Cleveland Marathon 5K — F45-49: Fisher Runs Away With It

• Kelly Fisher (age 48, Kent) won the F45-49 age group in 28:08 — a 9:03/mi pace that put nearly a minute of clear air between her and 2nd place.
• Allison Wukotich (age 45, Youngstown) claimed 2nd in 28:57, finishing 49 seconds back — the closest gap on the podium.
• Erin Hollenbank (age 47, Cleveland) rounded out the top three in 30:15, a full 1:18 behind Wukotich.
• Places 4 and 5 were separated by just 3 seconds — Lauren Brister (30:53) edging out Jessica Zeiser (30:56).

Kelly Fisher didn't leave much room for drama. The 48-year-old from Kent crossed in 28:08 — running 9:03 per mile through Cleveland's humid, breezy Sunday morning — and nobody in the F45-49 field came close to matching it. With 83% humidity and a 15 mph wind adding friction to every stride, that kind of pace was genuinely hard-earned.

Allison Wukotich gave chase and finished a solid 2nd in 28:57, making the gap to the winner 49 seconds over just 3.1 miles. That's a meaningful margin in a 5K. Erin Hollenbank from Cleveland completed the podium in 30:15, running 9:44/mi — a comfortable cushion ahead of the pack that followed.

The real drama in this age group came just outside the podium. Lauren Brister of Shaker Heights and Jessica Zeiser of Lakewood ran the final meters in near-lockstep, finishing 4th and 5th in 30:53 and 30:56 respectively — three seconds separating them after more than three miles. Meredith Black (31:26) and Jieun Kim (31:36) kept things competitive through the top seven, all finishing within about 90 seconds of each other.

Seventy-two women finished the F45-49 age group on a day that tested everyone — warm, damp, and windy by 5K standards. Fisher made it look manageable. The rest of the field earned every second.