M50-54 at the Napa Valley 5K: Haugen Dominates a Crisp March Morning

• Don Haugen Jr. wins by 2:27 — the local Napa runner crosses in 25:40 at 8:16/mi, a commanding margin over the rest of the 16-man field.
• Tight battle for 2nd through 4th — Ryan Reed (28:07), Timothy Ruth Evangelista (28:32), and Kevin Haley (29:03) are separated by just 56 seconds across three places.
• Doug Campbell rounds out the top five at 31:35 — a 10:10/mi pace that puts nearly 2:32 of daylight between him and 6th-place Robert Strowbridge (34:55).
• Ariel Baria completes the field in 1:03:23 — the only finisher to eclipse the hour mark among the 16 men in M50-54.

Under 42-degree skies with a light breeze rolling through Napa, Don Haugen Jr. made the most of his home course. The 53-year-old ran 25:40 at 8:16/mi — a pace none of his M50-54 competitors could match. His 2:27 winning margin over Ryan Reed wasn't a close call; it was a statement, built and held from the front.

Reed (28:07, 9:03/mi) and Timothy Ruth Evangelista (28:32, 9:11/mi) waged the sharpest battle of the morning, separated by just 25 seconds at the line — Reed earning 2nd by a clear but hard-fought margin. Evangelista's Las Vegas-to-Napa trip netted him a solid 3rd, while fellow Napan Kevin Haley (29:03, 9:21/mi) closed out the top four within a minute of Reed. Those three ran noticeably different paces but finished in a tight cluster — a sign of real racing through the final stretch.

Doug Campbell, at 54 the oldest man in the top five, held 5th in 31:35. Behind him, the field spread out considerably — Robert Strowbridge (6th, 34:55), Wisanu Charoenkul (7th, 38:18), and Gary Robertson (8th, 39:55) each running their own race across a widening gap. Dante Baena (9th, 44:40) and John Espino (10th, 44:47) were nearly inseparable at the back of the top ten, just seven seconds apart. Ariel Baria brought it home last in 1:03:23 — every finisher counted, all 16 of them.