Kaua'i Half Marathon F35-39: Simon Dominates in a Class of Her Own

• Lisa Simon, 1:34:26 (7:12/mi) — won the F35-39 age group by over 11 minutes, running as high as 3rd among all women at the halfway checkpoint.
• Podium gap: Lauren Orr's 2nd-place 1:45:40 and Susie Lozick's 3rd-place 1:47:31 were separated by just 1:51 — the tightest battle on the board behind Simon.
• Local presence: Four of the top 20 finishers listed Kauai addresses (Kapaa, Kalaheo, Kailua, Lihue), with Kaitlyn Szekalski of Kapaa the highest-placed at 4th in 1:50:35.
• Field depth: 123 women finished in the F35-39 age group, with the top 20 spanning from 1:34:26 down to 2:11:31.

Lisa Simon made this look like a different race entirely. The 37-year-old from Cambridge, MA crossed in 1:34:26 — a 7:12/mi clip through Kauai's warm, humid morning — and was sitting 3rd among all women through the early miles before settling into 4th by the finish. Her middle segment was particularly sharp: she posted the 5th-fastest women's split between the start and the 11.05-mile mark, a stretch that clearly separated her from the rest of the age group. The runner-up, Lauren Orr, finished in 1:45:40 — more than 11 minutes back — which tells you everything about how complete Simon's performance was.

Behind Simon, the real racing happened between Orr and Susie Lozick. Orr, 39, from Portland held 17th among women through the middle miles and finished there in 1:45:40 (8:04/mi). Lozick, 35, from Sierra Madre tracked her closely — 20th among women through the middle, slipping to 22nd by the end — and crossed in 1:47:31 at 8:12/mi. Orr's middle-segment split was faster (16th among women vs. Lozick's 23rd on that same stretch), and that edge held: Orr took 2nd by 1:51, a margin earned on the road rather than given away at the line.

Kaitlyn Szekalski of Kapaa — racing on home island — was the top local finisher, 4th in 1:50:35. She made a notable move on the back half, posting the 25th-fastest women's split from 11.05 miles to the finish and climbing from 28th among women to 26th. Alyssa Benoist rounded out the top five in 1:54:02. From there the field spread steadily, with Susana Prieto (6th, 1:59:34) and Anna Crane (7th, 2:00:31) leading a deep mid-pack into the final miles of a warm Poipu morning.