Cleveland Marathon 5K — F65-69: Betty Erwin Edges Dawn Weeks in a Tight Battle at the Top

• Betty Erwin, 69, wins the F65-69 age group in 34:17 (11:02/mi), holding off Dawn Weeks by just 13 seconds.
• Dawn Weeks, 67, of Floyd, VA finishes 2nd in 34:30 — the margin between 1st and 2nd is smaller than many runners gain in a single stride.
• Annemarie Weisbarth rounds out the podium in 3rd with a 36:21, a full two minutes clear of the rest of the top three but nearly five minutes ahead of 4th place.
• 22 women finished in the F65-69 age group, with finish times ranging from 34:17 to well over an hour — a testament to the range of effort on a humid, windy Cleveland morning.

Betty Erwin, the oldest athlete on the F65-69 podium at 69, made the trip from Port Clinton, OH count. Her 11:02/mi average over the 5K was the sharpest pace in the age group, and she needed every second of it — Dawn Weeks of Floyd, VA was right on her heels at 11:06/mi, crossing in 34:30. Thirteen seconds separated them at the finish line. With 67°F temperatures, 83% humidity, and a 15 mph wind making conditions legitimately challenging, both women ran controlled, competitive races.

Annemarie Weisbarth of Middleburg Heights, OH secured 3rd in 36:21, pulling clear of the chasing pack by nearly five minutes. Behind her, Ethel Stowers (4th, 41:32) and Donna Hopkins (5th, 42:33) ran a separate battle of their own, separated by just over a minute. The gap between the podium and the rest of the field was significant — 6th through 20th place stretched across nearly 35 minutes of finish time, reflecting the wide range of paces that make a community 5K worth celebrating.

From Deborah Smiley (6th, 49:36) through Rosalie Gibson (20th, 1:09:10), these women navigated the same breezy, muggy Cleveland streets with the same finish line waiting. All 22 finishers in the F65-69 group earned their result on a day that didn't offer any favors.