Our 60+ men took 2nd place at this year’s NYC Marathon. We have locked up 1st place for the season, a glorious thing. And we did it without having a runner who dominated his age group. We had talent, depth and participation. Essentially, we ran a solid season, immovable in 1st place regardless of the outcome of the Ted Corbitt 15k. I have only one thing to say: Hallelujah!

Charles Parchment 3:26:52 / 73.32%

Alan Ruben 3:43:33 / 68.51%

Stuart Calderwood 3:51:56 / 65.4%

Yasuhiro Makoshi 3:57:19 / 67.82%

Dennis O’Donnell 4:00:49 / 64.22%

Gary Gosselin 4:08:54 / 63.38%

Rick Shaver 5:46:50 / 46.41%

This was Charles’ fastest NYC Marathon, besting 3:29:12 / 71.15% in 2017, good for 5th on CPTC’s M60-69 all time record for the marathon. He does his homework, he goes all in and he shows up for the races:

I kept in my head what you preach going too fast is not good I was feeling good might be the case the last 4 miles my feet was falling off but just hang tuff thanks hank good vibes and cool runnings 

This was Alan’s 31st NYC Marathon. His fastest was 2:32:17 in 1993 / 83.2%:

I ran really well through 20 heading for 3:33 but then had to nurse potential cramping in my right hamstring. Had to stop and walk it off two times and stop to get liquids at the water stations. But overall very pleased particularly how well I felt up 1st Avenue running very controlled and sub 8 minute pace.

The cortisone shot Wednesday probably helped! But the cramping late in the marathon has been an issue for me in my last few marathons, depriving me of finishing well and reliving my past glories (at a slower pace but similar effort).

Talk about suffering for your art. Alan times his training around the cortisone shot for the marathon. He is not the only one of our finishers to make enormous sacrifices to cross the finish line at Tavern on the Green each year.

Stuart’s fastest NYC Marathon was in 1992, 2:34:19 / 82.1%. This was his second marathon this autumn.

This was Yasuhiro’s 33rd NYC Marathon. His fastest was 2:56:48 / 83.3% in 2008.

Dennis, who ran the Yonkers Half after Staten Island, is a known promiscuous foot racer:

OK race for me, but I lost three + critical minute with (dare I say!) three ill-advised stops.

Also cramped up in the last mile and half.

It is what it is.

This is Gary’s 4th NYC Marathon. His fastest was 2015, 3:38:26 / 69.44%. 2:01:55 at the half, Gary ran negative splits.

Rick has now run 42nd consecutive NYC Marathons. One person has run more, merely one more than he. For Rick, it is a race of attrition:

The streak does stay alive. For three years now I’ve run the marathon on no specific marathon training. Cycling and spin classes plus my “long” run this time around was 6 miles. I’ve not worn any of my CPTC singlets these past few years since this is so embarrassing. I haven’t actually run the entire marathon; just 16 miles to see my friends when I get off the bridge then shuffling to the finish from there. 

I keep thinking that the guy with the record would stop one of these days, but I saw him on Friday, and he was excited. So it goes. 

Might be fun again if I could grow some cartilage in this right knee of mine.

The gift of finding oneself in a streak becomes the burden of weight on the shoulders. Wearing the mantle means taking it seriously. If you happen to be with Rick, buy him a drink.

The sum of Alan, Yasuhiro and Rick’s NYC Marathons is 106. How do you suppose it would feel getting hit with a sock full of 106 pennies?