M65-69: Musante Dominates a Foggy San Francisco 5K

• George Musante, 67, wins in 26:42 — an 8:36/mi pace that put more than seven minutes between him and second place.
• Ron Ross edges the podium battle — his 33:53 (10:54/mi) was a full 3:34 ahead of Reed Scott's 37:27 (12:03/mi) in third.
• Michael Ball, 69, the oldest finisher, crossed in 41:57 to claim fifth — just 1:25 behind fourth-place Koichi Morita (40:32).
• Nine men finished across a spread of 45 minutes and 9 seconds, from Musante's 26:42 to Raymond De Guzman's 1:11:51.

Under a thick San Francisco overcast — 53°F, damp at 95% humidity, with a brisk bay breeze — nine men in the M65-69 field took on the 5K. George Musante of San Mateo made it look like a different race entirely. His 26:42 at 8:36/mi wasn't just a win; it was a statement. The gap to second place, Ron Ross of San Francisco, stretched to 7 minutes and 11 seconds — a margin that speaks to how completely Musante commanded the field from the front.

Behind Musante, the real racing happened in a tightly bunched middle pack. Ross held second comfortably at 33:53, but the battle for third was settled by Reed Scott (37:27, 12:03/mi), who kept Koichi Morita (40:32, 13:03/mi) at bay by more than three minutes. Michael Ball of York, PA — the field's oldest finisher at 69 — rounded out the top five in 41:57, just 1:25 behind Morita and a long way from home.

The back half of the field spread out considerably. Jon Kurpinsky of Daly City finished sixth in 50:40 (16:18/mi), followed by Gerald Wong of Basking Ridge in 54:09 (17:26/mi). Donald Graves (1:08:28) and Raymond De Guzman (1:11:51) brought it home to complete all nine finishers — De Guzman's 23:08/mi pace reflecting a determined walk to the finish line in the chill fog. Every man who started, finished.