Boilermaker 5K F65-69: Roth Takes the Win in a Sharp Battle at the Front

• Cynthia Roth (Utica, NY) wins in 28:39 at a 9:13/mi pace, claiming the F65-69 title on home turf.
• Just 13 seconds separate 1st from 2nd — Roth over Ann Marie Lewicki's 28:52 — the closest battle on the podium.
• Places 3 through 5 finish within 8 seconds of each other: Meeker (30:33), Haggart (30:39), Maxey (30:41).
• 53 women completed the F65-69 race on a humid July morning in Utica.

Cynthia Roth, running in her hometown, set the pace that mattered most — crossing in 28:39 at 9:13/mi to claim the F65-69 title. Right on her heels was Ann Marie Lewicki of Hartwick, NY, who finished in 28:52 at 9:17/mi. Thirteen seconds is a slim margin over 3.1 miles, and Lewicki made Roth earn every bit of it. Those two were in a class of their own at the front, pulling clear of the rest of the field.

Behind them, the race for the podium was genuinely gripping. Amy Meeker (Newton Highlands, MA) secured 3rd in 30:33, but Susan Haggart (Rome, NY) and Merle Maxey (Verona Beach, NY) were right there — 30:39 and 30:41, respectively. Six seconds covered 3rd through 5th place, with Paula Balch (Clinton, NY) not far behind in 6th at 30:59 and Debbie Brockway (New Hartford, NY) 7th at 31:07. That mid-pack cluster made for one of the more competitive stretches in the field.

The 87% humidity on race morning added a layer of difficulty that made every sub-30-minute and sub-31-minute finish all the more impressive. Stacey Farrell (Utica, NY) was 8th in 32:37, followed closely by Barbara Getty (Old Forge, NY) in 9th at 32:43. Cathy Verginio (Cicero, NY) rounded out the top ten in 33:18. With 53 finishers in the F65-69 field and 33 more beyond the top 20, this was a deep and determined group that showed exactly what racing in your mid-to-late 60s looks like when you mean business.