As the Circuit enters its final third and only CARA members remain in Circuit standings, it’s a great time to recap the competition. With results calculated through Alpine Races 10 Mile, we’ll start here by looking at the overall competition. This is the best of the best and fastest of the fast in Chicagoland.
As a refresher, CARA members who complete 5 Circuit races earn the CARA Racing Award and are eligible for individual awards. A runner’s top 8 races are scored, but some may choose to run more than 8 so that their lowest performing scores are dropped.
Kristen Dailey charges up Cricket Hill en route to an individual victory. Photo credit: Brittney Burmester (cararuns.org/photos).
Overall Women (top 25 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Kristin Dailey | DWRunning | 166 | 7 |
2 | Brittany Matteson | DWRunning | 102 | 5 |
3 | Margaret Connelly | Unattached | 98 | 4 |
4 | Evance Stalley | CARA Racing Team | 94 | 8 |
5 | Julia Ordzowialy | DWRunning | 81 | 4 |
6 | Claire Krummenacher | Fleet Feet Racing Team X New Balance | 80 | 4 |
7 | Samantha Greenwood | DWRunning | 73 | 5 |
7 | Lauren Zumbach | DWRunning | 73 | 4 |
9 | Brittney Burmester | CARA Racing Team | 64 | 3 |
10 | Christy Kennedy | Unattached | 63 | 5 |
As of 9/6/24
The Overall Women category reached a peak at PUMA’s Chi-Town Miles, where 14 of the top 16 runners were at the race. While 3 supported CARA by working/volunteering, the other 11 toed the line in the Circuit’s fastest race, where some points were determined by hundredths of a second. The competition was so tight that Circuit leader Kristin Dailey (1st Overall), who previously finished no worse than second, settled for 8th place in 5:10.20. Her DWRunning teammate Brittany Matteson (2nd) outleaned her at the finish line for 5:09.98. This was the first time this season that Matteson, the 2022 CARA Runner of the Year, has bested Dailey. Dailey has been on fire with 4 outright wins and has amassed 166 points through only 7 races. With one more victory, she’ll have the highest recent overall points, eclipsing Olympic Trials Qualifier Jane Bareikis’s 190 points in 2018.
While second place Matteson can reclaim the Runner of the Year title over Dailey through race selection and maximizing her score, a bigger threat is Margaret Connelly (3rd). Connelly topped Dailey four times this year, and her only non-outright victory was a blistering 4:59.37 3rd place finish at Chi-Town Miles. Assuming Dailey runs more race, Connelly will have to run all 4 remaining Circuit races to snatch the title.
While Dailey, Matteson, and Connelly are top 3 favorites, keep your eye out for a few podium chasers. 2023 CARA Masters Runner of the Year Evance Stalley (4th) learned last year that more races often means more points. While she has completed 8 races for the CARA Racing Team already, she has two non-scoring races and can quickly jump up to 2nd in her next two events by dropping those non-scores. DW’s Julia Ordzowialy (5th), Samantha Greenwood (T-7th), and Lauren Zumbach (T-7th) all have shown that they can finish top 5 in a race and should not be discounted. Meanwhile, Claire Krummenacher (6th) of Fleet Feet has bested each of these podium chasers this year and could claim one of the top spots for herself.
