Trail running speedster Caroline Boller breaks the masters record and wins the women’s USATF 50K National Championship title. Jared Burdick Blasts by Zach Ornelas with 2 miles to go and secures the men’s championship at Caumsett.
Lloyd Harbor, NY – March 6, 2016 – Both men and women’s leaders, from the start, were intent on breaking records. Caroline Boller, 41, of Slovang, CA was successful, while last year’s winner and course record holder, Zach Ornelas, 24, of Ann Arbor, MI was not.
Boller was unchallenged in her bid to win the female national title, clocking 3:22:50, snatching the 40-44 American Record held by Mary Coordt since 2001, of 3:28:30 and also recording a masters victory in the process.
Caroline, a British citizen who became a U.S. citizen this past July, said, “The reason I came to this race was to win and break the masters American Record.” She followed through with her plan, outdistancing second place finisher Laura Kline, 38, New Paltz, NY and 3rd place finisher Julie Kheyfets, 27 of Boston, MA in 3:40:17 and 4:02:49, respectfully.
While Caroline’s plan was successful, Zach’s was not. With 2 miles to go he lost the lead after fading in the final 5k lap and falling off CR pace on the undulating Caumsett Park course. Plagued by hamstring issues at mile 26, he gallantly pushed on although slowing.
With just 2 miles to go, Jared Burdick, 29, of Fayetteville, NY seized the opportunity to pass a walking Ornelas and with just one mile to the finish, C Fred Joslyn, 32, Mount Holly Springs, PA went by the struggling CR holder.
Both runners passing the leader, who had been on course record pace, ran sub-three, with Burdick clocking 2:57:50 and Joslyn 2:59:31, while Ornelas managed to hold onto third place, make the podium and clock a 3:02:08 before crashing to the ground at the line.
This year’s top Masters male finisher and 8th place overall, was Boyd Carrington, 43, Amityville, NY in 3:16:31
Attempting to break a Masters 50-54 record was Jean Pommier, 52, Cupertino, CA, who was 7th overall in ’15 and was the 2nd overall Master this year. A valiant effort to lower the recent record of Rich Hanna’s 3:17:44, set just 3 weeks ago, saw Jean, suffering from dehydration, with blurred vision, miss the 50-54 mark by 18 seconds and again finish in the top 10.
Complete results can be found at www.justfinish.net.
Also a drone recorded some footage and can be found here on Youtube.
Story by Roy Pirrung, USATF Championship Liaison. Photos by Greater Long Island Running Club. The Caumsett 50K is organized by ATRA corporate member Greater Long Island Running Club.
