Masters athletes cheered on Team USA at the World Cross Country Championships on Saturday. On Sunday, January 11th, they made their own tracks around the World course, mounting the \u2018rollercoaster\u2019 crossing the \u2018sandy beach\u2019, and navigating the mud pit. It cooled off overnight; temperatures in the upper 50\u2019s under cloudy skies provided a perfect setting for the 2025\/26 USATF Club Cross Country Championships.<\/p>\n
OVERALL The Masters Women got things started at 8:15 AM, racing three loops of the 2 km course. Oregon\u2019s Carrie Dimoff bounced back after losing to Renee Metivier Team Red Lizard at the 2025\/26 USATF Cross Country Championships in Portland OR last month. Metivier led the field out again, with Dimoff tight on her. Dimoff made a move at the end of the first loop, opening up a 15-meter lead on Metivier. Dimoff added fifty meters to that lead on the next loop and pushed all the way to victory in 21:38. Metivier finished second at 22:07, one second ahead of her teammate, Alison Crocker, who closed strong. The Masters Men 60+ followed at 9:15AM over 4 loops. Dimoff earned her third consecutive Club Cross title. Minnesota\u2019s John Van Danacker set the pace through the first two loops. Only Paul Smith \u00a0was able to hang on. Van Danacker continued to press on the third loop ; he was rewarded with a 50-meter lead on Smith. Van Danacker won in 29:51. New Jersey\u2019s Brian Crowley came on strong over the last two loop to edge Smith by a single second to gain the silver medal at 30:07. The Men\u2019s 40+ 10 Km race closed off the Masters competitions. Malcolm Richards roared down the opening hill. Phillip Reid closed on Richards and the two battled for two loops. Richards kept the pedal down on the third loop and Reid had to give way. Richards won in 32:07, with Reid second in 32:29. Joseph Reynolds took third at 33:09. Richards is two for two in Tallahassee; he won the Club XC Championship here in 2023.<\/p>\n
AGE GRADING The age grade performance level percentage PLP identifies the athletes with the best performance, adjusted for age. WOMEN Nora Cary, 70, the 2024 USATF Masters Athlete of the Year, topped the list; her 27:56 over 6K earned a 90.0PLP. Suzanne La Burt, 62, ran 25:31 for 88.2 and 2nd place. Kitty Musante. 69, nailed the bronze medal at 85.9 from her 28:51. MEN 60+ Kevin Ostenberg, 65, topped this list at 89.0% from his 30:19 over 8K. He was followed by the race winner, Van Danacker, 63, at 88.7. Gary Ostwald, 79, ran 37:00 for 88.2. MEN 40+ Emmet Hogan, 56, enjoyed the top PLP, 89.1 from his 35:08 over 10K. Jaime Heilpern, 55, finished 2nd at 87.4 from 35:29, followed by the race winner, Richards, at 87.3%.<\/p>\n
AGE DIVISION The overall winners, Dimoff, Van Danacker, and Richards take the W40, the M60 and the M40 division titles, respectively. The Age Grading podiums provide the W60, and W70 division winners, La Burt and Cary; the M75 winner, Ostwald; and Hogan for M55.<\/p>\n
Other national champions included: W45 Jill Braley 22:48 W50 Sraa Girotto 24:29 W55\u00a0 Hilary Cairns 25:25 W65 Lesley Hinz 28:39 W75 Jeanette Groesz 32:32 W85 Joyce Hodges-Hite no time recorded. M70 John Barbour 34:17 M80 Gary Patton 42:45 M85 Roland Cormier 1:02:23; M45 Edward Baker 33:34 M50 Greg Mitchell 34:47.<\/p>\n
TEAMS Three clubs won two team championships each, Shore AC (W60+, M70+); Team Red Lizard (W40+, W70+); and West Valley TC (M40+, M50+). W40 + Team Red Lizard 1-2-6 = 9 points – 1st place; Checkers AC 26; Battle Road TC 36. W50+ Cal Coast TC 2-4-11 =17pts – 1st place; HOKA Aggies 19; Garden State TC 22. W60+ Shore AC 1-2-4 = 7 \u2013 1st place. W70+ Team Red Lizard 1-2-5 = 8 pts – 1st pl; Atlanta Team A 13; \u00a0Atlanta Team B 29. M40+ West Valley TC 1-3-7-8-11 = 30 pts \u2013 1st place; Tracksmith Boston Hares 48; Indiana Elite AC 134. M50+ West Valley TC 3-4-5-6-11 = 29 pts \u2013 1st pl; Atlanta TC 79; Boulder RR 107. M60+ Twin Cities RC 1-6-16 = 23 pts \u2013 1st pl; Montgomery County RR 26; Atlanta TC 42. M70+ Shore AC 2-4-7 = 13 pts \u2013 1st pl; Boulder RR 24; Genesee Valley Harriers 44. M80+ Boulder RR 1-2-7 = 10 pts \u2013 1st pl; Shore AC 19; Greater Philadelphia TC 23.<\/p>\n