November 2. 2024, Boulder, Colorado: The Shore AC women's 50+ team brims with confidence before the start of the USATF Women's Masters 5K Cross Country Championships. Left to right: Laura DeLea, Alysia Puma, Ali Marzulla, Christie Nie and Susan Stirrat.
Shore AC Results for the 2024 USATF Masters National 5K XC Race in Boulder, CO
Race date: November 2, 2024 Race results here from Runners Roost Race Services.
Race web site here.
SHORE AC TEAM RESULTS:
50+ Women:
2. 24 SHORE ATHLETIC CLUB A W50+ 1:10:41 (23:34)
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1 6 Christie Nie 51 Princeton, NJ 22:42
2 8 Laura DeLea 59 Allamuchy-Hackettstown, NJ 23:36
3 10 Alexandra Marzulla 53 Holmdel, NJ 24:24
4 14 Alysia Puma 52 Flemington, NJ 25:05
5 18 Susan Stirrat 69 Denville, NJ 28:27
2. 14 SHORE ATHLETIC CLUB A M70+ 1:11:04 (23:42)
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1 1 James Linn 72 Hurleysville, PA 22:39
2 2 Reno Stirrat 70 Denville, NJ 22:46
3 11 Ken Wilson 72 Rumson, NJ 25:41
x. xx SHORE ATHLETIC CLUB A M50+ x:xx:xx (xx:xx) -- incomplete team
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x xx Henry Notaro 62 Northfield, NJ 19:54
x xx Nolan McCarty 56 Princeton, NJ 23:36
x xx Scott Linnell 68 Colts Neck, NJ 24:13
x xx Christopher Rinaldi 55 Berkeley Heights, NJ 28:33
Race web site here.
SHORE AC TEAM RESULTS:
50+ Women:
2. 24 SHORE ATHLETIC CLUB A W50+ 1:10:41 (23:34)
=======================================================
1 6 Christie Nie 51 Princeton, NJ 22:42
2 8 Laura DeLea 59 Allamuchy-Hackettstown, NJ 23:36
3 10 Alexandra Marzulla 53 Holmdel, NJ 24:24
4 14 Alysia Puma 52 Flemington, NJ 25:05
5 18 Susan Stirrat 69 Denville, NJ 28:27
2. 14 SHORE ATHLETIC CLUB A M70+ 1:11:04 (23:42)
=======================================================
1 1 James Linn 72 Hurleysville, PA 22:39
2 2 Reno Stirrat 70 Denville, NJ 22:46
3 11 Ken Wilson 72 Rumson, NJ 25:41
x. xx SHORE ATHLETIC CLUB A M50+ x:xx:xx (xx:xx) -- incomplete team
=======================================================
x xx Henry Notaro 62 Northfield, NJ 19:54
x xx Nolan McCarty 56 Princeton, NJ 23:36
x xx Scott Linnell 68 Colts Neck, NJ 24:13
x xx Christopher Rinaldi 55 Berkeley Heights, NJ 28:33
November 2, 2024, Boulder, CO: Big things await the Shore AC's men's 70+ team as they bond at the starting line. Left to right: Jim Linn, Reno Stirrat and Ken Wilson.
November 2, 2024, Boulder, CO: For the want of one more man, Shore Athletic Club lost an opportunity to enter a men's 50+ (or 40+) team at the USATF Masters National 5K Cross Country Championships. These dedicated voyagers made the trip to Colorado anyway. Left to right: Scott Linnell, Henry Notaro, Nolan McCarty and Chris Rinaldi.
Shore AC Surprises in USATF Masters GP Finale at Boulder 5K XC Meet
Twentieth century comedian Jackie Gleason coined the phrase, "How sweet it is!" Shore AC athletes exclaimed the same after their unexpected success in the USATF Masters National 5K Cross Country Championships in Boulder, Colorado. Projected by this team captain to finish fourth and third, respectively, our women's 50+ and men's 70+ teams exceeded expectations. Both achieved second place. Let's say it again: "How sweet it is!"
The team battle in the women's 50+ category might have been the closest in USATF Masters LDR history. A mere 5 points separated the first-place and last-place squads. What drama! Athletics Boulder struck first. Their superb 1-2 "Kristine" punch in Kristine Clark (21:13) and Kristine Leader (22:09), who earned the 1 and 4 scoring positions, staked them to an early lead. Two other foes, namely Boulder and Fort Collins, each featured a top-notch lead runner -- Nicole Howley: 21:25 and Cheryl Aley: 22:05 -- who grabbed the 2 and 3 scoring slots. Impala then entered the fray, lighting up the scoreboard with Samantha Forde (22:26) and Alexandra Newman (23:28) as the number 5 and 7 scorers. But where was Shore AC? Our quintet's scoring drought finally ended when ace Christie Nie, competing in her first national race, crossed the finish line in 22:42 to earn the number 6 spot. But how could we overcome the scoring advantages already accrued by the other four teams?
