M65-69: Steve Yee Runs Away with Sacramento

• Steve Yee won the M65-69 group in 3:18:57 (7:35/mi), finishing three minutes clear of runner-up John Hirschberger's 3:21:58.
• Eduardo Matsuo traveled from Ann Arbor, MI to claim 3rd in 3:27:17 — the only top-three finisher not from California.
• A notable gap separated the podium from 4th: Richard Powers crossed in 3:38:49, nearly 11 minutes behind Matsuo.
• 76 men finished in M65-69, with times ranging from Yee's 3:18:57 down to the back of a deep field.

On a cool, calm Sacramento morning — 53°F with barely a breath of wind — Steve Yee put together one of the sharpest performances in the M65-69 group. Running 7:35 per mile, the Sacramento local steadily worked his way through the men's field as the race progressed, moving from 1,419th among men at the first checkpoint all the way up to 1,205th by 40K — a climb of more than 200 places across the second half. He had the race well in hand by the finish.

John Hirschberger of San Francisco told a very different story. He started faster — sitting 1,338th among men early — but faded through the middle miles, sliding back to 1,499th around the halfway point before rallying hard. From 35K to the finish he clawed back over 190 spots in the men's field, ultimately crossing in 3:21:58 at 7:42/mi to claim 2nd in M65-69. Eduardo Matsuo, meanwhile, ran a quietly consistent race, advancing steadily from 1,806th among men at the opening checkpoint to 1,485th at the finish, locking up 3rd in 3:27:17.

Beyond the podium, the M65-69 group offered plenty of intrigue. Rey Booker (5th, 3:43:51) and Richard Powers (4th, 3:38:49) both ran measured, even-paced efforts. Moo Lim, at 69 the oldest man in the top twelve, cracked four hours with a 3:58:45 for 11th. And Barry Turner and John McBeth finished back-to-back in 14th and 13th, separated by just ten seconds — 4:04:28 to 4:04:18 — in a tight battle deep in the standings.