Cleveland Marathon 5K — F50-54: Westerman Takes the Win in a Tight Race at the Front

• Heather Westerman (Murrysville, PA) won the F50-54 age group in 25:06 (8:05/mi), finishing 22 seconds clear of the field.
• Leah Kilbane and Judy Gron both clocked 25:28 (8:12/mi) — Kilbane edged Gron for 2nd by the slimmest of margins, with the clock showing the same time but the finish order telling a different story.
• A gap of over 2 minutes separated 3rd-place Gron (25:28) from 4th-place Tina Vanderpol (27:44), making the podium a world apart from the rest.
• 55 women finished in the F50-54 age group, with times ranging from Westerman's 25:06 down to the back of the field — a spread that reflects the full range of effort on a warm, windy Cleveland morning.

Heather Westerman came to Cleveland and left with the F50-54 title, running a composed 8:05/mi pace through 67-degree heat and 15 mph winds to finish in 25:06. The Murrysville, PA runner had 22 seconds in hand at the line — not a runaway, but a clear, controlled victory earned over 3.1 miles.

Behind her, the race for 2nd was as close as it gets without a dead heat. Leah Kilbane of Avon, OH and Judy Gron of Medina, OH both stopped the clock at 25:28 and an 8:12/mi average — but Kilbane crossed the line just ahead, claiming 2nd while Gron settled for 3rd. Same displayed time, different finish. That's how tight it was.

Fourth place went to Tina Vanderpol of Abbotsford, BC, who ran 27:44 (8:56/mi) — a full 2:16 behind Gron. That gap effectively sealed the podium as its own contest. Parthenia Croskey was 5th in 29:06 (9:22/mi), and Heidi Bender of Erie, PA rounded out the top six in 30:25 (9:47/mi). Beyond the podium, 55 women completed the course in conditions that asked plenty — humidity pushing 83% and a stiff lake breeze — making every finish worth the effort.