Boilermaker 5K F75-79: Kristine Thorne Runs Away With It

• Kristine Thorne won in 31:39 (10:11/mi) — nearly four minutes clear of the field.
• Marie Pitarresi took 2nd in 35:29, with Marlene Davis (38:40) and Maggie Peterson (38:52) separated by just 12 seconds for 3rd and 4th.
• Ginny Gullo rounded out the top five in 39:50, while the final four finishers — Donna Clifford-Merriam (46:12), Susan Bader (46:15), Cari Dominguez (46:35), and Gail Sullivan (46:41) — all finished within 29 seconds of each other.
• Nine women aged 75–78 toed the line in 75°F heat and 90% humidity in Utica — and every one of them finished.

Kristine Thorne, 75, from Clifton Park, was in a race of her own. Her 31:39 finish at 10:11 per mile wasn't just a win — it was a dominant one, nearly four minutes ahead of 2nd place in conditions that would test anyone. On a humid July morning with the air thick enough to cut, that kind of margin is a statement.

Marie Pitarresi, also 75 and racing on home turf in New Hartford, claimed 2nd in 35:29. Behind her, the battle for the podium's final step was a genuine contest: Marlene Davis of Utica crossed in 38:40 at 12:27 per mile to take 3rd, with Maggie Peterson of Raquette Lake just 12 seconds back in 38:52. Ginny Gullo of Fairport, at 78 the eldest in the field, added 5th in 39:50 — a strong effort that kept her well clear of the back half of the pack.

The final four told their own story of grit. Donna Clifford-Merriam (46:12), Susan Bader (46:15), Cari Dominguez (46:35), and Gail Sullivan (46:41) were separated by just 29 seconds across 6th through 9th — a tight cluster of women who refused to let the humidity have the last word. Bader made the trip from Charlotte, NC; Dominguez from Gaithersburg, MD — proof that the Boilermaker draws competitors willing to travel, whatever the forecast.