Napa Valley 5K: Karen Dean Dominates the F65-69 Field

• Karen Dean (Kenwood, CA, age 69) won the F65-69 race in 33:36 — more than three minutes clear of the field, averaging a brisk 10:49/mi.
• Kristy Ott-Meyer (Albuquerque, NM) claimed 2nd in 36:45, with Cindy Barton (Novato, CA) and Connie Delk (Campbellsville, KY) separated by just 16 seconds for 3rd and 4th, at 37:19 and 37:35 respectively.
• The field of 14 spanned more than 58 minutes from first to last — a testament to the range of effort on display on this cool, humid March morning.
• Local runner Laurie Congi (Napa, CA) represented the host city, finishing 8th in 56:47.

Karen Dean didn't just win the F65-69 race on this out-and-back Napa course — she made a statement. The 69-year-old from Kenwood ran 10:49/mi to finish in 33:36, a margin of 3:09 over her nearest challenger. At an age when many are watching from the sidelines, Dean was the one everyone else was chasing.

Behind her, the race for the podium was genuinely compelling. Kristy Ott-Meyer (2nd, 36:45) held a comfortable cushion over a two-woman battle for 3rd, where Cindy Barton (37:19) and Connie Delk (37:35) ran each other close the whole way. Barton edged it by 16 seconds at 12:01/mi to Delk's 12:06/mi. Terri Tochihara-Dirks rounded out the top five in 40:43 — the youngest in the group at 65, but 5th across the line.

The back half of the field told its own story. Christine Palaka (6th, 46:01) and Jennifer Best (7th, 49:08) kept moving, while Carolyn Golinveaux (9th, 57:07) finished just 20 seconds behind local Laurie Congi (8th, 56:47). Fran Stahl (10th, 58:36), Julie Levine (11th, 1:01:39), and Kelly Kim (12th, 1:02:45) completed the middle pack. Teresa Moore (13th, 1:32:28) and Holly Bertuccelli (14th, 1:32:29) crossed the finish line separated by a single second — the closest finish of the entire field.