M70-74: Fischer dominates, seven septuagenarians finish strong in West Sacramento

• Gerhard Fischer, 73, wins the M70-74 group in 46:26 (7:28/mi) — nearly 10 minutes clear of the field.
• Steverino Jenkins (56:08) and Robert Mathews (56:44) battle for 2nd and 3rd, separated by just 36 seconds after 10 kilometers.
• Steve Swindel is the group's mover in the back half, climbing from 498th to 475th among men on the 5K-to-finish stretch.
• All seven M70-74 finishers crossed the line on a clear, mild morning in West Sacramento — a full and competitive age group.

Gerhard Fischer made the M70-74 race his from the outset. The 73-year-old Sacramento native crossed in 46:26 at a 7:28/mi clip — a pace that left the rest of the group well behind and placed him comfortably among the men's field overall. His 9:58 margin of victory over 2nd place was the defining number of the morning in this age group.

Behind Fischer, the real drama played out between Steverino Jenkins of Santa Rosa and Robert Mathews of Sacramento. Jenkins, 70, came through in 56:08 (9:02/mi) to claim 2nd, with Mathews, 72, finishing 3rd in 56:44 (9:08/mi). Those 36 seconds tell a story of a close race — though notably, Mathews ran the second half at a slightly slower pace, as Jenkins held him off with a stronger 5K-to-finish split.

Shane Berli (4th, 1:10:36, 11:22/mi) and Steve Swindel (5th, 1:15:20, 12:07/mi) filled out the middle of the group, with Swindel actually gaining ground among the men's field in the back half — moving from 498th to 475th — suggesting he found another gear after the midpoint. Rick Soulsby of Stockton finished 6th in 1:25:22 (13:44/mi), and Tim Shelley, the group's eldest at 74, rounded out the seven with a 1:28:39 finish at 14:16/mi — every one of them earning their finish on a brisk St. Patrick's Day weekend morning.