The final results for the USATF-NJ Paul Miller Grand Prix are in—and wow, what a year. I showed improvement across every category.
(2025 finish / 2024 finish / point difference)
Overall: 12th OA; 1st 55–59 AG* — 5,154 pts / 21st OA; 4th AG; 4,969 pts (+195)
Mini 1 Category: 4th OA; 1st AG — 4,684 pts / 7th OA; 1st AG*; 4,289 pts (+395)
Mini 2 Category: 4th OA; 2nd AG — 3,590 pts / 5th OA (*3rd); 1st AG; 3,457 pts (+133)
Mini 3 Category: 4th OA; 1st AG — 2,117 pts / 7th OA; 2nd AG; 2,094 pts (+23)
In the XC Series, this was my first year completing the full requirements, finishing 8th Overall and 2nd in my Age Group*.
A quick note on how the Grand Prix awards work: if you place in either the Overall (OA) or Age Group (AG) standings, you receive the higher award. Last year, since I wasn’t in contention for an OA award, I received 1st AG in Mini 1 and 3rd OA in Mini 2. I also missed qualifying for an award in Mini 3 by one race. This year, Mini 3 ended the same way—one race short—but finishing 1st AG made it sting a lot less. () denotes an award earned.*
Overall, I’m incredibly proud and happy with how this year turned out. All the long miles, the hot and cold nights, and the busy stretches with three or more races finally paid off. In just six years since my return to the sport, I’ve come a long way—and I’ve proven to myself that even in my mid-50s, I can still accomplish more than I ever thought possible.
Huge thanks to everyone who pushed me, coached me, supported me, and put up with all my posts along the way. It was challenging—but fun as hell. Best of all, every running and racing goal I set for this year has been fulfilled.
A full race recap will be posted later.