M75-79 Half Marathon: Stearns Leads a Four-Man Charge Through San Francisco

• Tim Stearns, 78, wins in 2:40:29 (12:15/mi), taking the M75-79 title by more than nine minutes over runner-up George Sayegh.
• George Sayegh, 79, finishes 2nd in 2:49:46 (12:57/mi) — the oldest in the four-man field and still under 2:50.
• Lawrence George, 77, claims 3rd in 3:00:30 (13:46/mi), crossing just past the three-hour mark.
• DeWayne McMullin, 76, rounds out the field in 3:32:49 (16:14/mi), finishing a full 32 minutes behind Stearns.

Four men in the M75-79 field toed the line in San Francisco on a breezy 59°F morning — and all four crossed the finish line. That alone is worth noting. Tim Stearns of Mt. Shasta led the group wire to wire, and his 12:15/mi average was the class of the field. His gender place tracking tells a story of steady, controlled effort: he drifted back slightly through the middle miles but held his position remarkably well through the final stretch, even posting a strong split on the 9.6M–10M segment.

George Sayegh, at 79 the oldest man in the group, came in 2nd in 2:49:46. Running 12:57/mi across 13.1 miles at 79 years old in San Francisco's hills and 14 mph wind is no small thing, and Sayegh's gender place was notably consistent from start to finish — barely moving across all eight checkpoints. Lawrence George of Potomac, MD, finished 3rd in 3:00:30, running 13:46/mi. He faded slightly through the back half, drifting back in the field from the midpoint onward, but held on to break the three-hour barrier.

DeWayne McMullin of La Cañada Flintridge ran the most measured race of the four, posting a 16:14/mi average and finishing in 3:32:49. His gender place was almost eerily stable across every checkpoint — barely shifting from start to finish — suggesting a patient, even-effort approach that carried him to the line. In a field of four, on a hilly San Francisco course with real wind at their backs and in their faces, every finisher earned it.