Two Cities Marathon 5K — F55-59: Flores Dominates in Fresno Heat

• Lila Flores won the F55-59 age group in 28:44 (9:15/mi), finishing more than 3 minutes and 17 seconds clear of the rest of the field.
• Stephanie Castillo and Diana Millhollin both crossed in 32:01 at 10:18/mi — same clock time, but the results gave Castillo 2nd and Millhollin 3rd by the finest of margins.
• Patricia Bloodgood claimed 4th in 33:40, with the next four finishers — Ogawa, Millhollen, Russell, and Sosa — spread across just under 2:24 from 5th through 8th.
• All 37 finishers completed the course under a clear Fresno sky with temperatures at 74°F — not ideal racing weather for a November morning.

Lila Flores made the F55-59 race her own from the start. Her 28:44 wasn't just a win — it was a statement, nearly a quarter-mile ahead of anyone else in the age group by the time she crossed the line. Running 9:15 per mile through the Fresno heat, the 57-year-old from Clovis left no drama at the front.

The real intrigue played out just behind her. Stephanie Castillo and Diana Millhollin — both 55, one from Fresno and one from Clovis — ran the entire 5K in lockstep, finishing in an identical 32:01. The timing system ultimately separated them by a sliver, awarding Castillo 2nd and Millhollin 3rd, but in any practical sense these two ran each other to a standstill. Patricia Bloodgood in 4th was another 1:39 back, and then Jennifer Ogawa and Alice Millhollen traded blows through the 35-minute range to round out the top six.

Further back, a tight cluster from 7th through 9th — Tracey Russell (36:48), Carmela Sosa (37:34), and Sandra Lee (38:12) — compressed into less than 90 seconds, while Gemma Jebril and Cheryl Hurley pushed into the 41–42 minute range to close out the top ten. With 37 women finishing across a span of more than 23 minutes, the F55-59 group showed plenty of depth on a warm November Sunday in Fresno.