he was a bit off his form. Broady, on the other hand, ran a 1:15:19 at the Southern California HM in January. Jim Zoldy, who finished 5th in the M50 group last year in 1:18:51, could factor into the race for the podium if either Zalokar or Broady has an off day. If his times in the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in 2016 and 2017 are any indication, his current conditioning is about where it was last year at this time; he ran 1:00:45 last year and 1:00:46 this year. At the moment, that is it; only three entrants but they are all very capable.

Broady     Zalokar      Zoldy 

Women 60-64. Honor Fetherston is the defending Champion; she won in 1:37:49 last year. And her conditioning seems to be similar this year. She ran 1:37:55 at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco HM in February and a 1:13:52 in the Credit Union Sactown 10 Miler. Based on a recent 50:17 10K and a 31:02 on the 6K XC course at Bend OR for the USA XC Championships, Joanna Harper could take 2nd. The one caveat to that prediction is that, like others in these championships, it appears this will be her first race exceeding 10K in distance. That makes any prediction a little riskier. Julie McKinney, on the other hand, ran 4:20:16 in the Big Sur Marathon so we know she has staying power. And her 10K time of 52:50 is only 2 minutes slower than Harper's time.

Fetherston       McKinney       Harper

Honor Fetherston winning her W60 Age Group in the 2016 USATF Masters 8K Championships in Brea CA

Men 60-64.  Perry Forrester and John Holcomb, Cal Coast teammates, took 2-3 in this division last year in 1:25:46 and 1:27:07 and will make a strong run at the podium. The owner of the fastest recent HM is Daniel Lillyman of Mahomet IL, who ran 1:24:08 at the RnR New Orleans HM in February. After that he ran a 1:28:41 at the RnR HM in Washington D.C. before running 3:53:23 in warm conditions at the Boston Marathon. Four days later he ran 1:26:36 in the Christie Clinic Illinois HM in Champaign Illinois. That should be enough to make him the favorite if he did not do himself any damage by racing so soon after Boston. I imagine Lillyman expected to run quite a bit faster at Boston and decided to be cautious. Therefore he had no trepidation about racing on the 21st of April. Greg Wilson ran a 1:01:31 15K, which is Age-Grade equivalent to a 1:27:38. Sheldon Subith could also factor in; he has run a few HMs and 15Ks but they are all trail runs. One might think trail runs would be slower than an equivalent race on the roads but some trail runs feature net elevation loss. He ran 1:28:40 at the Diamond Valley (trail) HM but 1:21:20 at the Pasadena 10 Mile Trail Running Challenge. I will go with Lillyman on the basis of the RnR NO HM and his Christie Clinic Illinois HM. Although Forrester could well rise to the challenge and win his way through to the Gold Medal.

Lillyman       Forrester     Holcomb 

Women 65-69.  Suzanne Ray and Jeanette Groesz, as the Age-Grading competition preview suggests, appear to be the strongest runners in this division. Ray's 1:39:21 at the Shamrock HM is unmatched by any of the competitors. Groesz has not run a faster HM but her 1:17:14 at the Pear Blossom 10 Mile Run age grades just a bit higher than Ray's HM.Betty Wagner's 1:16:53 in a 15K suggests a 1:50-ish HM is a reasonable expectation. All three are on Oregon's Team Red Lizard so it could be a sweep of the division.

Ray       Groesz       Wagner

Men 65-69. Peter Mullin is the defending Champion; he ran 1:26:30 here last year. That makes him the favorite; he has also run two sub-1:27 HM's this year. He ran 1:26:40 at the Aramco HM in Houston in January and a 1:26:36 in the HM at the WMA World Championships in Daegu, Korea. Lloyd Hansen would ordinarily be favored to give him a battle. A few years back running well under 1:30 was his norm, but he has been off his form this past year. He ran 1:38:58 in the Detroit Free Press HM last October, and a 1:36:04 in the St. George HM this January. That shows improvement but suggests a time much under 1:35 would be a good day. John Hirschberger has taken on three 10 Milers this year, in late Janaury, early March and early April, and has improved his time by about a minute each race with a 1:11:43 in January and a 1:09:24 at the Credit Union Sactown 10 Miler. That last time is age-grade equivalent to a 1:31:58 HM. Glen Colehamer ran a 1:42:12 in the Surf City USA HM and a 46:23 in a recent 10K.

Mullin       Hirschberger       Hansen

Peter Mullin finishing off a strong 8K at the 2017 Masters 8K Championships at Virginia Beach where he took the Silver Medal

W70. Irene Terronez finished 2nd in this division last year in 2:21:45, but so far is unopposed. It looks like a finish is a win.

