F75-79: Radakovitz Runs Down the Field in Sacramento

• Dilyn Radakovitz, 76, wins F75-79 in 5:07:26 (11:44/mi), steadily advancing through the women's field across the entire race.
• Barbara Rinker, 76, finishes 2nd in 5:20:32 (12:14/mi) — a gap of 13:06 between the only two finishers in F75-79.
• Radakovitz's strongest segment came late: her 30K–35K split ranked 2,345th among all women — her sharpest comparative showing of the day.
• Rinker's best moment relative to the women's field came early, posting the 2,652nd-fastest women's split from 5K–10K.

Two 76-year-olds. Light rain, 80% humidity, and 26.2 miles of Sacramento roads. That was the F75-79 field at the 2022 California International Marathon, and both women finished it — which, on a cold, wet December morning, is its own statement.

Dilyn Radakovitz of Loomis took the win in 5:07:26, running 11:44 per mile and doing so with a quietly relentless forward momentum. Her position among the women's field improved at nearly every checkpoint — from 2,930th at the first marker all the way to 2,657th by the finish. That's 273 women passed over the course of the race. The move didn't come in one burst; it was steady, disciplined attrition, with her sharpest comparative split arriving on the 30K–35K stretch, where she ranked 2,345th among all women.

Barbara Rinker of Sacramento ran the race in almost the mirror image. She started strong relative to the women's field — her 5K–10K split ranked 2,652nd among all women, her best showing of the day — but gradually ceded ground as the miles accumulated, crossing the finish in 5:20:32 at 12:14 per mile. The 13-minute gap to Radakovitz tells the story of two very different race strategies playing out over the back half.

Still, both women covered 26.2 miles in the rain at 76 years old. Radakovitz takes the F75-79 title; Rinker earns her place on the results sheet. Neither one needs any embellishment.