F80-99: Tamerra Buckhanan Owns the Age Group

• Sole finisher and champion: Tamerra Buckhanan, 80, of Flossmoor, IL, crossed in 2:49:53 — the only woman in the F80-99 age group.
• Consistent closer: Buckhanan gained 332 spots among women in the final stretch, moving from 4,206th to 3,874th by the 15K mark.
• Strong finish: She posted a 3,510th-fastest split among women from 15K to the finish, capping her race with a surge through the field.

Tamerra Buckhanan stepped to the line in Chicago as the only entrant in the F80-99 age group — and she made every step count. Running 13.1 miles through a crisp 60°F morning with a 10 mph wind at her back (and sometimes in her face), the Flossmoor native posted a 2:49:53 finish at a 12:58-per-mile average. At 80 years old, simply finishing a half marathon is a statement. Running it with measurable momentum is something else entirely.

The numbers tell a story of a steady, purposeful race that grew stronger as it went on. Buckhanan was climbing through the women's field from the very first checkpoint — moving from 4,206th to 4,186th, then 4,168th, then 4,029th, and finally 3,874th by 15K. That's 332 women passed across the course. And she didn't stop there — her split from 15K to the finish was the 3,510th-fastest among all women in the race, a genuine gear-change when many runners were fading.

There's no podium battle to narrate here, no rivals to chase down — but Buckhanan's race stands on its own terms. She ran every mile of Chicago's streets at 80 years old, finished with purpose, and closed harder than she started. That's the whole story, and it's a good one.