M70-74: Mitchell Runs Away With It in Fresno

• Jeff Mitchell, 73, won the M70-74 group in 1:18:09 — a 12:35/mi pace across the 10K.
• Salvador Ramirez finished 2nd, nearly seven minutes back at 1:25:02 (13:41/mi).
• Kirby Schlotterback, the youngest of the three at 70, placed 3rd in 1:43:47 — 18:45 behind Mitchell.
• All three were moving through the men's field in the early going before the final stretch reshuffled positions.

Three men in their seventies lined up in Fresno on a warm November morning — 74°F, clear skies — and Jeff Mitchell made sure there was no suspense about who owned the M70-74 group. The 73-year-old from Kingsburg covered the 10K at 12:35 per mile, finishing in 1:18:09 and leaving nearly seven minutes of daylight between himself and the field.

Salvador Ramirez, 71, of Madera ran a composed 1:25:02 to claim 2nd. He was never a threat to Mitchell's lead, but he was equally clear of 3rd — an 18:45 gap separated him from Kirby Schlotterback when it was all over. Schlotterback, a 70-year-old Fresno local, crossed in 1:43:47, averaging 16:42 per mile. He was the only one of the three who lost ground through the men's field over the final stretch, slipping back in the closing kilometer while Mitchell and Ramirez both moved forward.

With just three finishers, the M70-74 story is straightforward: Mitchell was dominant, Ramirez was solid, and Schlotterback gutted it out to the line. The margins were large enough that no position was ever truly in doubt, but finishing a 10K at 70-plus in any time is worth the trip to the start line.