Pacheck, Langerfeld, Boyce, Matthews claim Runner of the Year honors

 
Final standings

The 2021 USATF Niagara Runner of the Year series concluded on November 7 with the Niagara Cross Country Championships.

The series was comprised of five events this year with the top 15 runners at each event earning points in the Open and Masters divisions.  The winner at each race earns 25 points with the 15th place finisher earning 1 point.  In the masters division athletes earn points based on their age-graded performance score. 

The five races in the 2021 series were:

• 4 Mile Championships (July 25; Empire State Classic)
• Mountain Running Championships (August 7; Swain Mountain Race)
• 5 km Championships (September 3; Tom Donnelly Hall of Fame 5K)
• Half Marathon Trail Championships (September 26; Unlimited Breadsticks Trail Run)
• Cross Country Championships (November 7; Pete Glavin XC Series)

The division winners were Adam Pacheck (Open Men) of Ithaca; Donna Langerfeld (Masters Women) of Port Byron; Eric Boyce (Masters Men) of Bergen; and Elizabeth Matthews (Masters Women) of Pittsford.



Pacheck competed in all five of the series races accumulating 94 points to win by 37 points over Greg Selke. He won the 4 mile and Mountain Running championships and finished second at the Half Marathon Trail Championships. In those three races alone he scored 72 points.  This was his second time winning the Runner of the Year series.







The open women's division was much more competitive as Langerfeld won by just one point.  She scored a total of 51 points to edge out Amanda Dole and Jennifer Boerner Selig who each scored 50 points.  Langerfeld won the Mountain Running championships, finished fourth at the cross country championships and was seventh at the 5 km championships.








In the masters men's division Boyce scored 69 points to win by 28 points over John McMahon and Mike Nier who each scored 41 points.  Boyce won the Mountain Running and Half Marathon Trail titles earning 25 point at each race.  He also finished third at the 4 Mile championships.








Matthews won the masters women's title with 54 points with Amy Fakterowitz following just four points behind.  Martha Doody made it a tight three way battle as she finished third with 43 points.  Like Boyce, Matthews won the Mountain Running and Half Marathon Trail titles.  She also finished 12th at the Cross Country championships.