Boilermaker 5K M75-79: Greg Karl Runs Away With It

• Greg Karl wins in 29:27 (9:29/mi), finishing more than 2:15 clear of runner-up John Boyle — a dominant margin in a field of 18.
• Boyle holds second at 31:42 (10:12/mi), with Francis Kattato (34:02) and Tony Mandour (34:26) separated by just 24 seconds in a tight battle for the final podium spot.
• Robert Neuland, 79, claims 5th in 35:17 — the oldest man in the field and still running sub-11:30 pace in 75°F heat and 90% humidity.
• Richard Reynolds and Tom Schafer both clocked 40:18, with Reynolds edging Schafer for 10th by the finest of margins.

Greg Karl made the M75-79 race look straightforward. The 77-year-old from Victor, NY crossed in 29:27 at a 9:29/mi clip — a pace that would be brisk in any conditions, let alone a muggy July morning in Utica with humidity sitting at 90%. No one in the field came close to threatening him; by the time Boyle crossed in 31:42, Karl had already been done for over two minutes.

Behind Boyle, the race for third was the day's most compelling subplot. Francis Kattato (34:02) and Tony Mandour (34:26) ran the back half of the field nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, with Kattato holding on for bronze by 24 seconds. Edward Peters (35:56) and Bill Doherty (36:39) filled out the top seven, Doherty making the trip from Villa Rica, GA, and Trey Evans traveling from Coldspring, TX to round out the top eight in 37:04 — a reminder of how far and wide this race draws competitors.

Mid-pack produced its own drama at the 10th-place mark, where Reynolds and Schafer were separated by something finer than a second despite both showing 40:18 on the clock. Frederick Potter (40:37), Kevin Fahy (41:49), and William Luley (42:00) followed in close succession. Tony Martin (44:54) and Norman Woodruff (45:38) kept the pressure on through the final stretch, with William Abel (46:43) and Jerry Nadiak (50:35) completing all 18 finishers — every one of them earning it on a thick, heavy morning.