M45-49: Langsdorf Runs Away with It in Utica's Heat

• Ben Langsdorf, 20:25 (6:34/mi) — wins M45-49 by more than two minutes, one of the most dominant margins in the field.
• Tight podium chase: Jason Valenti (2nd, 22:30) and Tim Talbot (3rd, 23:04) were separated by just 34 seconds, with Jason Lewis (4th, 23:22) and Jason Pfendler (5th, 23:31) close behind.
• Three Jasons in the top five — Valenti, Lewis, and Pfendler all cracked 23:32 in M45-49.
• 114 finishers took on 84°F heat and humidity in Utica, making every sub-24:00 finish a genuine achievement.

Ben Langsdorf, 49, from nearby Clinton, NY, turned in a performance that simply wasn't in the same conversation as the rest of M45-49. His 20:25 — a 6:34/mi clip — was more than two minutes clear of second place. In 84°F heat with humidity sitting at 54%, that kind of sustained pace is a statement, not a stroll. Langsdorf took the win and made it look authoritative.

Behind him, the race for the podium was a proper contest. Jason Valenti of Whitesboro ran 22:30 at 7:15/mi to claim 2nd, while Tim Talbot of Oriskany Falls followed at 23:04 — a 34-second gap that reflects a real difference in pace over five kilometers. Jason Lewis (Edmond, OK) slotted in 4th at 23:22, just 18 seconds behind Talbot, and Jason Pfendler (Boonville) rounded out the top five at 23:31. Three men named Jason in the top five is a storyline that writes itself.

The next tier showed how competitive the M45-49 field was across 114 finishers. Ryan Nash (6th, 24:15), Brian Case (7th, 24:25), Cory Patterson (8th, 24:28), Aarron Herzog (9th, 24:33), and Brian Redmond (10th, 24:42) were all packed within 27 seconds of each other — a genuine cluster of runners pushing hard through the Utica heat. Douglas Rozsa (11th, 24:46) and Jayson Tillapaugh (12th, 24:53) kept that group honest to the finish.