Boilermaker 15K M70-74: Deming Dominates from the Gun

• Robert Deming, 70, wins in 1:10:23 (7:33/mi) — a 3:32 margin over runner-up Gig Elliott.
• Elliott (1:13:55) and Morgan (1:16:15) round out the podium, with Foster just 27 seconds further back at 1:16:42.
• Biggest mover of the race: Morgan climbed from deep in the field to 3rd, posting the fastest closing split (10K→Finish) among the top four.
• 87 men aged 70–74 finished on a humid Utica morning — 82% humidity at 64°F, conditions that made every 7:33/mi tick count.

Robert Deming of New Hartford, CT made his intentions clear early. His gender place moved steadily forward — from 977th at 5K to 896th at 10K to 819th at the finish — a clean, metronomic progression that reflects a runner who never wavered. At 7:33/mi across 9.3 miles in thick morning humidity, Deming's 1:10:23 stood 3 minutes and 32 seconds clear of the field. That is not a close race at the front; it is a controlled statement.

Behind him, the battle for the podium was more dramatic. Gig Elliott of Auburn ran a steady 7:56/mi but faded through the back half — his gender place slipped from 1,033rd at 5K to 1,119th by the finish, meaning runners were coming back at him late. James Morgan of Waterville was one of them. Morgan's gender place surged from 1,722nd at 5K all the way to 1,315th at the line, and his 10K-to-finish split was the strongest closing leg among the top four — a genuine catch-up that secured 3rd place in 1:16:15. James Foster of Chittenango ran a similar late charge (1,693rd to 1,361st) but finished just 27 seconds behind Morgan at 1:16:42, good for 4th.

William Spittler (1:18:36) and Brian Cummins (1:18:41) were virtually inseparable in 5th and 6th, separated by just five seconds after 9.3 miles. Lee Pollock (1:19:57), John Delaney (1:20:22), and Frank Combopiano (1:20:28) followed in a tight cluster to close out the top nine. Bill Williams (1:25:36) opened the next tier in 10th, with 67 more finishers completing the 87-man M70-74 field — every one of them covering a 15K on a muggy July morning in Utica.