M60-64: Mandler Dominates a Wet Napa 5K

• Greg Mandler (age 60, Elk Grove) won the M60-64 race in 23:11 at a 7:28/mi pace — nearly 4 minutes clear of 2nd place.
• Reginald Daniels finished 2nd in 27:11 (8:45/mi), with Mitchell Gunderson taking 3rd in 30:07 (9:42/mi).
• The gap from 1st to last spanned over 45 minutes across 10 finishers, reflecting a wide range of efforts on a cold, rainy morning.
• Four finishers — Stephen Heilig (4th, 31:00) and Manny Bonotan (5th, 31:38) — were separated by just 38 seconds in the middle of the pack.

Greg Mandler ran away with this one. His 23:11 finish at 7:28/mi wasn't just a win — it was a statement. Racing through 41°F temperatures and light rain on Napa's streets, Mandler put nearly four minutes between himself and Reginald Daniels (27:11), making this one of the more commanding victories in the M60-64 field. Daniels, also 60, held 2nd solidly at 8:45/mi, and Mitchell Gunderson of Napa brought it home in 30:07 to round out the podium.

The middle of the field told its own story. Stephen Heilig (31:00, 9:59/mi) and Manny Bonotan (31:38, 10:11/mi) were locked in a tight battle for 4th and 5th, separated by just 38 seconds over 3.1 miles in miserable conditions. Daryl Sisco crossed 6th in 39:38, followed by Donna Meers Lucido in 7th at 42:58 — the lone woman in the M60-64 field, finishing at 13:50/mi.

Brad Clothier (8th, 46:13) made the trip from Little Rock, Arkansas, and got his finish. Danilo Mortel (9th, 56:01) and Jim Stoltenberg (10th, 1:08:45) closed out the field, with Stoltenberg's 22:08/mi pace suggesting a grind to the finish line in tough weather. All 10 got it done on a morning that made every mile count.