M40-44: Renaldo Williams Runs Away From the Field in San Francisco

• Renaldo Williams wins in 20:59 (6:45/mi), nearly a minute clear of the field in a 64-man race.
• Charles Mosner (21:54) and Sam Slee (22:01) battle for the podium — just 7 seconds separate 2nd from 3rd.
• Alex Leenson holds 4th in 23:23, then a 2:52 gap opens before Tristan Lopes (26:15) and Brice Cloyd (26:18) duel for 5th — only 3 seconds between them.
• 15 of the top 20 finishers are Bay Area locals, with the notable exception of Mike Grant (8th, 27:35) making the trip from Albuquerque.

Renaldo Williams made this one look clean from start to finish. The 44-year-old San Franciscan crossed in 20:59 at a 6:45/mi clip — 55 seconds ahead of the next man — on a breezy 60°F morning along the waterfront. That gap isn't a photo finish; it's a statement. In a field of 64, Williams simply ran a different race than everyone else.

Behind him, Charles Mosner and Sam Slee — both also 44, both San Francisco locals — waged a genuine battle for the podium. Mosner came through in 21:54 (7:03/mi) to claim 2nd, with Slee just 7 seconds back in 22:01 (7:05/mi). Those paces tell the story of a real chase: Slee was pushing, but Mosner held him off. Alex Leenson (4th, 23:23, 7:32/mi) ran a solid race of his own, though a 1:22 gap to Slee meant the podium was never really in reach.

Further back, the race offered its own drama. Tristan Lopes (5th, 26:15) and Brice Cloyd (6th, 26:18) were inseparable — a 3-second margin after more than 3 miles of racing at 8:27 and 8:28/mi respectively. Nick Aiwazian (7th, 27:06) and Mike Grant (8th, 27:35) rounded out a tight mid-pack cluster, with Sergio J. Ríos Nijdam crossing 9th in 27:55 — the lone international entrant in the top ten, making the trip from Fuengirola, Spain. David Patterson (10th, 28:21) closed out the top ten, with 54 more finishers filling out a deep M40-44 field on a characteristically cool San Francisco morning.