F65-69 at CIM 2024: Bergenske Runs Away With It

• Lanore Bergenske, 67, wins F65-69 in 3:37:14 — an 8:17/mi average that put nearly 10 minutes between her and second place.
• Laura Kennedy (3:46:55) and Louise Burke (3:51:36) rounded out the podium, with Carol Sexton (3:52:15) just 39 seconds further back in a tight battle for third.
• Burke and Sexton ran nearly identical first halves but faded steadily through the women's field over the back half; Sexton trailed Burke by just 39 seconds at the finish after tracking her closely all day.
• 32 women finished in the F65-69 group, ranging from Bergenske's 3:37 to a field that stretched well past five hours.

Lanore Bergenske of Fortuna, CA made the F65-69 race her own from early on. Her gender place among all women fluctuated in the opening miles but she steadily climbed through the field over the final stretch — moving from 978th among women at 35K all the way to 966th at the finish — a sign she was still finding another gear while others around her faded. At 8:17 per mile, her margin of victory wasn't a photo finish; it was a statement. Kennedy, running out of Lake Forest, IL, held second place comfortably at 3:46:55 and 8:39/mi.

The real drama played out behind Kennedy. Louise Burke, making the trip from Melbourne, Australia, and Carol Sexton of Woodinville, WA, were locked in a grinding battle for third. Burke crossed in 3:51:36 to Sexton's 3:52:15 — just 39 seconds after 26.2 miles. Both women slipped steadily through the women's field as the race wore on, but Burke held her edge to the line. Notably, both posted their best relative splits on the 5K–10K segment early in the race, suggesting the second half took its toll on each of them.

Cindy Egger (4:10:26) and Karen Mahakian (4:12:38) filled out fifth and sixth, separated by just over two minutes, while the remainder of the 32-woman field spread across a wide range of finishing times. With mild 59°F conditions and a light breeze in Sacramento, the day offered no excuses — Bergenske simply ran the best race.