Napa Valley 5K: Katherine Lowe Dominates the F40-44 Field

• Katherine Lowe, 21:09 (6:48/mi) — wins F40-44 by an emphatic 4:35 margin over runner-up Elyse Weng.
• Elyse Weng (25:44) edges Becki Almeida (25:47) — just three seconds separated 2nd from 3rd in a tight battle for the podium's silver spot.
• Jenna Connors and Clare Otoole both clocked 33:57 — the timing system separated them into 18th and 19th place.
• 61 women completed the F40-44 race on a cool, humid morning in Napa Valley.

Katherine Lowe, 41, from Moraga, turned in one of the most commanding performances of the morning. Her 21:09 finish at a 6:48/mi clip wasn't just a win — it was a statement, putting 4 minutes and 35 seconds between herself and the rest of the F40-44 field. In a race where the out-and-back course leaves nowhere to hide, Lowe was in a category of her own.

The real drama unfolded behind her, where Elyse Weng of Napa and Becki Almeida of Edgerton, KS, waged a fierce battle for 2nd. Weng crossed in 25:44 (8:17/mi) and Almeida in 25:47 (8:18/mi) — three seconds and a sliver of pace difference deciding the podium's silver and bronze. Caitlin Acox of Potomac, MD, rounded out the top four in 26:12, and Andrea Guzman of Santa Rosa claimed 5th in 27:14, keeping the top five within a six-minute window behind Lowe.

Further back, the mid-field produced its own intrigue. Jenna Connors and Clare Otoole both stopped the clock at 33:57 — but the timing system, reading finer than the displayed second, placed Connors 18th and Otoole 19th. Brooke Jackson, also of Napa, closed out the listed finishers in 20th at 34:22. With 41 more women completing the course beyond the top 20, this was a deep and lively F40-44 field — one that helped send Kiwanis Club fundraising dollars right back into the Napa Valley community.