San Francisco 5K: Paola Soto Dominates F35-39 in a Cool Bay Morning

• Paola Soto wins in 22:56 (7:23/mi), finishing a full 1:31 ahead of runner-up Darla Stahl — a commanding margin in a 5K.
• Podium spread: Henriette Ako-Asare claimed 3rd in 25:14 (8:07/mi), 47 seconds behind Stahl.
• Tightest battle of the race: Rachel Pagan (4th, 27:00) and Cathryn Cadwell (5th, 27:03) were separated by just three seconds.
• 82 women finished in F35-39, with the top 20 alone covering a range of over eight minutes.

Paola Soto made this one look straightforward. The 36-year-old San Franciscan crossed in 22:56 at a 7:23/mi clip — a pace none of her 81 competitors came close to matching. Darla Stahl ran a solid 24:27 (7:52/mi) to take 2nd, but Soto had already put the race to bed well before the finish line. That 1:31 gap over a 5K is not a close race; it's a statement.

Henriette Ako-Asare of Berkeley rounded out the podium in 25:14, running 8:07/mi to hold off the rest of the field comfortably. The real drama unfolded just behind her, where Rachel Pagan (27:00, 8:41/mi) and Cathryn Cadwell (27:03, 8:42/mi) arrived within three seconds of each other — Pagan holding 4th by the narrowest of margins.

Further back, a dense cluster formed in the 29-minute range. Elizabeth Lee (7th, 29:00), Marina Kagan (8th, 29:02), Wing Ho Lee (9th, 29:08), and Kim Na (10th, 29:09) were all separated by a grand total of nine seconds — four athletes, one tight pack, and only the clock to sort them out. The 53°F overcast morning along the San Francisco waterfront kept conditions cool and runnable, and that mid-field group took full advantage.