M55-59 at Shamrock Marathon: Geiger Pulls Clear for a 3:14 Win

• Bob Geiger won the M55-59 group in 3:14:39 (7:25/mi), finishing 6 minutes ahead of runner-up Kevin Chance.
• Chance (3:20:40) and Dietmar Serbee (3:22:14) completed the podium, separated by just 94 seconds for 2nd and 3rd.
• The 4th–6th spots were decided by a mere 66 seconds — Dan Kelleher (3:25:32), Neal Leibowitz (3:25:38), and Lon Chang (3:26:22) ran nearly identical races to the line.
• 61 men finished in the M55-59 age group on a warm, breezy Virginia Beach day — 71°F, 17 mph winds, and 73% humidity made every minute earned.

Bob Geiger's 7:25/mi average was the class of the M55-59 field from start to finish. His moves tell the story: he entered the men's field around 167th place at the first checkpoint and steadily climbed, reaching 106th by 35K before a slight settle in the final stretch. The gap he built was real — six full minutes over Chance — and no one came close to threatening it in the back half.

Behind Geiger, Kevin Chance ran a controlled race, moving from 178th in the men's field at 5K all the way up to 131st by 35K, where he locked in and held. Dietmar Serbee was similarly steady, hovering in a tight band throughout and finishing 94 seconds back of Chance for 3rd. Neither could bridge to Geiger, but both ran disciplined efforts in difficult conditions.

The real drama in this age group played out between 4th and 6th place. Kelleher, Leibowitz, and Chang covered 26.2 miles and emerged separated by just 66 seconds — roughly one second per mile of racing. Leibowitz was notably aggressive early, surging from 189th in the men's field all the way to 155th by 10K, but couldn't sustain the gap over Kelleher, who moved more gradually and finished six seconds ahead. Chang, at 57 the oldest of the three, was right on their heels at 3:26:22.

The conditions — warm temperatures, stiff wind off the coast, and thick humidity — put a premium on pacing discipline, and the M55-59 group largely delivered. Geiger's 3:14 stands as a strong win on a tough day.