Fort Ord 25K: Stephen Derenzo Owns the M80-99 Field

• Stephen Derenzo, 84, finished in 7:10:27 — the only finisher in the M80-99 age group, making him both first and last by default.
• Averaging 27:43 per mile across the rugged Fort Ord trails, Derenzo completed a legitimately demanding 25K course.
• The Skyline→Toro Creek segment was his strongest stretch of the day, producing the 96th-fastest split among the men on that leg.

There is exactly one way to win an age group: show up and finish. Stephen Derenzo of Pinole did both, crossing the line in 7:10:27 to claim the M80-99 title at the Fort Ord Trail Run 25K. At 84 years old, covering 15-plus miles of California coastal trail terrain in damp, heavy air — 91% humidity on a 53°F February morning — is not a formality. It is a feat.

Derenzo averaged 27:43 per mile through the Fort Ord singletrack, a pace that reflects the genuine challenge of the course rather than any lack of effort from a man in his ninth decade. The Skyline→Toro Creek segment stood out as his most competitive stretch of the day, where he posted the 96th-fastest split among the men on that leg — holding his own in a much larger field on one of the race's signature sections.

There were no rivals to chase and no one chasing him, but the course itself provided all the resistance needed. Finishing a 25K trail run at 84 is the headline, full stop. Derenzo takes the M80-99 title, and it was well earned.