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Writer's pictureJames Diamond

Top Teams Shine at Hidden Gem

Updated: Nov 13

Since the last team update, there have been three Circuit Races: Alpine Races 10 Mile, the Hidden Gem Half Marathon, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, with two scored so far. Alpine 10 was a smaller race with the favorites in each category securing additional victories. Alpine was less a race of surprises and more a race where giants got bigger. This recap will primarily focus on the Hidden Gem Half Marathon in the All Around and Open Categories.

 

As a two time winner of the Circuit Race of the Year, The Hidden Gem Half Marathon was promised to be a show-stopper, and the hype did not disappoint. DWRunning faced serious challenges across each of the three Division I categories, emerging victorious in two of the encounters, but once again falling to Nameless Track Club in the Open Women’s Category. For DW’s open women, a defeat at Hidden is frustrating, as it could force them to extend their season past the Chicago Marathon in order to guarantee a team victory.




 

 

All Around Standings:

(Combined Gender, Age Graded Scoring, Top 5 Score Per Team)

Hidden Gem Results

Season Standings

1. DWRunning- 865

1. DWRunning-117

2. Evanston Running Club- 831

2. Evanston Running Club- 116

3. Nameless Track Club- 824

3. Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team- 104


Hidden Gem was a critical race for DW, as they’ve been in Evanston’s shadow for much of the season. Evanston has benefited from a consistent showing from their elite age-group runners. DW on the other hand has relied primarily on their elite women selectively targeting specific races throughout the season.

 

Both teams still have a path to a perfect 120 score, and the selective racing strategy has proven effective before, as this was the same playbook DW used to secure their title in 2023.  Additionally, Chicago Marathon results may see DW widen their lead. Many of DW’s masters team finished very high in their age groups, which bodes well for age grading. Additionally, some of Evanston’s top runners opted out of the Chicago Marathon race for other marathon majors or to focus on the shorter races at the end of the season. The hiccup in this scenario would be Nameless, who is out of trophy contention, but has the potential to play spoiler and prevent DW from collecting that much needed point.

 

Regardless of the outcome, Evanston’s 2024 season has been electric. Last year they finished 3rd place with 116 points. With 4 races left to score, they’ve already matched last year’s point total and have created a substantial 12 point lead on Fast Track… all the more impressive considering this year’s Circuit expansion added 4 teams to the Division I competition.

 

Fast Track and CARA Racing Team are the only two teams left with a realistic chance of a trophy. CARA trails Fast Track by 3 points.

 

Open Men Standings:

(Top 5 Men Score Per Team)

Hidden Gem Results

Season Standings

1. DWRunning- 1:11:11

1. Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team- 111

2. Naperville Running Company Track Club- 1:15:47

2. DWRunning- 110

3. Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team- 1:16:15

3. CARA Racing Team- 105


DW’s win at Hidden Gem created a massive shake up in this division, as the team conversation has abruptly shifted from the neck and neck battle between CARA Racing Team and Fast Track to DW and Fast Track. The big question will be whether Fast Track can hold off another DW late charge. If you’re Fast Track, you’re probably feeling pretty confident in the team’s ability to hold the line. In the past 13 seasons, Fast Track has won the open men’s category 12 times.

 

While Fast Track’s 3rd place finish wasn’t enough to score any points at the Gem, their 2nd place finish at Alpine Races added 3 critical points to their total. They fell to DW by a tight margin for the 10 mile race, 57:48 to 58:46. However, Fast Track's impressive depth was able to hold off Naperville Running Company, who saw Dan O’Keefe and Nick Licari finish 1-2.

 

While DW has added 10 points in the past two races, it’s Fast Track entering the late season in a position of strength. Fast Track has their home cross country meet to look forward to in November, and second place finishes are enough to continue growing their points position. Additionally, DW needs to be concerned about spoilers - a particularly strong performance from Naperville Running Company or Fleet Feet would derail DW’s charge without upsetting Fast Track’s position on top of the standings.

 

Speaking of Naperville Running Company, they have made dramatic improvements over the past two races, adding 11 points to their team score, moving them into 5th place, only 10 points behind CARA in 3rd. Although in 5th place, Naperville still has a score cap of 117, thanks to victories at Chicago 13.1 and Shamrock Shuffle. If the team can put together a strong back half of the season, they could leapfrog Evanston and challenge CARA for a trophy spot.

 

Open Women Standings:

(Top 5 Women Score Per Team)

Hidden Gem Results

Season Standings

1. Nameless Track Club-1:21:07

1. DWRunning-117

2. DWRunning- 1:22:49

2. CARA Racing Team- 110

3. Fleet Feet X New Balance Racing Team- 1:29:25

T-3. Fleet Feet X New Balance Racing Team- 100

Oak Park Runners Club- 100

 

The women’s competition continues to play out with some of the most interesting team dynamics as DW, Fleet Feet, and Nameless’s top women continue to go blow for blow, while CARA Racing Team continues its consistent team performances that have solidified its top 3 spot.

 

At the Gem, Fleet Feet’s Claire Krummenacher won the women’s race with a 1:16:40, followed closely by DW’s Brittney Matteson in 1:17:19 and Rachel DaDamino from Nameless at 1:18:07. The battle came down to each team’s depth, which Nameless handled in style keeping their entire top 5 under 1:24:00. Although Nameless is out of the battle for a team championship, victory at the Gem was a key milestone. They are now only one victory away from catching their rivals of Windrunners and Naperville Running Company in 7th and 8th place, respectively. They also have potential to continue to play spoiler in the division, denying teams like CARA, Oak Park, and Fleet Feet from scoring critical points needed to move up the standings.

 

The important news to watch in this category will be the battle for 3rd place. DW’s position atop the leaderboard is dominant. Meanwhile, CARA has a large point lead on 3rd place and has a strong mix of consistent scoring and top-5 talent. Oak Park has held their 3rd place position all season, while Fleet Feet has made a later season surge, moving up from 5th to 3rd in the past 2 races

 

Final Thoughts:

While the season may be coming to an end, the competition remains hot. With only 4 races left, no teams have clinched the title, and multiple teams are still clamoring for a top 3 finish. Additionally, excitement remains as teams like Nameless, Windrunners, and Naperville who are mostly outside of the conversation for the team standings have shown their ability to shine and play spoilers to category favorites.

 

Preview:

Pumpkin Chase has been scored, and the first Circuit Championship has been secured! Stay tuned to learn more!



Important Links:

Join a team, follow the schedule, and check standings at cararuns.org/circuit

 

Support the Circuit, get discounts, earn individual points: become a CARA Member.

 


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