M55-59 at CIM 2018: DeGrado Runs Away With It

• Timothy DeGrado, 58, wins M55-59 in 2:47:19 (6:23/mi) — a 2:30 margin over runner-up Mark Murray's 2:49:52.
• Carey Nelson and Antonio Arreola were separated by just six seconds — 2:54:41 vs. 2:54:47 — for 3rd and 4th in a field of 345.
• The top 10 all broke 3:01:42, with Iain Campbell (9th, 3:00:10) and Jim Harvey (10th, 3:01:42) capping a remarkably deep podium chase.
• Glenn Mangold (5th, 2:56:17) posted one of the strongest closing kicks, logging one of the faster 40K-to-finish splits among the top finishers.

Timothy DeGrado came to Sacramento and made it look almost comfortable. The 58-year-old from Rochester, MN ran 2:47:19 at 6:23 per mile — a pace that would be impressive at any age — and his moves through the men's field tell a story of controlled aggression. He climbed steadily from 386th among men at the opening checkpoint all the way to 361st by the 35K mark, holding firm through the final miles. His nearest challenger, Mark Murray (56), ran a disciplined 2:49:52 but could never close the gap, finishing 2:33 back in 2nd place.

The battle for 3rd was the tensest moment of the day in M55-59. Carey Nelson, 55, from Vancouver, BC, crossed in 2:54:41, with Antonio Arreola, 59, of San Jose just six seconds behind at 2:54:47. Nelson had been the steadier mover — climbing from 602nd among men near the start all the way to 501st by the finish — while Arreola faded slightly in the back half, slipping from 472nd to 504th among men over the final stretch. Six seconds across 26.2 miles is as close as it gets without being a footrace to the tape.

Glenn Mangold (5th, 2:56:17) and Lance Christie (6th, 2:56:55) rounded out a tight top-six, separated by just 38 seconds. Mangold's strong 40K-to-finish split helped him hold off Christie, who came in from Calgary in 2:56:55. Thomas Hoch (7th, 2:57:19) and Tom Bronga (8th, 2:58:33) kept the pressure on through the late miles, with Bronga making the trip from Anchorage to finish just 74 seconds behind Hoch. In a field of 345 finishers, the top eight all came home inside 2:59 — a testament to just how competitive the M55-59 age group was on a cool Sacramento morning.