M35-39: Senbeta Stands Alone

• Solo winner: James Senbeta was the only M35-39 finisher, crossing in 22:36 at a 3:38/mi average pace.
• Men's field presence: Senbeta held 2nd among men from the opening checkpoint through the finish.
• Strong middle segment: He posted the 2nd-fastest split among men on the 5K–8K stretch.

James Senbeta of Chicago made the M35-39 group his own on a warm Boston morning — 77°F with a 12 mph wind — running unchallenged to the only finish in his age group. His 22:36 at a 3:38/mi average is a genuinely rapid effort under those conditions, and it tells you this was no leisurely jog to a solo podium.

What makes Senbeta's run more than a formality is where he sat in the broader men's field: 2nd among men from start to finish, never wavering from that position through every checkpoint. And on the 5K–8K segment — the heart of the race — he posted the 2nd-fastest split among all men in the field, a sign that he was pushing hard even with the age-group result long since decided.

With no one to chase him in M35-39, Senbeta raced the clock and the broader men's field instead, and by both measures he delivered. One finisher, one winner, and a performance that earned its place near the top of the men's standings on its own merits.