Overall Men (top 25 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Daniel Lennington | Evanston Running Club | 91 | 6 |
2 | Sebastian Ramirez Wiener | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 90 | 9 |
3 | Jeremy Ruston | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 85 | 5 |
4 | Yoon Oh | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 84 | 7 |
5 | Matthew Jeromin | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 72 | 7 |
6 | Matthew Bevil | Unattached | 70 | 4 |
6 | John Craig | Unattached | 70 | 7 |
8 | John Barrett | CARA Racing Team | 66 | 6 |
8 | Aaron King | DWRunning | 66 | 3 |
10 | Dan Pettitt | CARA Racing Team | 65 | 6 |
As of 9/6/24
The men’s side of the standings has a similar story as the women. 13 of the top 15 men raced at PUMA’s Chi-Town Miles in a cutthroat battle for points. Chandler Gibbens stole the show with his record setting 3:59.62 and set a Cobra Kai tone of “No Mercy”, meaning the top Circuit regulars left the night with fewer overall points than they’re used to. Matthew Bevil (T-6th Overall) and DW’s Aaron King (T-8th) were the top Circuit runners finishing 7th in 4:22.05 and 8th in 4:22.77 respectively at Chi-Town. Circuit leader Daniel Lennington (1st Overall) eked out a 25th place at Chi-Town, denying Fast Track’s Yoon Oh (4th) that 1 precious Circuit point by 0.54 seconds. That one point is the reason Lennington’s not sharing the overall first position with Sebastian Ramirez Wiener (2nd) of Fast Track. Given how tight the top of the standings are on the men’s side, they’ll all likely have to complete more than 8 races to win the Circuit. 25 points or a first place finish is all that separates 8th from 1st place.
Between Evanston’s Lennington, Ramirez Wiener (2nd), and 2021 CARA Runner of the Year Jeremy Ruston (3rd), the lead has changed in each of the last 3 races. Ruston briefly moved into first overall with his 18th place finish (4:40.23) at Chi-Town, but Lennington retook the lead for the first time since Run for the Roses 5k with a 5th place finish at Alpine Races 10 Mile (56:13). He’s sitting in a good position with four top 5 finishes this year, and if he has four more it would be difficult to take the title from him.
While currently only 1 point behind Lennington, Ramirez Wiener has scored in 6 races topping out with a 7th place finish at Run for the Roses 5k (16:54). He’ll need some top 5 finishes if he wants to stay in the top 3, and that can be challenging at the very competitive Hidden Gem Half Marathon and Chicago Marathon. I would expect to see him going for it the last 3 races of the year.
Only 1 point apart in the standings, Ruston and Oh are 2-2 head-to-head with Oh taking the shortest and longest races (Chi-Town and Alpine Races) and Ruston claiming the 5ks (Run for the Roses and Race Against Hate). They each have 5 scoring races, so I expect their head-to-head finishes to continue to determine who will be higher in the rankings.
One of the youngest men to be inducted into CARA’s Hall of Fame, Fast Track’s Matthew Jeromin (5th) has Circuit experience on his side. He has three top 10 finishes this year and has been in the mix. He bested Ruston at Alpine Races and was 1 second behind Oh at Run for the Roses and 1 second ahead of Oh at Chi-Town.
Since the number of races is starting to dwindle, we’ll soon see if Bevil, John Craig (T-6th), CARA Racing Team’s John Barret (T-8th), King, or Dan Pettitt (10th) of CARA Racing Team make a run for the podium (pun intended). Bevil, Barrett, and King have all beaten Lennington this year and have 3 high scoring finishes. Any of these 6th-10th place competitors aren’t far enough out of reach from the top and may flip the standings, putting themselves on the podium if they can put several fall Circuit races into their legs.
Non-Binary/Genderqueer
Feel like you don’t fit into either of those categories? Don’t worry, you can still compete in the Circuit! Most race registration platforms offer a Non-Binary/Genderqueer option regarding gender and it will be scored as a Circuit category. If you’re a CARA member by the July 1st deadline, you will automatically be scored for the Circuit. If you don’t see your result, weren’t able to register in the way you identify, or have any other Circuit questions, please email circuit@cararuns.org.
More to Come
Keep an eye out for more updates to the individual standing. Age Graded and Clydesdale/Athena press releases will be posted October 1st.
Important Links:
Join a team, follow the schedule, and check standings at cararuns.org/circuit.
Support the Circuit, get discounts, earn individual points: become a CARA Member.
Join the Circuit Community on our Chicago Racing Circuit Facebook Group and Chicago Racing Circuit Strava Club.