M75-79: Mollenkopf Runs Away With It at CIM 2025

• Richard Mollenkopf (77, Ross CA) won the M75-79 group in 4:34:05 — a 10:27/mi average, more than 26 minutes clear of the field.
• Bryan Henry and John Justus staged a dramatic late duel, finishing 2nd and 3rd in 5:00:23 and 5:00:24 — separated by a single second.
• Todd Hayes posted the fastest early pace among the back half of the field, running a strong opening 5K–10K segment before fading from a high position to 5th by the finish.
• Nine men aged 75–79 finished a full marathon on a cool, overcast Sacramento morning.

Richard Mollenkopf, 77, was never seriously threatened. He came to Sacramento, ran 10:27 per mile from start to finish, and put the M75-79 race to bed early. His moves data tells the story: he spent the second half of the race steadily climbing through the broader men's field, picking off runners from the 30K mark onward. By the finish, he had built a 26-minute, 18-second cushion over 2nd place — a margin that speaks for itself.

The real drama in this age group played out behind him, between Bryan Henry (76, Angwin CA) and John Justus (75, Auburn CA). Both crossed the line at 5:00:23 and 5:00:24 respectively — one second apart after more than five hours of racing. That's a catch-up story: Justus was running a stronger 30K–35K segment than Henry, who had faded through the back half after a relatively quick early 10K–15K. Henry held on, but just barely, claiming 2nd by the narrowest of margins.

Todd Hayes (75, San Jose CA) offers an interesting contrast. He was moving well early — his 5K–10K segment was his strongest relative passage — but the race caught up with him. He faded steadily through the second half and finished 5th in 5:33:27. James Morris (76, Albany CA) was just 31 seconds behind in 6th at 5:33:58. Andrzej Jonca (78, Beaverton OR) was 7th in 5:38:35, while Delbert Giese (79, Red Rock AZ) and Bruce Mauldin (78, Nampa ID) rounded out the nine-man field in 5:57:29 and 6:03:03 respectively — every one of them a finisher on a chilly December morning in Sacramento.