Seven Pacific Association Masters runners were honored at the 2023 USATF Annual Meetimg
recently held in Orlando.
Josh Muxen (M45-49), Jamie Heilpern (M50-54), Jacob Nur (M65-69), Christine Kennedy (F65-69), and Robert Qualls (M70-74) were elected Road Runners of the Year in their respective divisions.
Tom Bernhard was voted into the Masters Hall of Fame
It was Masters Hall of Famer, Jenny Hitchings, however, who was the top Masters honoree.
Hitching’s 2023 was a year for the ages as she set Worlds Records in the Marathon
(the only road running distance that is recognized for world records) in two different divisions,
F55-59 and F60-64. At age 59 she ran 2:45:27 (102.99 AG) at the London Marathon on 4/23
to break the F55-59 WR/AR. In route, she also broke American records at 15K, 20K, 25K and 30K.
Then at the Chicago Marathon on 10/8, Jenny now 60, ran 2:49:43 (101.72 AG) to break the F60-64 WR/AR.
Her 15k, 20K, H Mar, 25K and 30K splits also broke American records. In between her two Marathons,
she also set a pending 10-Mile AR, 1:02:58, (99.69 AG) at the Buffalo Stampede and a pending H Mar AR,
which was later bettered in Chicago, at the Urban Cow Half. So, for those of you keeping score at home,
that’s 2 WRs and 12 pending ARs in about 7 months. For her efforts, Jenny was awarded RRoy F55-59, RRoY F60-64, Overall Female RRoY and Masters LDR Athlete of the Year.
For more information about the PA RRoY go here
For Tom Bernhard’s HOF resume go here