Masters Women 10K: DuBay dominates on a misty Santa Rosa morning

• Catherine DuBay, 60, wins in 44:47 — a 7:12/mi pace that put 1:28 of daylight between her and 2nd place.
• Ann Thrupp, 66, claims 3rd in 48:30 — the oldest athlete on the podium, running 7:48/mi to hold off a pair of women in their early 50s.
• Tight mid-pack battle: Yaneyra Pellascini (4th, 49:22) and Carrie Hunt (5th, 49:35) finished just 13 seconds apart in a field of 161.
• Heather Chernoh bridges the gap: 2nd place in 46:15 at 7:27/mi — a full minute and a half behind DuBay, but nearly two minutes clear of the rest of the podium.

In cool, misty conditions — 60°F and a thick 91% humidity — the Masters Women's field of 161 got a masterclass from Catherine DuBay. The 60-year-old Santa Rosa local ran a composed 7:12/mi to finish in 44:47, a margin of 1:28 over Heather Chernoh that was never seriously threatened. DuBay's performance stands out not just for the win, but for the age at which she delivered it, outpacing a field that skewed considerably younger.

Chernoh, 42, from Ukiah, was the clear runner-up at 46:15, running 7:27/mi to hold second place comfortably. The real drama on the podium came from Ann Thrupp, 66, of Sebastopol, who ran 7:48/mi for a 48:30 finish and 3rd place. Thrupp's podium is the kind of result that earns a second look — at 66, she was outrunning dozens of athletes decades younger.

Just off the podium, Yaneyra Pellascini (51, Santa Rosa) and Carrie Hunt (44, Santa Rosa) staged a quiet duel through the humidity, finishing 4th and 5th in 49:22 and 49:35 respectively — a gap of just 13 seconds across 6.2 miles. Andrea Guzman (6th, 51:17) and Shannon Schiller (7th, 52:22) rounded out a strong top seven before the field spread into the 54–58 minute range for places 8 through 10.