Shamrock'n 5K F70-74: Nasseri Runs Away With It

• Mahnaz Nasseri, 72, wins in 38:55 (12:32/mi) — more than three minutes clear of the field.
• Closest battle of the day: Carol Kudow (3rd, 49:41.56) and Kathy Kato (4th, 49:41.86) — separated by just 0.30 seconds at the line.
• Mari Kral, Marilyn Chin, and Joyce Adams finished 17th, 18th, and 19th in a remarkable three-way cluster: Kral in 1:09:58, Chin in 1:09:59.04, and Adams in 1:09:59.27 — all three within 1.27 seconds of each other.
• 22 women aged 70–74 finished the Shamrock'n 5K on a cool, clear Sacramento morning.

Mahnaz Nasseri of Carmichael made the F70-74 race her own from the outset, crossing in 38:55 at a 12:32/mi clip — a pace that put her more than three minutes ahead of Jean Orpin (2nd, 42:06, 13:33/mi). Orpin, in turn, finished well clear of the rest of the field, with the next finisher not appearing until nearly the eight-minute mark after her.

The race's most dramatic moment came at 49:41, where Carol Kudow of Sacramento (3rd) and Kathy Kato of Lathrop (4th) essentially arrived together — split by just 0.30 seconds after 3.1 miles. Both are credited with 49:41 on the clock, but Kudow edged it. Catherine Bannerman (5th, 56:11) and Chrys Larson (6th, 56:15) then produced their own tight pairing, separated by just four seconds.

The back of the field delivered one of the most eye-catching finishes of the morning. Mari Kral (17th, 1:09:58), Marilyn Chin (18th, 1:09:59.04), and Joyce Adams (19th, 1:09:59.27) completed the 5K within 1.27 seconds of one another — three women in their seventies finishing nearly as one. All 22 finishers in the F70-74 group deserve credit for toeing the line on a breezy 54-degree morning in West Sacramento and seeing it through.