M65-69 5K: Doherty dominates with a sub-30 effort in Napa

• Alfred Doherty won the M65-69 5K in 29:04 (9:21/mi), more than four minutes clear of the field.
• Jim Ning took 2nd in 33:27 (10:46/mi), holding off John Perez (3rd, 36:20, 11:42/mi) by nearly three minutes.
• Rob Proffer rounded out the four-man field in 42:22 (13:38/mi), finishing more than 13 minutes behind the winner.

Alfred Doherty made the M65-69 race his own from the start. The 66-year-old from Monterey crossed in 29:04 — a 9:21/mi clip that, in 48°F conditions with a stiff 12 mph wind cutting through Napa Valley, was a genuinely commanding performance. No one in the field came close to testing him.

Behind Doherty, Jim Ning of Irvine brought home 2nd place in 33:27, running 10:46/mi — a full minute and a quarter per mile slower than the winner, but solid enough to keep John Perez at a comfortable distance. Perez, also 66, finished 3rd in 36:20 (11:42/mi), giving Canyon Country, CA its spot on the podium. The gap between 2nd and 3rd was nearly three minutes — meaningful separation in a 5K.

Rob Proffer, 65, of Festus, MO made the trip to Napa and completed the course in 42:22 at 13:38/mi, rounding out a four-man field where every finisher earned their place on a chilly, breezy March morning along the valley floor.