The answer: pack running! Simply put, our Shore AC women's 50+ team won the "middle of the pack" battle in the trenches. Laura DeLea set the example, overcoming her distaste for cross country with a spectacular 23:36 performance. It earned her the number 8 slot in the scoring list. After Fort Collins claimed the number 9 spot, Ali Marzulla roared down the homestretch in 24:24 to secure the number 10 position. Shore AC was thus the first team to complete team scoring, netting 24 points. Fort Collins became the next team to finish scoring. Interestingly, they too tallied 24 points, based on their 3-9-12 placements. With Shore AC and Fort Collins tied, the USATF Masters LDR tie-breaking rule needed to be applied. It awards the advantage to the team whose final scorer fared better. That was Ali. Hence, Shore AC won the tie breaker! But it still wasn't clear where Shore AC would place -- or even if they would make the podium.
Boulder's 50+ ladies' troupe completed their team scoring next, nabbing the 11 and 13 slots. However, their 26 total points placed them behind Shore AC and Fort Collins. Two teams, namely Athletics Boulder and Impala, still had not completed their scoring. This is when Shore AC's depth came into play. Although our fourth and fifth runners would not factor into our team's score, they could act as displacers, adding points to competitors' scores. Thus, when Alysia Puma sped over the timing strip in 25:05 and nailed the 14 position, every woman that followed her would suffer an additional point. So it was that Impala's final scorer picked up 15 points rather than 14. Impala's resulting composite score of 27 (5-7-15) left them behind Boulder and off the podium. Remarkably, Athletics Boulder still hadn't completed their team scoring. That condition finally changed when their third runner reached the finish line as scorer number 17 in 25:58. Nevertheless, Athletics Boulder won. Recall the 1-2 "Kristine" punch. With a scorecard of 1-4-17, their total team score of 22 placed Athletics Boulder atop the podium as gold medal winners. But that also meant Shore AC struck silver!
Meanwhile, back on the course, action continued. Reigning 65-69 USATF Masters National Grand Prix champion Susan Stirrat brought the crowd to its feet when she kicked the final stretch and posted a splendid 28:27. Brava, Susan! And brava to all five Shore AC ladies! Additional congratulations to Christie and Laura for placing third in their 50-54 and 55-59 age groups, respectively.
The team battle in the women's 50+ category might have been the closest in USATF Masters LDR history. A mere 5 points separated the first-place and last-place squads. What drama! Athletics Boulder struck first. Their superb 1-2 "Kristine" punch in Kristine Clark (21:13) and Kristine Leader (22:09), who earned the 1 and 4 scoring positions, staked them to an early lead. Two other foes, namely Boulder and Fort Collins, each featured a top-notch lead runner -- Nicole Howley: 21:25 and Cheryl Aley: 22:05 -- who grabbed the 2 and 3 scoring slots. Impala then entered the fray, lighting up the scoreboard with Samantha Forde (22:26) and Alexandra Newman (23:28) as the number 5 and 7 scorers. But where was Shore AC? Our quintet's scoring drought finally ended when ace Christie Nie, competing in her first national race, crossed the finish line in 22:42 to earn the number 6 spot. But how could we overcome the scoring advantages already accrued by the other four teams?
The answer: pack running! Simply put, our Shore AC women's 50+ team won the "middle of the pack" battle in the trenches. Laura DeLea set the example, overcoming her distaste for cross country with a spectacular 23:36 performance. It earned her the number 8 slot in the scoring list. After Fort Collins claimed the number 9 spot, Ali Marzulla roared down the homestretch in 24:24 to secure the number 10 position. Shore AC was thus the first team to complete team scoring, netting 24 points. Fort Collins became the next team to finish scoring. Interestingly, they too tallied 24 points, based on their 3-9-12 placements. With Shore AC and Fort Collins tied, the USATF Masters LDR tie-breaking rule needed to be applied. It awards the advantage to the team whose final scorer fared better. That was Ali. Hence, Shore AC won the tie breaker! But it still wasn't clear where Shore AC would place -- or even if they would make the podium.
