M70-74 at Boston 2025: Shin Leads a Deep Field from Hopkinton to Copley Square

• Heingchul Shin won the M70-74 age group in 3:19:10 (7:36/mi) — more than seven minutes clear of the field.
• David Parsons ran a strong negative-split charge, climbing from deep in the men's field to claim 2nd in 3:26:37 (7:53/mi).
• Jean Louis Tricoire (3:31:40) and Jian Guo Cui (3:32:01) battled to within 21 seconds of each other for 3rd and 4th, with Ockle Johnson just 20 seconds further back in 5th at 3:32:21.
• 228 runners finished in M70-74 on a crisp Patriots' Day — 50°F and a light breeze, about as good as Boston gets.

Heingchul Shin's 3:19:10 was the dominant performance of the day in M70-74. Running 7:36 per mile across 26.2 miles at age 70-plus on the demanding point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Copley Square is a serious statement, and the seven-minute cushion he built over Parsons tells you this was no photo finish at the top — it was a controlled, commanding run from start to line.

David Parsons told a different kind of story. His checkpoint progression showed a steady, methodical climb through the men's field — moving from well outside the top 10,000 men early on to finish 8,800th among all men by the tape, a clear sign he was reeling runners in throughout the second half. His 3:26:37 at 7:53/mi earned him 2nd in the age group by a convincing margin.

Behind Parsons, the race for 3rd through 5th was genuinely tight. Tricoire (3:31:40, 8:04/mi) held off Cui (3:32:01, 8:05/mi) by just 21 seconds after 26.2 miles, while Johnson (3:32:21, 8:06/mi) completed a three-man cluster separated by a mere 41 seconds total. Johnson's checkpoint data shows he was moving well late — his finish-leg split was notably strong — but Tricoire and Cui had just enough banked to hold their places.

John Woodnutt (6th, 3:34:03), Steven Plakas (7th, 3:35:36), and Anthony Glaser (8th, 3:35:54) kept the pressure on through the top ten, with Glaser and Plakas separated by just 18 seconds. Gary Gregg (10th, 3:38:51) and Skender Gashi (9th, 3:38:43) rounded out a top ten bunched within eight seconds of each other — proof that in a 228-runner M70-74 field at Boston, the competition doesn't let up.