F75-79: Jeannie Rice Runs Away With It at The People's Marathon

• Jeannie Rice won the F75-79 field in 3:39:38 (8:23/mi) — nearly 29 minutes clear of 2nd place.
• Kerry Gruson ran a strong second in 4:08:57, posting the 1,675th-fastest women's split on the 35K–40K segment — a late-race surge that secured her runner-up finish.
• The F75-79 field sent 13 finishers across the line on a cold, humid morning in Arlington, ranging from 3:39 to 7:30.
• Barbara Winer (Gloucester, MA) closed it out in 13th at 7:30:19, completing the field at 17:11/mi on a challenging day.

Jeannie Rice of Concord Township, OH, didn't just win the F75-79 field — she lapped it. Her 3:39:38 finish at 8:23/mi was nearly a half-hour faster than anyone else in the group, and her first-half split ranked 561st among all women in the race — a remarkable measure of pace for any age bracket, let alone one for athletes 75 and older. She ran the opening half with authority, and while her position among the women's field drifted in the back half (moving from around 560th to 711th among women as the miles accumulated), that's the nature of a deep field catching up late — her clock never lied.

Kerry Gruson (Miami Beach, FL) was the clear runner-up, finishing in 4:08:57 at 9:30/mi. What made her race notable was a strong 35K–40K segment — her best split of the day relative to the women's field — suggesting she managed her effort well and found another gear when many runners are fading. She crossed 2nd in 4:08:57, a full 29 minutes and 19 seconds behind Rice but a comfortable margin ahead of the rest of the field.

DonaVee Cote (Estero, FL) took 3rd in 5:27:20, with her best relative segment coming between 25K and 30K. Jane Holler (Milford, CT) followed in 4th at 5:42:10, her strongest relative split coming in the 21K–25K stretch. Marie Elaine Dove (Orange City, FL) rounded out the top five in 5:51:41. From there, Ginny Pezzula (6th, 6:01:28) through Barbara Winer (13th, 7:30:19) spread across the back half of the day, every one of them finishing The People's Marathon — no prize money, no shortcuts, just 26.2 miles past the monuments.