Cleveland Marathon 10K — M75-79: Fien Leads a Full Local Podium

• Jeffrey Fien, 77, took the M75-79 title in 1:29:36, averaging 14:25 per mile across the 10K.
• Greg Cook, 79, was the eldest of the three and finished 2nd in 9:03 back — the oldest man on the podium.
• Ferris Williams, 75, rounded out the group in 1:50:27, 20:51 behind the winner.
• All three finishers hail from the east side of Cleveland — Mayfield, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland — making this an entirely local affair.

Three men in their late 70s toed the line in Cleveland on a humid, breezy Sunday — 67°F, 83% humidity, and a 15 mph wind that made every mile feel a little longer than advertised. Jeffrey Fien, 77, of Mayfield, handled the conditions best, crossing in 1:29:36 at a steady 14:25-per-mile clip to claim the M75-79 title outright.

Greg Cook, at 79 the oldest man in the group, finished 2nd in 1:38:39 — a 9:03 gap back to Fien, but a genuine achievement at his age in a race that asked something of everyone on the course. Ferris Williams, 75 and the youngest of the trio, came home 3rd in 1:50:27, nearly 21 minutes off the winning time.

What makes this podium worth noting beyond the times is the geography: Fien, Cook, and Williams are all east-side Clevelanders, separated by just a few miles of city streets in daily life and by 20:51 on the clock today. In a race this small — just three finishers in M75-79 — every man who starts and finishes deserves recognition, and all three delivered exactly that.