F40-44 Ascent: Bruce Dominates, Closing Fast at Tahoe

• Stephanie Bruce won the F40-44 field in 47:55 (13:17/mi), finishing 3rd among all women on the day.
• The gap from 1st to 2nd was 13:12 — Bruce was in a class of her own in this field.
• Bruce posted the 5th-fastest women's split on the KT 22→Finish segment, closing the race with real punch.
• All three F40-44 finishers held their positions through the final segment, with no position changes in the closing stretch.

Stephanie Bruce didn't just win the F40-44 field — she made a statement. Her 47:55 finish placed her 3rd among all women in the Ascent, running a 13:17/mi average across a course that climbs from 6,257 to 8,845 feet. That kind of high-altitude effort, sustained at pace, is no small thing — and Bruce backed it up on the closing segment, recording the 5th-fastest women's split from KT 22 to the finish. She didn't just hold on; she was still moving through the field at the end. It's worth noting that Bruce also raced to 9th among women in a separate Broken Arrow Ascent race, making her presence across this event more than a footnote.

Rachael Cuellar of Albuquerque crossed in 2nd in the F40-44 field at 1:01:07 (16:56/mi), holding 29th among women through the finish. She ran the 29th-fastest women's split on the KT 22→Finish segment — consistent to the end, surrendering no ground in the closing miles. Nicole Lemanski of Latham, NY rounded out the three-woman field in 1:31:49 (25:26/mi), finishing 31st among women and recording the 31st-fastest women's closing split — steady throughout, completing a demanding mountain course at elevation.

Three finishers, three very different finishing times, and one clear standout. Bruce's 13:12 margin over Cuellar tells the story of this field plainly — this was a race for second place once Bruce got moving, and her strong closing split confirmed she never let up. For Cuellar and Lemanski, finishing an ascent that tops out near 8,845 feet on a 70°F day is its own achievement, and both held their places without fading in the final stretch.