San Francisco Marathon 5K: Kristy Kim Leads the F35-39 Field from Wire to Wire

• Kristy Kim wins the F35-39 race in 26:57 (8:40/mi), finishing 44 seconds clear of the field in a 131-runner field.
• Sarina Bewley and Megan Armstrong battle to the line — 2nd in 27:41 and 3rd in 27:44, just three seconds apart.
• Kat Raymond completes a tight podium chase, finishing 4th in 27:54 — only 13 seconds off Armstrong's 3rd-place time.
• The top 5 are separated by just 90 seconds, with Vanessa Viadero rounding out that group in 28:27.

Kristy Kim, 36, of San Francisco, put in the standout performance of the F35-39 race on a cool, damp morning along the city's waterfront — 56°F, 95% humidity, and a 14 mph wind that made every 8:40/mi stride earned. Her 26:57 wasn't just a win; it was a statement, coming home nearly three-quarters of a minute ahead of the next finisher in a field of 131.

Behind Kim, the race for the podium was genuinely gripping. Burlingame's Sarina Bewley crossed in 27:41 to claim 2nd, but Fremont's Megan Armstrong was right on her heels at 27:44 — a three-second gap after more than 3 miles of racing. Kat Raymond, 39, of San Francisco, kept the pressure on all the way to 4th in 27:54, making the stretch from 2nd to 4th just 13 seconds of racing. Santa Cruz's Vanessa Viadero closed out the top five in 28:27, capping a lead pack where every finisher ran sub-9:10 pace.

Further back, the field stayed competitive well into the top 20. Tessa Rose Capilli (6th, 28:35) and Catherine Lennie (7th, 28:57) kept the pace honest through the 28-minute range, while Sai Li (8th, 29:11) and Arpita Husain (9th, 29:27) pushed close to the 29-minute barrier. Equella Liggins, making the trip from San Tan Valley, AZ, rounded out the top 10 in 29:52 — a solid effort on a course that gave nobody an easy morning.