M70-74: Sheela Dominates as Eight Septuagenarians Take on Fresno

• Greg Sheela, 73, wins the M70-74 group in 38:32 (12:24/mi), finishing more than two minutes clear of the field.
• Esmeraldo Arada takes 2nd in 40:46 — a 2:14 gap back to Sheela, but a solid 2:41 ahead of 3rd.
• Rick Bahr and Mark Balcom ran nearly in lockstep, separated by just one minute (43:27 vs. 44:27) for the 3rd and 4th spots.
• Eight M70-74 runners finished on a warm November morning in Fresno — 74°F and clear skies, no small feat at this age group.

Greg Sheela made the M70-74 race look straightforward. The 73-year-old from Kingsburg crossed in 38:32 at a 12:24-per-mile clip, building a margin that nobody in the group could seriously threaten. Esmeraldo Arada of Clovis gave the most credible chase, finishing 2nd in 40:46 — but Sheela had already been done for over two minutes by then.

Behind Arada, the real drama played out between Rick Bahr (Atherton) and Mark Balcom (Clovis), both 71, who ran what amounted to a private race within the race. Bahr edged it in 43:27 to Balcom's 44:27 — a clean one-minute verdict for 3rd place. Charlie Nelson of Madera rounded out the top five in 50:22, with Rod Kraft MD (55:12) and Dave Martin (57:25) following in 6th and 7th.

Ken Carter completed the M70-74 field in 1:52:53 — a time that reflects a pace of 36:20 per mile, suggesting he may have faced a very different kind of challenge on the course than his competitors. Whatever the circumstances, finishing is finishing, and all eight men who toed the line in Fresno delivered.