Cleveland Marathon 5K — M45-49: Ryan Smith Runs Away With It

• Ryan Smith wins in 23:49 (7:40/mi), finishing 45 seconds clear of runner-up Joseph Kupresanin — a dominant margin in a 34-man field.
• The podium gap widens sharply: Kupresanin's 24:34 and Rolf's 26:20 leave nearly two minutes between 2nd and 3rd place.
• Reid Street and Rodger Poindexter finished 16th and 17th in identical displayed times of 38:04–38:05 — a one-second split after more than 38 minutes of racing.
• 34 men finished in the M45-49 age group, with times ranging from 23:49 to well past 41 minutes, reflecting a wide spread of pace and effort on a humid, breezy Cleveland morning.

Ryan Smith made this one look straightforward. Running 7:40 per mile through 67-degree heat and 15 mph winds with 83% humidity hanging over the course, the 45-year-old from Painesville Township crossed in 23:49 and was never seriously threatened. His 45-second cushion over Joseph Kupresanin (24:34) wasn't a photo finish — it was a statement.

Kupresanin, 48, from North Olmsted, held second place comfortably, but the real story behind him was how quickly the field stretched out. Matthew Rolf (Shaker Heights, 26:20) claimed third, but the 1:46 gap between him and Kupresanin signals that the podium was effectively settled early. From there, Osama Iwais (28:43) and Matthew Maudhuit (29:43) rounded out the top five, with the field spreading across a ten-minute range just within the top ten.

Mid-pack had its own drama. Reid Street and Rodger Poindexter, both 47, raced each other to the wire — Street in 38:04, Poindexter in 38:05. One second after nearly four miles of racing in thick humidity. That's the kind of finish that makes a 5K worth running.

At the back of the listed field, three men — Sungtae Hong (41:33), Bill Wilson (41:30), and Kyu Hyun Lee (41:48) — were separated by just 18 seconds, a reminder that close racing wasn't limited to the front. With 14 more finishers beyond the top 20, the M45-49 group turned out a full, competitive morning on the shores of Lake Erie.