Women's Ultramarathon: McManus Surges to the Title Across 52.4 Miles

• Lisa McManus wins in 7:27:02 (8:32/mi), claiming the fastest women's split on the second half of the course to overtake and hold off Lisa Hughey by 2:49.
• Lisa Hughey, 45, finishes 2nd in 7:29:51 — a massive 36:48 improvement over her 3rd-place finish here in 2024 (8:06:39).
• Jennifer Tobits, 9th in 9:06:43, returns to the Golden Gate double as the 2023 women's champion (9:29:42) — and runs it 23 minutes faster this time.
• 25 women finished this 52.4-mile double marathon through San Francisco's streets, bridges, and parks.

The headline story of this women's race is a lead change that came in the second marathon. Lisa Hughey of Los Alamos, NM held the top women's spot through the first 26.2 miles, posting the 2nd-fastest women's split on that opening leg at an 8:35/mi average. But McManus — running the fastest women's split on that same stretch — was right behind her, and by the finish it was McManus who had moved from 2nd to 1st, crossing in 7:27:02. Hughey held on for a strong 2nd in 7:29:51, a result that deserves its own appreciation: she stood on this same course in 2024 and finished 3rd in 8:06:39. Coming back and going nearly 37 minutes faster is not a small thing.

Iris Martinez of Fontana, CA rounded out the podium in 7:47:56 (8:56/mi), maintaining 3rd place from the opening leg through the finish with the 4th-fastest women's split on the first marathon. Behind her, 23-year-old Sydney Chesta — a local San Franciscan — came home 4th in 8:12:12, followed by Cindy Zhao of Mountain View in 5th at 8:18:46. Anna Vasina, 51, of San Jose was 6th in 8:26:39, and Qingxia Yu of Bellmore, NY edged Maria Fernanda Martinez of Zapopan for 7th — 8:27:56 to 8:37:05.

Further back, Jennifer Tobits of San Francisco made the 2023 champion's return count. She won this race two years ago in 9:29:42; on Saturday she crossed in 9:06:43 — nearly 23 minutes faster — for 9th place. Lynn Beltran of Salt Lake City, 60, also came back with history here: she finished 5th in 2023 in 10:13:11 and this year clocked 10:25:11 for 17th, completing one of the most demanding urban ultras in the country once again.