Shamrock Half Marathon M75-79: Steiner Runs Clear in Virginia Beach Heat

• Skip Steiner won the M75-79 age group in 2:29:33 (11:24/mi), finishing 18 minutes ahead of runner-up William Gaw, Jr.
• The top four were all age 77, with 3rd and 4th separated by just 34 seconds — Bill Smith (3:03:49) edging David Evans (3:04:23).
• Bruce Gladstone was the strongest finisher in the group, climbing from 5th to a solid 5th with the best 20K-to-finish split among those tracked late in the race.
• Nine men aged 75–78 finished a half marathon in 71°F heat, 17 mph wind, and 73% humidity — conditions that made every minute earned.

Skip Steiner, 77, from Lusby, MD, was never seriously threatened. He entered the men's field in the 2,040s and steadily worked his way forward throughout, reaching the 2,040s at the start and climbing into the 1,830s by the finish — a consistent, disciplined progression across every segment. His 11:24/mi average was the class of the M75-79 field and left William Gaw, Jr. of Bellbrook, OH in a distant second at 2:47:31 (12:47/mi). That's an 18-minute gap, which in a half marathon is a statement.

The real drama in this age group played out behind Gaw. Bill Smith (Liberty, MO) and David Evans (Greenbush, VA) — both running just over 14:00/mi — finished within 34 seconds of each other after 13.1 miles in difficult coastal conditions. Smith held on for 3rd in 3:03:49; Evans crossed in 3:04:23 for 4th. Bruce Gladstone of Westfield, NJ rounded out the top five in 3:06:11, and notably posted the strongest 20K-to-finish split among the tracked athletes in the group — suggesting he found another gear when others were grinding through the wind.

Timothy Dull, the lone local in the field from Virginia Beach, finished 6th in 3:13:53. George White (Williamsburg, VA), Neal Ammerman (Crozet, VA), and John Ramirez (Centreville, VA) completed the nine-man field, with Ramirez, the youngest at 75, finishing last in 3:29:24 — just 39 seconds behind Ammerman. Nine men, none younger than 75, all finishing a half marathon in March heat. That's the real headline.