M75-79: Don Grimes Wins It Going Away in Boston's Heat

• Don Grimes, 77, takes the M75-79 title in 1:09:38 (11:12/mi), finishing more than five minutes clear of the field.
• Gerald Porricelli, 78, claims second in 1:15:00 — a 5:22 gap back to Grimes, but a comfortable 3:49 cushion over third.
• Richard Neal, 79, edges Robert Gaudet, 75 for third — Neal's 1:18:49 versus Gaudet's 1:19:43, a 54-second margin between the two.
• Six men aged 75–79 finished the B.A.A. 10K on a warm, breezy Boston morning — 77°F with a 12 mph wind.

Don Grimes made his intentions clear early and never looked back. The 77-year-old from Lantana, TX crossed in 1:09:38 at an 11:12-per-mile clip — the fastest in the M75-79 group by a wide margin. His moves tell the story: he was rolling through the first half before fading slightly in the men's field through the back portion, but in his own age group, no one came close. Five minutes and twenty-two seconds is not a close race — it's a statement.

Gerald Porricelli of Lincoln, RI ran a notably different race. The 78-year-old actually gained ground in the men's field across the second half, moving from 2,173rd to 2,046th — one of the stronger finishing kicks among the six. His 1:15:00 was good enough for a comfortable second place, and he posted the second-fastest split in the M75-79 group on the back half of the course.

The battle for the final podium spot belonged to Richard Neal and Robert Gaudet. Neal, 79, from right up the road in Woburn, MA, held third in 1:18:49 (12:41/mi), while Gaudet, 75, of West Roxbury, MA finished just 54 seconds behind in 1:19:43 (12:50/mi). Gaudet was the group's strongest finisher on the 8K-to-finish segment, but couldn't quite close the gap. Tom Martin of Hamilton, MA rounded out the five-man pack in 1:27:22 (14:04/mi), with Cyrus Rhode of Spencer, TN completing all six finishers in 1:30:03 — a solid 14:30-per-mile effort to finish a 10K in those conditions at 78 years old.