Masters Men: De Samaniego Steta dominates the Silverado Trail

• Fernando De Samaniego Steta won the Masters Men race in 2:38:57 (6:04/mi), climbing from 15th to 10th among all men while posting the 11th-fastest men's split on the 10M–13.1M stretch.
• Justin Patananan (2nd, 2:48:10) and Washington Rezende (3rd, 2:49:35) were separated by just 85 seconds, but Patananan faded through the back half while Rezende held steadier to claim the podium's final step.
• 4th and 5th were decided by five seconds: Brett Perkins crossed in 2:50:49, Jose Lorenzana in 2:50:54 — Lorenzana charging hard with the 28th-fastest men's split from mile 20 to the finish but just unable to close the gap.
• Daniel Kono (9th, 2:54:54, 6:40/mi) was the standout age outlier — at 56, the oldest man in the top ten, outrunning athletes 10–16 years his junior.

Fernando De Samaniego Steta made the Masters Men race look like a controlled exercise in precision along Napa's net-downhill Silverado Trail corridor. Running 6:04 per mile through cool, humid morning air, the 41-year-old San Franciscan was never truly threatened. His move from 15th to 10th among all men in the field tells the story of a runner who kept finding gears — his 11th-fastest men's split between miles 10 and 13.1 was the tactical hammer that separated him from any realistic pursuit.

Behind him, the race for second unfolded as a tale of two very different trajectories. Patananan (2nd, 2:48:10) was crisp early — posting the 15th-fastest men's split from 6.2M to 10M — but faded from 13th among men at the halfway mark all the way to 28th by the finish. Rezende (3rd, 2:49:35) was more measured, sitting 25th among men at the start and drifting only slightly before reeling Patananan back in. The final 85-second gap between them reflects a catch-up story: Rezende ran the back half stronger.

The 4th-versus-5th battle was the race's sharpest drama on paper — Perkins (2:50:49) and Lorenzana (2:50:54) separated by five seconds after 26.2 miles. Lorenzana's 28th-fastest men's split from mile 20 to the finish shows he was flying late, but Perkins had built just enough of a cushion to hold on. Further back, Greg Miller (6th, 2:52:33) and Romain Pelard (7th, 2:52:38) were five seconds apart themselves, with Peter Clay rounding out the top eight in 2:53:41. In a 455-man Masters field, the top ten were all home inside 2:58 — a strong collective performance on a course that rewards patience and rewards it well.