HONOLULU, Hawaii - Lois Ann Gilmore of Janesville, Wis., one of the most successful and prolific age-graded masters distance runners in history and a survivor of two life-threatening illnesses, on Thursday was named USA Track & Field's Masters Athlete of the Year. The announcement was made by the Masters Long Distance Running and Track & Field Committees at USATF's Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

Gilmore, 77, has run 54 road races to date this year, at distances from 5 km to 15 km. Her accomplishments have included an American record time of 26:01 for 5 km, which has been the distance at which she has found the most success.