RECORDS
Nora Cary and Jan Holmquist did not disappoint their fans. Cary broke the existing 70-74 10 km American record for the third time this year, clocking 43:20. Once the three are verified, the fastest of those three, this one, will become the new American record. It is 21 seconds faster than her time at the World Masters Athletics Championships last month. Jan Holmquist added her name to the W80 record book. Her amazing 52:45, at age 80, smashed the existing record by a whopping 2:25!
OVERALL
It was the same story in the men’s race as last year. The multiple-time U.S. Mountain Running Champion and World Mountain Running Champion, Joseph Gray, claimed his second straight win, this time in 30:58. He was pressed more closely this time by silver medalist, Mario Vazquez. Gray enjoyed an 18-second win last year; this year, his cushion was nine seconds. Justin Freeman nailed the bronze medal in 32:33. Jessica Smith won here, going away, in 2022. She ran 36:01 and enjoyed a winning margin of more than a minute. It was much closer this time. Despite Smith matching her 36:01 time, she had a mere six seconds on the silver medalist, Karen Bertasso. Jennifer Lutz claimed her second-consecutive bronze medal in 36:57.
AGE GRADING
Age grading indicates the best performance, adjusted for age, across all age divisions. Not surprisingly, the two record breakers went 1-2. Cary, 70, enjoyed the edge, 97.15 to 94.91 for Holmquist, 80. Third place went to Suzanne La Burt, 61, 40:12 for 92.58. The top men were Vazquez, 46, 92.39 on 31:06; Nicholas Conway, 50, 32:42 for 90.86; and Roger Sayre, 67, 90.60 from 38:17.
AGE DIVISIONS
National champions were crowned: WOMEN 40-44 J Smith 36:01 45-49 Katie Famous 42:07 50-54 Jennifer Rodriguez 39:57 55-59 Kimberly Aspholm 42:53 60-64 S La Burt 40:13 65-69 Patrice Combs 44:13 70-74 N Cary 43:22 75-79 Kathleen Allen 1:03:06 80-84 J Holmquist 52:51 85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite 1:59:15. MEN 40-44 J Gray 30:58 45-49 M Vazquez 31:07 50-54 N Conway 32:43 55-59 Christopher Harris 34:21 60-64 John Van Danacker 36:32 65-69 R Sayre 38:19 70-74 John Barbour 40:18 75-79 Doug Winn 46:11 80-84 Jack Frame 54:51 85-89 Roland Cormier 1:34:29
TEAMS
The club, with by far the greatest success overall in the team competition, was the Shore Athletic Club, of New Jersey. They won the Men’s 50+, 70+, and 80+ and the Women’s 60+ divisions; they finished 2nd in W60+ and 3rd in M60+. The Atlanta Track Club won W70+, finished 2nd in M50+, and 3rd in M70+ and W60+. The HFC Striders, of Greater Boston, won M40+ while the Impala Racing team, from the San Francisco Bay area, took the W40+ win. The Greater Springfield Harriers took top honors in M60+.
Photo Credit: Mark Mathis/Boston Running Scene
Submitted by Paul Carlin
*Records and age grading are based on net time; all else is on gun time.
