M70-74: Yuanshan Pei Dominates in San Francisco

• Yuanshan Pei, 72, wins in 45:28 — a 14:38/mi pace that put more than four minutes between him and the rest of the M70-74 field.
• Donald Pitts (49:46) holds 2nd comfortably, while 3rd and 4th were decided by just four seconds — Michael Bonin (53:27) edging Gary McClenahan (53:31).
• Eight finishers completed the M70-74 race, ranging from Pei's 45:28 to Rajiv Kumar's 1:04:39.

Yuanshan Pei of South San Francisco made this one his own from the gun. His 14:38/mi clip through San Francisco's breezy, humid morning was a full 1:23/mi faster than anyone else in the M70-74 field, and the 4:18 margin he built over Donald Pitts by the finish line tells the story plainly: this was a wire-to-wire statement from a 72-year-old running in his own backyard.

Pitts, making the trip from Omaha, Nebraska, was the clear runner-up at 49:46 — a 16:01/mi average that kept him well clear of the battle unfolding behind him. That battle was a tight one: Bonin (San Jose, 53:27) and McClenahan (San Mateo, 53:31) were separated by just four seconds after more than 53 minutes of racing, with Bonin — at 74, the oldest finisher in the field — claiming 3rd. David Osgood (54:25) and Lee Jackson (54:49) rounded out the mid-pack within 24 seconds of each other, making positions 3 through 6 a genuine cluster across barely a minute of racing.

John Markley (Lancaster, PA) and Rajiv Kumar (Sunnyvale) crossed in 1:03:24 and 1:04:39 respectively, completing all eight M70-74 finishers on a cool but windy San Francisco morning. The 15 mph wind off the bay is no small thing at any age — and every one of these athletes got through it.