F80+ Boilermaker: Susan Gay Owns the Field

• Sole finisher and champion: Susan Gay, 83, Edmeston, NY — 2:02:41 (13:10/mi avg)
• Complete sweep: 1st place in the F80+ field, which had exactly one finisher
• Mid-race split: 3,554th-fastest women's split on the 5K→10K segment among all women

There's only one way to win the F80+ field at the Boilermaker 15K: show up and go the distance. Susan Gay, 83, from Edmeston, NY, did exactly that — and did it in 2:02:41 at 13:10 per mile through a humid Utica morning that saw 82% humidity even at a cool 64°F.

Gay's race unfolded steadily across the course. Her women's field position drifted slightly through the middle stretch — moving from 3,511th among women at the 5K to 3,531st at 10K and settling at 3,620th at the finish — a natural reflection of the field's varied pacing rather than any fade of her own. Her 5K-to-10K split ranked 3,554th among all women in the race, meaning she was moving through the course with a consistent rhythm.

At 83 years old, covering 15 kilometers through the streets of Utica is its own statement. Gay crossed the line as the only finisher in the F80+ field, claiming the top spot outright — and earning every bit of it.