Next in our series of Circuit standings recaps are the age graded categories. The age graded score identifies the runners, across all ages, who had the best running performance relative to their age and gender’s world record. The bigger the number, the better. An age group world record would score ~1,000. Unlike the Olympics races, where it just matters who crosses the line first and not how fast the time was, here every second counts. It’s more like a decathlon where each second could garner precious points, so even if you’re alone as you near the finish line, you can’t afford to take your foot off the gas.
Standings are calculated through the Alpine Races 10 Mile.
Age-Graded (top 25 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Nancy Rollins | Evanston Running Club | 175 | 7 |
2 | Aaron Barnhart | Evanston Running Club | 153 | 7 |
3 | Kristin Dailey | DWRunning | 150 | 7 |
4 | Angelica Guerrero | Fleet Feet Racing X New Balance | 146 | 10 |
5 | Trent Fifield | DWRunning | 135 | 7 |
6 | Daniel Lennington | Evanston Running Club | 128 | 6 |
7 | Grace Wasielewski | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 100 | 6 |
8 | Volker Rose | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 92 | 8 |
9 | Keith Holzmueller | Evanston Running Club | 87 | 8 |
10 | Jeremy Ruston | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 73 | 7 |
As of 9/6/24
No surprise to Circuit regulars, the leading racer in this category is Evanston’s Nancy Rollins (1st). Except for 2022, she has won this category every year going back to at least 2009. She continued her dominance this year, remaining undefeated through 7 races. Chandler Gibbens’ age graded score of 947.4 (3:59.6) at Chi-Town Miles is the highest score this year, but Rollins has the next 3 spots and 6 of the top 8. Her best performance so far was a 931.4 (25:03) at Run for the Roses 5k. If she finishes 4th or better in one more race this year, she will clinch the category. Let’s face it, she probably got it at Hidden Gem Half Marathon.
The contest for the next podium spots will be fun to watch. Also of Evanston Running Club, Aaron Barnhart (2nd) has a 3 point lead over DW’s Kristin Dailey (3rd). The runners both have 7 races under their belt and close potential maximum Circuit scores of 195 for Barnhart and 197 for Dailey.
Barnhart finished 7th in this category last year and has made the jump in standings this year with his win at Chicago 13.1 (848.4 score; 1:23:10) and 3rd place finish at Race Against Hate 5k (874.2 score; 18:00). His top score was an 883.4 performance (28:41) at Shamrock Shuffle 8k.
Dailey has exploded on the CARA scene this year and is a heavy favorite to win the women’s open category. If she takes that title, she could be the highest finishing overall runner of the year in the age graded category since 2009 runner of the year Dave Wilson also finished 3rd in the age graded category. Dailey finished 2nd or 3rd age graded for every race she competed in except for Chi-Town Miles. Her top scores of 891.7 (Run for the Roses 5k) and 890.6 (4 on the 4th) top Barnhart, so his hold on 2nd could be in trouble.
But neither of them is safe with 2023 Senior Runner of the Year Angelica Guerrero (4th) only 4 points behind a podium spot. Remember 2022, that one year Rollins didn’t win the age graded category? Yup, it was Guerrero who took the title! She has been nipping at Rollins’ heels and finished 2nd last year and also in 2017-2021. She also has the potential 2nd highest maximum Circuit score of 198 points this year and a couple better performances than Dailey with an 894.1 (34:32) at Shamrock Shuffle 8k and 893.5 (21:13) at Good Life Race 5k. She started the year strong with a win at Good Life Race 5k and two 2nd place finishes at Shamrock Shuffle 8k and CARA Lakefront 10 Miler.
The next couple runners, DW’s Trent Fifield (5th) and Evanston’s Daniel Lennington (6th), are probably the only other competitors that have a shot at 2nd or 3rd. It’s debatable who is more likely to move up in the standings. Lennington has an average place of 4.7 in the age graded category versus Fifield’s 6.7, but Fifield has a higher best age graded score of 892.2 (4:53.3 Chi-Town Miles) versus Lennington’s 877.6 (16:08 Good Life Race 5k). Their average age graded scores are comparable, with Fifield averaging 859.4 and Lennington with 861.4. Regardless, with Guerrero, Dailey, and Barnhart in front of them, it will be an uphill battle.
Clydesdale and Athena Categories
Clydesdale horses are large, sturdy, and built for power. Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare. In running, these categories give men (Clydesdales) and women (Athena) the opportunity to compete with others of a similar size. For the Circuit, the minimum weight for Clydesdales is 185 lbs. and 155 lbs. for Athena. These runners continue to shatter running stereotypes. Running is for everyone, and runners in this category train just as hard as anyone else. Clydesdale and Athena runners are ranked based on age graded scoring in the Circuit, so they too are not racing to pass as many runners as possible, but instead to have the best performance for their age/gender. The top 3 finishers earn points toward the CARA Hall of Fame in the Clydesdale/Athena category (5 points for 1st, 3 for 2nd, and 1 for 3rd). Once earning 30 points, a runner will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Athena A (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Kristin Bowen | Unattached | 90 | 6 |
As a new Circuit participant this year, Kristin Bowen wasted no time asserting her intention to compete. She ran her 5th race and earned her CARA Racing Award at Race Against Hate 5k in June. Her best performance so far this year was a 613 age graded score at Chi-Town Miles (7:12.09). Without any other category rivals, Kristin has clinched 1st place and her first Athena Hall of Fame points.
