Jed Smith Half Marathon M40-49: Cooper Runs Away With It

• Jacob Cooper (41, Reno) wins in 1:39:47 — a 7:37/mi clip that put nearly three minutes between him and the rest of the M40-49 field.
• Glen Lally surged through the field, moving from 13th among men at the first checkpoint to 7th by the finish, claiming 2nd in M40-49 in 1:42:37.
• Lynnard and Edward Cabanas finished 13th and 14th in 2:27:16 — separated by less than half a second at the line, the closest margin in the age group.
• John Deterding (9th, 2:05:20) returned after finishing 8th among men here in 2025 (2:03:27), crossing about 1:53 slower than his prior visit.

The M40-49 race belonged to Jacob Cooper from the opening miles. Running a steady 7:37/mi through Sacramento's foggy, humid morning, the 41-year-old from Reno never relinquished his lead and posted the kind of wire-to-wire performance that leaves little room for drama at the front. His 2:50 margin over Glen Lally was decisive — this one wasn't close for the title.

The real chase unfolded further back. Lally (1:42:37, 7:50/mi) was the age group's biggest mover, climbing six spots among men between the first checkpoint and the finish. Greg Anderson (3rd, 1:44:34, 7:59/mi) held his position more steadily, while Anthony Lipscomb (4th, 1:47:06) and Branton Boehm (5th, 1:47:50) were separated by just 44 seconds across a race of nearly two hours — Boehm was the stronger finisher on the final lap, gaining three spots among men to Lipscomb's one.

Stephen Smith (6th, 1:51:45) and Joaquin Castaneda (7th, 1:57:55) rounded out the front half of the field before a notable gap opened to Trung Hoang (8th, 2:01:13) and beyond. At the back, the Cabanas pairing — Lynnard (13th) and Edward (14th), both of Fremont and El Dorado Hills respectively — crossed in an identical displayed time of 2:27:16, with timing chips splitting them by mere fractions of a second. Fourteen men finished in conditions that made every second earned.