Cleveland Marathon F65-69: Stemer Takes the Age Group in 4:38:23

• Anniebee Stemer won the F65-69 age group in 4:38:23 (10:37/mi), finishing more than 31 minutes clear of the field.
• Dawn Weeks ran a strong negative-split style race, climbing from 554th to 426th among women by the finish to claim 2nd in 5:09:25.
• Beth Sersig posted the 533rd-fastest women's split on the 5K–10K segment — the standout early split among this group.
• All four finishers completed 26.2 miles in 75°F heat and 68% humidity — no small feat at this age group.

Anniebee Stemer, 69, from Fort Lauderdale, controlled the F65-69 age group from start to finish, crossing in 4:38:23 at a steady 10:37 per mile. In warm, humid conditions — 75°F with the air thick at 68% humidity — that kind of composure is earned. Her gender ranking did fluctuate through the middle miles, dipping as low as 313th among women before she reeled back to 288th by the finish, a sign she managed her effort through the heat rather than chasing the clock.

Dawn Weeks told the most compelling tactical story in this group. Starting 554th among women, the Floyd, VA native ran progressively stronger as the race wore on, ultimately climbing all the way to 426th — a gain of 128 places in the women's field. Her 5:09:25 (11:48/mi) was good for 2nd in the age group, and the trajectory of her race suggests she had the late miles figured out better than most.

Beth Sersig, racing on home turf in Cleveland Heights, settled into 3rd place in 5:52:23. Her 13:26/mi pace reflected a measured approach, and her gender ranking drifted gradually through the race — from 488th at the early checkpoint to 573rd by the finish. Marie Bartoletti of Bethel Park, PA rounded out the four-woman field in 6:02:52, actually improving her women's ranking from 646th to 610th across the course of the day — a quiet, steady effort to the line. With just four athletes in the age group and the heat pressing down on Cleveland, finishing was its own statement.