Athena B (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Marsha Komosa | Unattached | 118 | 8 |
2 | ‘Lovie Twine | Oak Park Runners Club | 88 | 6 |
3 | Grace Hussar | Unattached | 68 | 5 |
4 | Melissa Grandt | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing | 25 | 2 |
With four registrants this year, only one lady will be left off the podium. Defending champion 'Lovie Twine (2nd) of Oak Park Runners Club lamented the lack of competition last year. This year, she has a worthy rival in Marsha Komosa (1st). Komosa and Twine have a 2-2 record head-to-head, and their average age graded scores are 1.5 points apart (481.3 for Komosa and 482.8 for Twine). Their closest race this year was at Chi-Town Miles. Komosa scored a 497 (9:11.5), while Twine brought home a 501 (9:43.9). This tight difference is the equivalent of about 4.5 seconds. And here’s some extra math for you: in a 5k, Komosa needs to finish approximately 2:07 ahead of Twine to beat her in age graded scoring. It will vary depending on their chip times, but it is in range for her. At the Good Life Race 5k earlier this year, Komosa was 1:42 ahead. Komosa can clinch 1st place and a perfect score with two more wins, but don’t expect Twine to make it easy on her.
After all that excitement, there still is Grace Hussar (3rd) to keep an eye on. While she hasn’t beaten Twine or Komosa this year, she has 5 Circuit races completed and could sneak up a spot if she runs a total of 8 or more races and either of the other two stop at 6 or 7 races finished.
Rounding out the category, Fast Track’s Melissa Grandt (4th) is on the board with 2 races, but will need to log 3 more to get the CARA Racing Award. She’s mathematically eliminated from winning the category, but could challenge Hussar for 3rd place.
Clydesdale A (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Greg Smith | Unattached | 120 | 8 |
2 | Lynn Crim | CARA Run Crew | 114 | 9 |
Greg Smith and CARA Run Crew’s Lynn Crim have a lot of history in this category. Since 2016, they have been the only victors, each with 3 titles. 2024 belongs to Smith. He is the first runner of any Circuit category to win 8 races and clinch 1st place with a perfect score (120 points). Crim could not best him this year, garnering him many 2nd places in addition to a couple victories when Smith did not race.Their closest race was the Good Life Race 5k, where Smith recorded a 680 age graded score and Crim finished with 634. When the Circuit concludes in November, Smith will earn 5 more CARA Hall of Fame points for a total of 27. That means next year he can join Crim in the Hall with a 1st or 2nd place Clydesdale Circuit finish in 2025.
Clydesdale B (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | John Archer | CARA Run Crew | 102 | 7 |
1 | Shane Petrelli | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing | 102 | 7 |
3 | Muhammad Alansari | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing | 74 | 6 |
4 | Edward Donovan | 69 | 5 | |
5 | Peter Roberts | Evanston Running Club | 49 | 4 |
6 | Rob Warner | Unattached | 41 | 3 |
CARA Run Crew’s John Archer (T-1st) and Fast Track’s Shane Petrelli (T-1st) will battle this one out until the very last Circuit race. Archer opened his season with a victory at Shamrock Shuffle and Petrelli took 1st at the recent Alpine Races, but in between those events, they have had an identical race schedule. They are 3-3 during that span for an exciting competition. Their average age grades scores are only 4 points apart (637.1 for Archer and 641.0 for Petrelli), but a pattern has emerged. Archer has shown speed as his asset with victories at a couple 5ks and Chi-Town Miles. Petrelli, meanwhile, excels in longer races, winning CARA Lakefront 10, CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k, and Elmhurst 4 on the 4th. Unlike Komosa and Twine, Archer and Petrelli are only one year apart in age, meaning their age graded scores have a similar multiplier. With Petrelli being one year wiser, he has an approximate 10 second handicap on Archer in a 5k, meaning that Archer must beat him by at least 10 seconds to win via age graded scoring in a 5k. They both clinch at least 2nd place with a second place or better finish in any of the remaining races.
Petrelli’s Fast Track teammate Muhammad Alansari (3rd) has several 3rd and 4th place finishes this year, but will need to finish strong to hold off Edward Donovan (4th). Donovan has three 3rd place finishes, all just ahead of Alansari in 4th. He also has two wins, at Good Life 5k and uncontested at Chicago 13.1. Contenders Peter Roberts of Evanston Running Club (5th) and Rob Warner (6th) are still in the hunt for 3rd as well. Roberts beat Alansari once this year at 4 on the 4th, while Warner beat him at Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Neither, however, have bested Donovan.
Clydesdale C (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Points | Races |
1 | Leonard Donaire | 75 | 5 |
2 | David Dziagwa | 72 | 5 |
In a two-person contest, it will be a test of who can race through to the end of the season. Circuit newcomer Leonard Donaire (1st) has beaten defending champion David Dziagwa (2nd) in all their encounters this year (3), but he is not a lock. Dziagwa pushed through some injuries late in the season last year to finish 9 races and 2nd in this category, so he has shown the drive to max out his score. Donaire will need to match his race participation if he wants to win, although Donaire can clinch it with only 8 total races if he registers one more victory. His age graded score average of 391.0 is stronger than Dziagwa’s 325.4, so he’s got great potential and the ball’s in his court.
As a longtime Circuit and Clydesdale runner, this year Dziagwa clinched the highest Hall of Fame point total for any Clydesdale/Athena inductee when he crossed the finish line at Chi-Town Miles. He will earn at least 3 Hall of Fame points this year and will pass Marilee Summers (inducted 2005), whom he is currently tied with at the top of the Hall of Fame list.
More to Come
Keep an eye out for more updates to the individual standing. A recap on our popular age group categories will be posted October 8th.
Important Links:
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