Kaua'i Half Marathon F25-29: Cadera Smith Pulls Away Late for the Win

• Cadera Smith, 1:37:43 (7:27/mi): Won the F25-29 age group and climbed from 10th to 7th among all women, posting the 6th-fastest women's split on the second half of the course.
• 45-second gap at the top: Smith's winning margin over runner-up Amy Hanley (1:38:28) was 45 seconds — comfortable at the line, but both women were trading blows in the women's field throughout.
• Podium spread: Third-place Cheyenne Tilford (1:43:38) and fourth-place Kari Radke (1:44:06) were separated by just 28 seconds, while fifth-place Julia Thirolf (1:45:17) rounded out a tight top five within an 8-minute window.
• Deep field: 149 women finished in the F25-29 age group, with the top 20 all breaking 2:04 in warm, humid conditions — 77°F and 69% humidity off the Poipu coast.

Cadera Smith (Fountainville, PA) controlled this race with a steady hand and a sharp finish. After sitting 10th among all women at the first checkpoint, she worked her way up to 7th by the end, driven by the 6th-fastest women's split on the stretch from the halfway point to mile 11.05. At 7:27/mi across 13.1 miles in that heat and humidity, it was a performance that stood clearly above the rest of the age group.

Amy Hanley (Aiea, HI) was the steadiest runner in the field — she held 9th among all women at every checkpoint without wavering, finishing in 1:38:28 at 7:31/mi. She also posted the 8th-fastest women's split on that same half-to-mile-11 stretch, meaning both she and Smith were running down the women's field together in the middle miles. The 45-second gap at the finish reflects Smith pulling ahead in the closing miles rather than any fade from Hanley.

The battle for third was the most compelling story behind the top two. Cheyenne Tilford (Lawai, HI) crossed in 1:43:38, with Kari Radke (Colorado Springs, CO) just 28 seconds back at 1:44:06. Tilford had the slight edge on the half-to-mile-11 segment (15th-fastest women's split vs. Radke's 14th — essentially even), and both slipped a few spots in the women's field during the back half, suggesting the humidity took its toll. Julia Thirolf (Munich) rounded out the top five at 1:45:17, recording the 16th-fastest women's split on the second half of the course.

Rachel Byrd (1:50:35) and Emma Brignol (1:51:07) separated themselves clearly from the rest of the top ten, finishing 6th and 7th respectively with a 32-second gap between them. Behind them, Olivia Roberts (1:57:52, 10th) and Madison Moore (1:57:54, 11th) finished just two seconds apart — the tightest margin in the entire top 20.