M25-29: Dressel Dominates a Deep Field in Chicago Heat

• John Dressel won the M25-29 age group in 1:02:16 (4:45/mi), posting the fastest men's split on the 8K→10K segment and holding off a field of 359 finishers.
• Dominic Korir finished 2nd in 1:03:47 — just 91 seconds back — with the 3rd-fastest men's split on the 5K→8K stretch keeping him firmly in contention throughout.
• Daniel Soto claimed 3rd in 1:05:23, running 4:59/mi and logging the 4th-fastest men's split on the 8K→10K segment.
• The gap from 3rd to 4th was tight: Garret Lee finished 4th in 1:05:49, just 26 seconds behind Soto.

Seventy-four degrees, a 12 mph wind, and the sprawl of Chicago's streets made for a genuinely demanding morning, and John Dressel handled it better than anyone in the M25-29 age group. The 25-year-old from Concord, MI ran at 4:45/mi and was never truly threatened after mid-race, holding the men's lead from the 5K checkpoint onward. His strongest moment came on the 8K→10K segment, where he posted the fastest men's split of anyone in the field on that stretch — a decisive move that put the result beyond doubt.

Dominic Korir of Kericho was the clearest challenger. He sat 3rd among men at every checkpoint, never wavering from that position, and his 3rd-fastest men's split on the 5K→8K segment showed he had genuine speed in his legs. His 1:03:47 finish — a 4:52/mi effort — was a strong run in its own right; Dressel was simply better on the day. Daniel Soto (1:05:23) and Garret Lee (1:05:49) rounded out a tight podium chase, separated by just 26 seconds at the line.

Behind the top four, the M25-29 age group spread out across a wide range of finishing times. David O'Gara (5th, 1:08:02) and Tyler Smith (6th, 1:08:31) were the next cluster, while Connor Mora (7th, 1:09:00) was the last man under 1:10. The field of 359 finishers stretched well beyond the listed top 20, making Dressel's sub-1:03 effort all the more impressive against a genuinely large and competitive group.