F65-69: Misiaszek Wins on Home Turf in Utica

• Michele Misiaszek, 69, Marcy, NY — took the F65-69 title in 1:28:29 (9:30/mi), the fastest of 35 finishers.
• Deborah Miller (Buffalo, NY) was runner-up in 1:29:44, just 1:15 back — the closest battle on the podium.
• Karen Kryder (Rochester, NY) rounded out the podium in 1:32:52, posting the strongest 5K→10K split among the top three (1,342nd-fastest among women on that segment).
• The field spread from 1:28:29 to beyond 1:54:22 across the 20 listed finishers, with 15 more completing the 35-woman group.

Michele Misiaszek of nearby Marcy, NY — at 69 years old, the oldest athlete on the podium — ran the most complete race in the F65-69 field. She crossed in 1:28:29 at a 9:30/mi clip and backed it up with the strongest second-half charge in the group, her gender rank climbing from 1,238th at the midpoint all the way to 1,134th by the finish. That closing move, the 1,011th-fastest women's second-half split in the entire field, is what sealed the win.

Deborah Miller of Buffalo gave Misiaszek the only real pressure, finishing in 1:29:44 — just 75 seconds behind. Miller was remarkably steady through the first 10K, barely moving in the women's standings (1,376th to 1,360th), then turned on the jets over the final stretch with the 1,092nd-fastest 10K-to-finish split among women. That late push was a genuine catch-up bid; she simply ran out of course. Karen Kryder of Rochester held third in 1:32:52, her best segment coming in the middle stretch — the 1,342nd-fastest 5K→10K split among women — though she faded slightly in the women's rankings over the final leg.

Maureen Carson (Dobbs Ferry, NY, 1:34:02) and Sherry Gilbert (Dexter, NY, 1:36:34) rounded out the top five, each running in the 10:05–10:22/mi range. Behind them, a tightly packed cluster from Dee Vogt (1:38:37) through Sue Tucker (1:39:00) and Cathy Rudick (1:39:54) kept the race competitive well into the middle of the standings. All 35 finishers completed the 15K on a clear, humid July morning in Utica — a full and competitive showing for the F65-69 field.