Shamrock'n 5K F55-59: Tracy Parrott Runs Away With It

• Tracy Parrott (1st, 21:54, 7:03/mi) won the F55-59 age group by 1 minute and 25 seconds — a commanding margin over a field of 110.
• Traci Seto (2nd, 23:19, 7:30/mi) was the clear runner-up, finishing well clear of 3rd place by nearly 3.5 minutes.
• Lena Avedissian (3rd, 26:46, 8:37/mi) claimed the final podium spot, with the gap from 3rd to 4th (Tina Hoffmann, 29:05) another 2:19 back.
• Tight battle at the back of the top ten: Rachel Moses (9th, 32:55) and Susan Nelsen (10th, 32:57) were separated by just two seconds.

On a crisp, clear March morning in West Sacramento — 54°F with a steady 8 mph breeze — the F55-59 age group sent 110 runners to the line, and Tracy Parrott wasted no time making her intentions clear. The 56-year-old from Sacramento crossed in 21:54 at a 7:03-per-mile clip, a pace that put her in a different race from everyone else on the course. Her margin of victory — 1:25 over second place — was never really in doubt.

Traci Seto of Wilton ran a strong and composed 23:19 (7:30/mi) to take second, holding a comfortable cushion over the rest of the field. Lena Avedissian, 55, from El Dorado Hills rounded out the podium in 26:46 (8:37/mi), with Tina Hoffmann of Mead, WA finishing 4th in 29:05 and Jean Hobler 5th in 30:34 to close out a well-spaced top five.

The most dramatic moment of the day came near the back of the top ten, where Rachel Moses (Loomis, 32:55) and Susan Nelsen (Sacramento, 32:57) finished just two seconds apart for 9th and 10th respectively — the tightest gap anywhere in the top 20. Just behind them, Martine Cermak (11th, 33:51) and Sandra Guzman (12th, 34:04) kept the competitive spirit alive, with Leslie Wilson (14th, 34:46) and Dawn Heins (15th, 34:48) separated by another whisker — two seconds — further down the order.