NB45-49 Women: Odom defends her title in dominant fashion

• JL Odom, 1st in NB45-49 — 3:11:18 (7:18/mi), defending her 2024 win in this same field
• 6:34 improvement over her winning time from 2024 (3:17:52), a measurable step forward on the same course
• Fastest women's split on the 18–25 mile stretch — the surge that moved her from 4th to 1st among women
• Final push: climbed from 4th to 1st in the women's field between miles 18 and 25, then held it to the finish

JL Odom came to San Francisco with unfinished business — and left with the same title she claimed in 2024, only faster. The 46-year-old San Francisco local crossed in 3:11:18, knocking 6:34 off her winning time from a year ago. In a field of one in the NB45-49, the competition was the clock and the course itself, and on both counts Odom delivered.

The race unfolded patiently. Odom ran in 4th among women through much of the first half, holding her position steadily through the early checkpoints. Then, between miles 18 and 25, she uncorked the fastest women's split of that entire stretch — a decisive move that carried her all the way from 4th to 1st among women, a position she never relinquished. San Francisco's notoriously rolling terrain and the cool, humid morning air set the stage; Odom chose exactly the right moment to press.

Crossing at 3:11:18 on a 56°F, overcast morning, Odom now owns back-to-back titles in this field. The improvement from 3:17:52 to 3:11:18 speaks for itself — a returning champion who didn't just repeat, but raised her own bar.