M35-39 5K: Collett Laps the Field in Napa

• Brian Collett, 38, wins in 18:45 — a 6:02/mi pace that put him nearly seven minutes ahead of runner-up Bill Kordiak (25:32).
• Tightest battle of the day: John Osullivan (3rd, 26:20) and Go Shikata (4th, 26:39) were separated by just 19 seconds, with Kevin Wills (5th, 27:24) and Philip Adams (6th, 27:49) keeping the pressure on through a busy mid-pack.
• Andrew Gropper rounded out the top seven at 28:00, with Jeff Salowitz 8th in 28:27 — both finishing within a tight 36-second window of 6th place.
• 22 finishers crossed the line in the M35-39 field on a cool, breezy Napa morning — 42°F and 7 mph winds making for honest racing conditions.

Brian Collett made the M35-39 race his own from the jump. The 38-year-old from Berkeley clocked 18:45 at a 6:02/mi clip — a performance so far ahead of the rest of the field that second place, Bill Kordiak of San Francisco, finished in 25:32, a gap of six minutes and 47 seconds. In a 5K, that's not a race; that's a statement.

Behind Kordiak, the real drama played out across places three through eight. John Osullivan (26:20, 8:29/mi) edged Go Shikata (26:39, 8:35/mi) by 19 seconds for the final podium spot, with Shikata running a shade quicker on average but unable to close the gap. Kevin Wills (27:24) and Philip Adams (27:49) kept things lively, and Andrew Gropper (28:00) and Jeff Salowitz (28:27) weren't far behind — six athletes separated by just 2:07 across places three through eight.

The field spread out considerably from there. Josh Teravest, Napa's own, finished 9th in 29:29 before a notable gap back to Emerick Oshiro (10th, 32:30) and Felipe Jr Domingo (11th, 32:39). The back half of the field stretched all the way to Henry Tran's 48:41 in 20th, completing a full range of efforts across 22 finishers on a cold, cloud-covered Napa Valley morning.