Masters Men Half Marathon: Hudgins Dominates as a Deep Field Tests San Francisco's Hills

• Alex Hudgins, 40, wins in 1:15:50 (5:47/mi) — a commanding margin of more than four minutes over runner-up Carlos Larios.
• Adam Boender's charge: starting 117th among men, Boender clawed his way to 5th place in the Masters field with the 43rd-fastest closing split (10.9M→Finish) in the field.
• Gael Linquier (4th, 1:26:12) ran the 44th-fastest middle split (5M→10.9M) among men, moving from 59th to 49th to lock down his podium-adjacent finish.
• 476 Masters Men crossed the line — a substantial field navigating San Francisco's signature climbs in 60°F, overcast conditions.

Alex Hudgins made the Masters Men race his own from early on. The 40-year-old San Franciscan ran a 5:47/mi average — a pace that would be punishing on flat roads, let alone the Bay City's rolling terrain — and posted the 8th-fastest middle split (5M→10.9M) among all men in the field. He held between 10th and 11th place among men throughout, meaning he was running with a pack well ahead of any Masters rival. By the finish, his 1:15:50 stood more than four minutes clear of second place.

Carlos Larios, 50, was the standout story on the age front: a decade older than the winner, the North Hills runner claimed 2nd in 1:20:06 (6:07/mi), posting the 25th-fastest middle split among men to hold his position with authority. Third went to Saul Salayes (1:25:11, 6:30/mi), who strengthened his finish with the 42nd-fastest closing split in the men's field to edge out Gael Linquier — the Le Havre native who ran 1:26:12 (6:35/mi) and moved steadily from 59th to 49th among men across the race.

The most dramatic trajectory belonged to Adam Boender. The 42-year-old San Franciscan was buried in 117th place among men at the 5-mile mark, but ran the 43rd-fastest closing split in the field to surge all the way to 5th in the Masters standings at 1:28:24 (6:45/mi) — a genuine catch-up story through the back half. Brandon Heiken (6th, 1:29:43) and 56-year-old Tony Riley (7th, 1:30:14) rounded out a top seven that spanned 16 years of age and nearly 15 minutes of racing.