M16-18: Emil Lev-Twombly Claims the Age Group in 16:32

• Emil Lev-Twombly won the M16-18 group in 16:32 (5:20/mi), climbing from 10th to 7th among men over the course of the race.
• Aidan Bender finished 2nd in 18:43 — a gap of 2:11 back — but posted the 3rd-fastest final-mile split among the men, closing hard where it counted.
• Evan Podwalny rounded out the podium in 20:29, with a 1:46 gap back to Bender — and also closed well, posting the 25th-fastest final-mile split among the men.
• Eleven athletes finished, spanning a range from 16:32 to 1:02:48 across the M16-18 field.

Emil Lev-Twombly ran this one clean and fast. The 18-year-old from Carmichael crossed in 16:32 at a 5:20/mi clip, steadily picking off competitors throughout — moving from 10th among men at the first checkpoint all the way to 7th by the finish. He also posted the 6th-fastest final-mile split among the men, meaning he wasn't just coasting to a win; he was still moving through the field late. It's worth noting that Lev-Twombly ran 16:29 here at Barks & Brews in 2025, finishing 4th among men — so this year's victory on essentially the same course represents a meaningful step up in result, even if the time was nearly identical.

Aidan Bender was the story of the back half. The 17-year-old from Sacramento started conservatively — sitting 22nd among men after the first mile — and slipped further back through mile two, reaching 32nd. But he turned it on when it mattered most, producing the 3rd-fastest final-mile split among the men to climb back to 30th and finish 2nd in the age group in 18:43. Evan Podwalny completed the podium in 20:29, also closing with the 25th-fastest final-mile split among the men, finishing 3rd in the age group.

Alexander Pope (4th, 26:54) and Coen Mendoza (5th, 28:28) were separated by 1:34, with Brody Miller just 19 seconds further back in 6th at 28:47. Wills Crouch (7th, 36:03) and Junior Rios (8th, 36:41) ran together through much of the race. William Nichols (9th, 45:41) and Spenser Nichols (10th, 45:52) finished just 11 seconds apart — a tight battle of their own at the back of the pack. Johnny Nari (11th, 1:02:48) rounded out the M16-18 field.