California International Marathon: Elizabeth Leopold Owns F40-44

• Solo champion: Leopold was the only F40-44 finisher, crossing in 4:24:10 at a 10:05/mi average pace.
• Consistent women's field position: She held 4th among women from the 5K checkpoint all the way to the finish — never wavering.
• Sharp early split: Her 5K→10K segment ranked 4th-fastest among all women in the field.

Elizabeth Leopold of Folsom, CA made the F40-44 group her own at the 2024 California International Marathon, finishing as its sole representative in 4:24:10. Running through mild Sacramento December conditions — 59°F with a light 3 mph breeze — she averaged 10:05 per mile across the full 26.2.

What makes Leopold's run particularly striking is how locked-in she was within the broader women's field. She sat 4th among women at the 5K mark and never moved — holding that exact spot through 10K, halfway, and every checkpoint to the finish. That kind of positional consistency over a marathon is a statement in itself: no fading, no being reeled in, just a steady, controlled effort from start to line.

She also showed genuine pop in the early going. Her 5K-to-10K split ranked 4th-fastest among all the women on that segment — a sign she was moving with real purpose through the opening miles, not just settling in. For the only finisher in her age group, Leopold ran a race that stood out well beyond F40-44.