Season Starter 5K Ignores Oldies But Goodies

It was on CARA's Runners Choice Circuit, but Sunday's Seven Bridges Season Starter 5K in Woodridge bunched all of the runners age 65 and older in one age group for each gender. How can this happen? I have no idea. When I mentioned it to a race official, the person told me CARA knew about it and apparently it wasn't a problem. As an "oldie in training," I find it quite offensive. How would you like to be 90-year-old Frank Waldeck and get listed 20th out of 21 in the men's 65-99 category? The guy is 90 and beat 44 people. As I have told him personally, we will have a 90-94 age group for him at the Community Bank of Elmhurst 4 on the 4th. Plenty of other men and women in their 80s were mixed in with runners in the 60s and 70s in the results. That's bad. I know CARA will get it right in its standings (with the exception of 90-94), but it shouldn't happen like this, especially in a Circuit race. As for the race itself, it was a hot, humid day with a fairly tough course. Mark Wehrman, 25, of Chicago, led the way with a very impressive 15:49.5 on a layout that included some fairly soft chopped limestone for portions of miles two and three and a couple of hills. Michael Cauley, 31, of Bloomingdale, was second in 16:07.3, and Christian Escareno, 24, of Chicago, was third in 16:24.9. The women's race also was won in an impressive time, considering the conditions, as Kristen Heckert, 25, of Lisle, triumphed in 17:46.1. Runner-up was Kristin Frey, 28, of Schaumburg, known for some impressive stairclimbing, in 19:22.1. Third was amazing Angelica Guerrero, 50, of Chicago, in 19:30.1. There were 423 finishers in the 5K. The accompanying 10-mile, run in equally oppressive heat, was won by Patrick Dorgall, 31, of Glen Ellyn, in 55:14.1, and Stephanie Wagner, 38, of Lombard, in 1:10:57.9.