Napa Valley 5K — F45-49: Franco Dominates in the Morning Chill

• Gina Franco wins in 25:05 (8:04/mi), pulling nearly two minutes clear of the field for a commanding victory.
• Michelle Haney takes 2nd in 26:59 — a 1:54 gap back to Franco, and nearly two minutes ahead of 3rd place.
• Amy Easton and Lisa Adhikari battle closely for the final podium spot, finishing 3rd (28:54) and 4th (29:19) — just 25 seconds apart.
• Lori Newcomb rounds out the top five in 29:50, with the top five all finishing under the 30-minute mark.

With temperatures hovering at 36°F on a crisp March morning in Napa, 36 women toed the line in the F45-49 field — and Gina Franco, 47, of Monrovia, made it look like she had the course to herself. Her 8:04/mi average produced a 25:05 finish that left the rest of the field chasing air. The gap between Franco and runner-up Michelle Haney — 1 minute and 54 seconds — was the widest single margin between any two consecutive finishers in the top five, a testament to just how cleanly she ran it.

Behind Franco, Michelle Haney of Lufkin held 2nd place firmly at 26:59 (8:41/mi), herself well clear of the podium fight unfolding behind her. Amy Easton, 49, of Berkeley, claimed 3rd in 28:54 at 9:18/mi, while Lisa Adhikari of San Jose pushed hard to finish 4th in 29:19 — only 25 seconds back. Lori Newcomb of Oakland closed out the top five in 29:50, ensuring every podium-adjacent finisher came in under 30 minutes despite the cold.

The race stretched out further down the field, with Anitra Dumlao-Thompson (6th, 30:33) and Melina Baxter (7th, 31:58) leading the next wave, and Shirley Lam (8th, 32:24) and Noelle Fox (9th, 32:58) keeping things competitive through the middle of the pack. Vickie Mallicoat and Rachel Anderson finished 10th and 11th in 34:16 and 34:20 respectively — just four seconds apart. All told, 36 women finished the F45-49 race, with Jocelyn Espina taking 20th in 39:59 before the field continued beyond the listed results.