F75-79: Delma Bartelme Owns the Age Group

• Solo champion: Bartelme was the only finisher in the F75-79 group, crossing in 2:30:47 at an 11:30/mi average.
• Steady climber: She moved from 3,454th among women at the opening checkpoint all the way to 2,978th by the last split before the final stretch — gaining 476 places in the women's field across the race.
• Strong finish: Her 15K-to-finish split ranked 2,644th among women, a sign she kept her foot on the gas when others were fading.

Delma Bartelme showed up, toed the line, and got it done — and in the F75-79 age group, she was the only one who did. On a pleasant Chicago morning, 60°F with a light breeze and clear skies, she covered 13.1 miles at a steady 11:30 per mile to clock 2:30:47 and claim the age group title outright.

What makes Bartelme's run worth noting isn't just the finish — it's how she ran it. From the first checkpoint to the last, she was consistently moving through the women's field, climbing from 3,454th to 2,978th among women by the time she hit the final segment. That's a net gain of 476 places, meaning she was passing runners throughout, not hanging on.

The closing stretch told the same story. Her 15K-to-finish split ranked 2,644th among women — she didn't fade when the miles got long. At 75 years old, running a half marathon in downtown Chicago and finishing stronger than she started is the whole story.