Terronez 

M70-74. Eight runners will vie for this division championship. Richard Kutzner is the defending Champion; he won last year in 1:40:38 and has run a 1:40:47 in the Arizona RnR HM. He also took the 15K Masters Championship in Tulsa last year in 1:13:03. Paul Carlin (yours truly) was the 2014 Men's 65-69 HM Champion in 1:29:29 but that was then and this is now, as the saying goes. I have been up and down since then with repeated injury and recovery episodes since then. Kutzner certainly has the recent edge in longer distance races. I finished way back in Tulsa, due to a recovery set back. But frankly I have not broken 1:40 since the 1:30:00 I ran a couple of months after the 2014 Championship HM. I did manage a 1:11:35 at a 15K in January but the course, though not easy, was not as tough as the Tulsa course is right now. At shorter distances I have the recent edge over Kutzner, a little over a minute in the 8K in Virginia Beach in March and a little under a minute in the 10K last weekend in Dedham MA. That suggests the race might be close on Sunday. My main goal is to come out of this race healthy but, make no mistake, I will also try to win, if I can. Gene French may also have something to say about the outcome. He ran a 1:43:53 in the Humboldt Redwoods HM last October. French finished just 21 seconds behind me at Virginia Beach so he is definitely a threat to win it all. Unlike Kutzner, however, he does not focus especially on longer races. That HM appears to be his only race over 10K in recent years.

Kutzner       Carlin       French 


M75-79. Malcolm Cohen and Andrew Sherwood are the sole entrants to this point. Cohen is rehabbing an injury and is not likely to challenge. His Physical Therapist has cleared him to run though. Sherwood ran the Snickers HM in 2:21:39, averaging under 11 minutes per mile. If he can run anywhere near that pace on Sunday he should take first place. 

Sherwood       Cohen

M80-84. Richard Williams, the oldest competitor in the Championship at 81, is the sole entrant in this division. Last year he finished 2nd in 2:24:33. He will be looking to win this year.

Williams  

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TEAMS 

M40+ If Greg Mitchell's old hamstring injury not flared up, the Bowerman TC would have been strong favorites to take the crown in this division. The main other contender, the Cal Coast TC is without Christian Cushing-Murray so they would have been very pressed to stay with a Mitchell-led team. Even without him it will be tight but it appears if everyone runs their best, Cal Coast should have a slight edge. The Prado Racing Team will not be far off the pace but it looks like they are not quite strong enough to successfully challenge Cal Coast and Bowerman.

Cal Coast TC [Gardiner, Magness, Torres, Frisone]    
Bowerman TC [Schumacher, Gordon, Roberts],  
Prado Racing Team [Batterson, Zimmer, Creighton] 

W40+ It looks like a tight duel between the Cal Coast TC and the Jane's Elite. Aklufi and 
Walters will need to build a bit of a lead for the Jane's to win it because it looks like May, Olson, and Rosing will be able to pack up a little more.

Jane's Elite [Akulfi, Twist, Walters]
Cal Coast TC [Keyes, May, Olson, Rosing]

W50+ This is the division with the most teams entered. Jane's Elite are the defending Champions but face three challengers this year, including one East Coast team the Athena TC, winners of the Masters Club Grand Prix in this division every year since its inception in 2012. It looks like the Jane's have the strength to repeat although a lot rides on Fischer who is apparently untested, at least recently, in such a long race. Cushing-Murray seems stronger than last year and Taylor should run her usual race. If Fischer can hang close to them, the Jane's should take the crown. Athena should be the closest. If McCoubrie is fully recovered from Boston and can throw down a a sub 1:26, it could get interesting. But more likely her legs are still a bit weary. Even if Swan can run around 1:32, though, Cushing-Murray and Taylor will likely have given the Jane's the lead, and then it comes down to Fischer vs. Sloan, neither of whom runs the longer races. But then Fischer has the edge in the shorter races. The Cal Coast team will probably not be able to stay with those two but has enough strength to take 3rd, leaving the Impala Racing team in 4th.

After the 2016 USATF Masters HM Campionship-The winning W50+ Jane's Elite (L to R: K. Taylor, K. Leetch, and K. Cushing-Murray)

Jane's Elite Racing [Cushing-Murray, Fischer, Taylor, Teslow]
Athena TC [McCoubrie, Sloan, Swan]
Cal Coast TC [Lynch, Sherburne, Theron]
Impala Racing Team  [Bryan, Quan, Smith]


The M50+, M60+, W60+, and M70+ divisions have one entry each.If the team has at least three members who finish, they will take the team trophy. Local favorites, Cal Coast, will take M50+ and M60+. Team Red Lizard has come down from Oregon and will go back with a nice set of medals and a winner's plaque. Atlanta's M70+ team has made a cross country trip and will be rewarded for their effort with a first prize and 100 points toward the Club Grand Prix title. 

 
M50+ Cal Coast TC [Colehamer, Ryan, Schumann, Underwood]
M60+ Cal Coast TC [Cook, Forrester, Holcomb, Rodriguez, Sanchez]
W60+Team Red Lizard  [Jeanette Groesz, Joanna Harper, Suzanne Ray, Betty Wagner]
M70+ Atlanta TC [Joseph Lenahan, Charlie Patterson, William Shaffer, Andrew Sherwood, Frank White Jr]