M25-29: Kowada Storms Through San Francisco for a Weekend Double

• Hibiki Kowada, 1:16:51 (5:52/mi): won M25-29 and backed it up with a 1st-place finish in the Saturday 5K — one of the standout performances across the entire weekend.
• Zac Grissom, 1:17:19: 28 seconds back in 2nd, with the 5th-fastest split on the 2M→4M stretch — a strong early mover who held on through the finish.
• Andrew Kohn, 1:20:30: 3rd place, closing hard with the 6th-fastest split on the 12M→Finish segment — the strongest finisher on the back end of the top three.
• Tight battle for 5th–7th: Mitch Horn (1:22:59), Ryan Nealis (1:23:05), and Travis Lee (1:23:09) — three San Francisco locals separated by just 10 seconds across the line.

Hibiki Kowada, 29, from Shibuya, arrived in San Francisco having already won the Saturday 5K the day prior. Then he went out and won M25-29 in the Half Marathon at 1:16:51 — a 5:52/mi effort through 59°F and 14 mph winds along the Bay. That's a genuine double, and it's the headline of the weekend. His race unfolded with patience: he ran as far back as 6th among the men's field through much of the course before surging decisively to 1st. His fastest split came on the 10M→10.5M stretch, where he posted the fastest men's split of anyone on that segment — the moment the race broke open.

Zac Grissom, 25, from SF, was right in the mix early, sitting 4th among the men's field through the first two miles and logging the 5th-fastest split on the 2M→4M stretch. He faded slightly through the middle miles before reasserting himself to finish 2nd in 1:17:19 — 28 seconds behind Kowada. Andrew Kohn, 28, from Baltimore, ran a different kind of race: he was 5th through the early miles, slipped back as far as 12th in the men's field mid-race, then came roaring home with the 6th-fastest 12M→Finish split to claim 3rd in 1:20:30.

Marcello Rossi (4th, 1:22:19) and Mitch Horn (5th, 1:22:59) rounded out the top five, with Horn posting the 4th-fastest split on the 10M→10.5M segment — the same stretch where Kowada made his decisive move. Ryan Nealis (6th, 1:23:05) and Travis Lee (7th, 1:23:09) completed a tight local cluster, all three San Francisco residents finishing within 10 seconds of each other. In a field of 796, the top seven were well clear of the pack — and the story of the day belonged entirely to Kowada.