Napa Valley Marathon 5K: Gary Barnett Owns the M65-69 Field

• Gary Barnett, 1st — 25:00 finish, 8:03/mi average in cool, breezy conditions
• Brantley Burns, 2nd — 39:28 finish, 12:42/mi average — completing the M65-69 field
• Gap between them: 14:28 — Barnett's pace was nearly 4:40/mi faster than Burns'

With just two men toeing the line in the M65-69 race at the 2023 Napa Valley Marathon 5K, there was no hiding and nowhere to coast. Gary Barnett, 67, made that irrelevant — he ran a crisp 25:00 at 8:03 per mile through the 42°F Napa morning, a genuinely strong effort for the age bracket that left the outcome settled well before the finish line.

Brantley Burns, 68, of Knoxville, crossed in 39:28 at 12:42 per mile to claim second. The 14-and-a-half-minute gap between the two men reflects a real difference in pace — Barnett was moving nearly five minutes per mile faster — but Burns covered the distance and banked his finish on a cold, breezy March morning in Napa.

Two men, two very different efforts, one clear winner. Barnett takes the M65-69 title with authority.