San Francisco Marathon NB35-39: Frias Owns the Field

• Paul Frias, 36, Redwood City — sole finisher in NB35-39, crossing in 5:30:41 (12:37/mi avg)
• Standout split: 5th-fastest women's split on the 10.92 Miles→Garmin Hill Challenge segment
• Gender place progression: moved from 6th to 5th early, then settled back to 8th among women by the finish

Paul Frias was the only finisher in NB35-39 at the 2023 San Francisco Marathon, making his 5:30:41 both the winning time and the only time in the field. On a warm, humid morning — 69°F with 73% humidity winding through San Francisco's famously punishing terrain — Frias kept a steady 12:37/mi pace across 26.2 miles.

The most notable number in his race came on the 10.92 Miles→Garmin Hill Challenge segment, where Frias posted the 5th-fastest women's split on that stretch. That kind of effort on one of the course's signature climbs stands out regardless of field size.

His gender place tracking tells a more nuanced story: he ran as high as 5th among women through the middle miles before fading to 8th by the finish — a sign that the back half of the course, as it so often does in San Francisco, extracted its toll. Still, Frias crossed the line, claimed NB35-39, and earned every step of it.