Boulder's 50+ ladies' troupe completed their team scoring next, nabbing the 11 and 13 slots. However, their 26 total points placed them behind Shore AC and Fort Collins. Two teams, namely Athletics Boulder and Impala, still had not completed their scoring. This is when Shore AC's depth came into play. Although our fourth and fifth runners would not factor into our team's score, they could act as displacers, adding points to competitors' scores. Thus, when Alysia Puma sped over the timing strip in 25:05 and nailed the 14 position, every woman that followed her would suffer an additional point. So it was that Impala's final scorer picked up 15 points rather than 14. Impala's resulting composite score of 27 (5-7-15) left them behind Boulder and off the podium. Remarkably, Athletics Boulder still hadn't completed their team scoring. That condition finally changed when their third runner reached the finish line as scorer number 17 in 25:58. Nevertheless, Athletics Boulder won. Recall the 1-2 "Kristine" punch. With a scorecard of 1-4-17, their total team score of 22 placed Athletics Boulder atop the podium as gold medal winners. But that also meant Shore AC struck silver!
Meanwhile, back on the course, action continued. Reigning 65-69 USATF Masters National Grand Prix champion Susan Stirrat brought the crowd to its feet when she kicked the final stretch and posted a splendid 28:27. Brava, Susan! And brava to all five Shore AC ladies! Additional congratulations to Christie and Laura for placing third in their 50-54 and 55-59 age groups, respectively.
November 2, 2024, Boulder, Colorado: Smiles radiate from the silver-medalist Shore AC women's 50+ team as they recover by the finish line. Left to right: Laura DeLea, Alysia Puma, Susan Stirrat, Ali Marzulla and Christie Nie.
Action shots of Shore AC women by Ken Wilson et al
The day's drama was not limited to the masters women's race. Earlier in the morning, a startling development occurred in men's 70+ team tussle. This pundit had anticipated a hands-down coronation of juggernaut Boulder within the five-team 70+ field. After all, they had won every previous national race that they had entered in 2024. Moreover, this was Boulder's home course, at an altitude that teams from elsewhere might struggle to handle. To make matters worse, Shore AC's top two guns had issues. Jim Linn, the normally unanimous selection for 70-74 age group winner, had twisted his ankle and broken several toes bones during the preceding month. Reno Stirrat, though on a recent rebound, had run a marathon only 6 days prior. Surely, they stood no chance against Boulder's mighty steeds. The only suspense, I thought, would be whether Shore AC could conquer Atlanta and Boulder's B team for second place.
A funny thing happened on the way to the forum. Our Shore AC septuagenarians made it a game! (Unfortunately for spectators, the lack of age group bibs for the 5K XC event made it nigh impossible to follow the age group battles within the masters races.) Linn took the lead early among 70+ athletes and kept it to the end, tripping the clock in 22:39. Meanwhile, Stirrat began his campaign slightly behind Boulder's top dogs. He found his opportunity to attack while on a downhill in the second of the two loops and surged ahead of his flagging rivals. One of them counterattacked on the big hill a half-mile from the finish. Reno successfully parried away the challenge, though, and stormed across the finish line in 22:46 to nail down the number 2 score. What a way for our Shore AC graybeards to start: going 1-2 in team scoring! What a thrill for Shore AC fans!
However, those fans' hopes faded fast over the next half-minute as Boulder's top three harriers flew through the finish chute. In the blink of an eye, they seized the 3-4-5 scoring slots and established their team score of 12. For Shore AC to eclipse Boulder for first place, our third man Ken Wilson would need to place 8th or better. Ken certainly gave it his best shot! Being a triathlete, he navigated the figure-8 course and its myriad challenges (in particular, concrete sidewalk crossings, 90-degree turns on gravel and ankle-bending hillsides) with aplomb. Ken's 25:41 clocking was a marvelous accomplishment. However, ferocious competition from Atlanta, Ann Arbor and Boulder's B team pushed Ken down to the 11th scoring position. Yet even though we bowed to Boulder's A team, the team score of 14 that our Shore AC M70+ crew achieved secured second place by a wide margin over the other teams. Well done, men!!!
