SF Marathon 5K — NB35-39: Kane Claims the Crown

• Em Kane (35, Oakland) won the NB35-39 race in 31:58 (10:17/mi), posting the 3rd-fastest women's split on the 2.5K-to-finish stretch.
• Michelle Forrester (38, Toronto) held 2nd in 32:25, just 27 seconds back — the closest battle of the four-woman field.
• Sagar Dherai (35, Fremont) rounded out the podium in 33:45 (10:52/mi), 1:20 behind Forrester.
• Mars Machenet (38, SF) finished 4th in 49:06, completing the race at a 15:48/mi pace.

Em Kane crossed the line first in the NB35-39 field, finishing in 31:58 at a 10:17/mi clip across the breezy San Francisco streets — 17 mph winds off the bay made every mile a negotiation. Her 3rd-fastest women's split on the back half of the course showed she was pressing all the way to the tape, not coasting to a comfortable win.

Right behind her, Michelle Forrester made the trip from Toronto worth it, finishing 2nd in 32:25. The 27-second gap between 1st and 2nd was the tightest margin in the four-woman field, and Forrester's 10:26/mi average kept the pressure on Kane throughout. Sagar Dherai (35, Fremont) ran a steady race to take 3rd in 33:45, finishing 1:20 behind Forrester and holding her position among the women throughout the race.

Mars Machenet, racing on home turf in San Francisco, wrapped up the field in 4th with a time of 49:06. She crossed the line and completed what was, for all four athletes, a genuine effort through one of the sport's most iconic urban courses.