San Francisco Half Marathon F65-69: Carol Sexton Dominates in a Field of Strong Finishers

• Carol Sexton wins in 1:55:38 (8:49/mi), finishing more than 25 minutes clear of the rest of the F65-69 field.
• Ruby Chang and Ariane Brunetto finished 2nd and 3rd in 2:21:13 and 2:21:39 — separated by just 26 seconds after 13.1 miles.
• Joan Battaini clocked the 1,442nd-fastest women's split on the 6.15M–10.54M stretch but still held on for 4th in 2:22:50, just 71 seconds behind Brunetto.
• 22 women completed the F65-69 race, ranging from Sexton's 1:55:38 to Jennifer Park's 3:25:45 in 20th place.

Carol Sexton made this race her own from the start. The 68-year-old from Woodinville, WA ran an 8:49/mi average — a pace none of the other 21 finishers came close to matching — and climbed steadily through the women's field all the way to 206th among women by the finish. Her closing split from 11.05 miles to the finish was the 154th-fastest among all women in the race, a strong final push that underscored just how complete her performance was. The gap to second place wasn't a race; it was a statement.

Behind Sexton, the real drama played out among the next three finishers. Ruby Chang (2:21:13) and Ariane Brunetto (2:21:39) ran nearly the entire race in proximity, with Brunetto posting the 647th-fastest women's split on the 10.54M–11.05M segment to close the gap — but Chang held on to 2nd by 26 seconds. Joan Battaini, meanwhile, had a different race entirely: she rocketed through the women's field on the 6.15M–10.54M stretch, moving from 1,919th among women to 1,186th, one of the biggest positional surges in the F65-69 field. She couldn't quite reel in Brunetto, finishing 4th in 2:22:50, but her mid-race charge made her one of the most interesting runners on the course.

Lucille Wing rounded out the top five in 2:30:21, while Seyhan Civanlar (6th, 2:33:47) and Lucie Huber (7th, 2:35:34) kept the pack tight through the top seven. Further back, Titi Heikkilä brought an international flair — racing in from Tammisaari — to finish 11th in 2:59:35, and Marilyn Winningham made the trip from Detroit to cross in 9th at 2:42:24. All 22 finishers earned their place on these San Francisco streets.