A funny thing happened on the way to the forum. Our Shore AC septuagenarians made it a game! (Unfortunately for spectators, the lack of age group bibs for the 5K XC event made it nigh impossible to follow the age group battles within the masters races.) Linn took the lead early among 70+ athletes and kept it to the end, tripping the clock in 22:39. Meanwhile, Stirrat began his campaign slightly behind Boulder's top dogs. He found his opportunity to attack while on a downhill in the second of the two loops and surged ahead of his flagging rivals. One of them counterattacked on the big hill a half-mile from the finish. Reno successfully parried away the challenge, though, and stormed across the finish line in 22:46 to nail down the number 2 score. What a way for our Shore AC graybeards to start: going 1-2 in team scoring! What a thrill for Shore AC fans!
However, those fans' hopes faded fast over the next half-minute as Boulder's top three harriers flew through the finish chute. In the blink of an eye, they seized the 3-4-5 scoring slots and established their team score of 12. For Shore AC to eclipse Boulder for first place, our third man Ken Wilson would need to place 8th or better. Ken certainly gave it his best shot! Being a triathlete, he navigated the figure-8 course and its myriad challenges (in particular, concrete sidewalk crossings, 90-degree turns on gravel and ankle-bending hillsides) with aplomb. Ken's 25:41 clocking was a marvelous accomplishment. However, ferocious competition from Atlanta, Ann Arbor and Boulder's B team pushed Ken down to the 11th scoring position. Yet even though we bowed to Boulder's A team, the team score of 14 that our Shore AC M70+ crew achieved secured second place by a wide margin over the other teams. Well done, men!!!
Action shots of Shore AC men by Christie Nie, Susan Stirrat et al
Shore AC was close to having a second men's team. If fate had handed us a fifth man, we would have entered a men's 40+ or 50+ team (for which the minimum is 5 runners). Sadly, no fifth man materialized. Our four stranded harriers raced anyway. Henry Notaro fashioned a scintillating sub-20-minute gem. His time of 19:54 earned Henry two bronze medals: one for third place in the 60-64 age group and the other for an age grading of 81.21%. Nolan McCarty registered a solid 23:36. Scott Linnell sliced 9 seconds off of his time on the same course from 2 years ago with a 24:13. Chris Rinaldi continued his valiant return from a catastrophic accident in clocking 28:33. Kudos to all four gentlemen for representing the Shore Athletic Club with honor despite the lack of a team.
November 2, 2024, Boulder, CO: With Coach Joe Compagni on site (serving as USATF Cross Country liaison), it's no wonder that our Shore AC women's 50+ team was inspired to do great things!
Individual Accomplishments
While it's noteworthy whenever a Shore Athletic Club athlete earns a platform on the podium in their 5-year age group, it's especially impressive when done a mile above sea level. So, sing from the mountaintops for these SAC harriers who placed among the top 3 in their age groups.
Next, whoop like cowboys for these Shore AC harriers who finished among the top ten in their 5-year age groups.
While it's noteworthy whenever a Shore Athletic Club athlete earns a platform on the podium in their 5-year age group, it's especially impressive when done a mile above sea level. So, sing from the mountaintops for these SAC harriers who placed among the top 3 in their age groups.
- Christie Nie 51 3rd F50-54 22:42 73.44%
- Laura DeLea 59 3rd F55-59 23:36 77.45%
- Henry Notaro 62 3rd M60-64 19:54 81.21%
- James Linn 72 1st M70-74 22:39 79.05%
- Reno Stirrat 70 2nd M70-74 22:46 76.63%
Next, whoop like cowboys for these Shore AC harriers who finished among the top ten in their 5-year age groups.
- Alexandra Marzulla 53 7th F50-54 24:24 69.89%
- Alysia Puma 52 9th F50-54 25:05 66.25%
- Nolan McCarty 56 10th M55-59 23:36 65.02%
- Scott Linnell 68 10th M65-69 24:13 70.45%
- Susan Stirrat 69 4th F65-59 28:27 73.06%
- Ken Wilson 72 10th M70-74 25:41 69.70%
November 1, 2024, Boulder, CO: A great race begins with a great team dinner the night before! Left to right: Ali Marzulla, Ken Wilson, Lisa Wilson, Laura DeLea, Reno Stirrat, Jim Linn, Scott Linnell, Chris Rinaldi, Nolan McCarty, Christie Nie, Alysia Puma and guests Paul Carlin and Aaron Pratt from the Ann Arbor Track Club.
There were even a couple of family members who ran in open races at this Colleen De Reuck Cross Country extravaganza. Scott Linnell's grandson, 3-year-old Mateo Baca of Golden, Colorado, ran in the kid's 10U 1K race, which was the first race of the day. Scott's daughter, Allison Baca, then ran in the USATF CO Open 5K race in between the USATF masters men's and women's races. Allison placed third in 17:46.
