M40-49: Crew dominates as eight men tackle the American River 25

• Benjamin Crew (44, Granite Bay) won the M40-49 group in 4:09:17 (9:58/mi), posting the fastest Last Gasp→Finish split among the men.
• Runner-up Shawn Olsen finished in 4:43:52 — a gap of 34:35 back, with the 4th-fastest Granite Bay→Rattlesnake Bar split among the men.
• Robert Au and Paul Au crossed in 6:46:18 and 6:46:20 respectively — just two seconds apart at 6th and 7th.
• Israel Jaimes rounded out the eight-man M40-49 field in 7:18:59 (17:34/mi).

Benjamin Crew was in control from the gun. Holding 2nd among the men throughout every checkpoint, he ran a composed 9:58/mi across 25 miles in Auburn's warm, clear conditions — 73°F by race day — and saved his sharpest work for last, posting the fastest Last Gasp→Finish split in the men's field. His winning time of 4:09:17 left no doubt in the M40-49 group.

Shawn Olsen was the clear second-best story, running a steady race of his own. The Truckee native sat 4th among the men at every checkpoint and backed it up with the 4th-fastest Granite Bay→Rattlesnake Bar split in the field, finishing in 4:43:52 — a solid 11:21/mi on a day that tested everyone's heat management.

Harry Higgins (48, Mountain View) slipped from 11th among the men at the midpoint to 15th by the finish, crossing 3rd in M40-49 in 5:45:19. Brian Bain and Joe Reyna traded positions through the back half — Reyna moved up from 26th to 25th among the men on the final stretch with the 16th-fastest Last Gasp→Finish split in the field, but Bain held him off to take 4th in M40-49 at 6:09:20 to Reyna's 6:24:24.

The finish line drama belonged to the Au duo: Robert Au (6:46:18) and Paul Au (6:46:20) — both of Sacramento — separated by a mere two seconds after more than six and a half hours of racing. Israel Jaimes closed out the M40-49 field in 7:18:59, completing all eight finishers on a warm April afternoon along the American River.