M70-99: Bryan Henry Wins a 25-Mile Battle of Septuagenarians

• Bryan Henry, 76, took the M70-99 title in 6:25:37 (15:26/mi), finishing more than 37 minutes clear of the only other finisher in the age group.
• Lionel St Pierre, 74, crossed in 7:02:47 (16:55/mi) to claim 2nd — and notably closed the race with the 23rd-fastest Last Gasp→Finish split among all women in the field, a strong push to the line.
• Henry posted the 25th-fastest Rattlesnake Bar→Last Gasp split among the women's field, holding his own against a far younger cohort through that mid-race stretch.

Two men in their mid-seventies lined up for 25 miles of Auburn trail on a warm, clear April afternoon — 73°F with the sun out and only a whisper of wind — and both of them finished. That alone is worth the headline. Bryan Henry, 76 years old and based in Angwin, CA, led wire to wire in the M70-99 group, covering the course at a 15:26/mi average to stop the clock at 6:25:37. Over six and a half hours of moving through the American River canyon, and he never relinquished the top spot.

The margin between them — 37 minutes and 10 seconds — tells you these two ran very different races. Lionel St Pierre of Orangevale held a steady, patient rhythm at 16:55/mi and clocked 7:02:47, but what stands out is what he did in the final stretch. His Last Gasp→Finish split ranked 23rd among all women in the field — meaning when it mattered most, St Pierre was churning out a genuinely competitive pace regardless of age. At 74, finishing a 25-miler with that kind of closing effort is no small thing.

Henry, meanwhile, showed his own speed credentials in the middle miles. His Rattlesnake Bar→Last Gasp split ranked 25th among the women's field — a mid-race segment where many runners begin to feel the heat and the accumulated climb. That he was moving at a pace competitive with a much broader field through that section speaks to how well he managed his effort across the day. In a two-man age group, every place is the whole story — and Henry owned it from start to finish.