M30-39: Svahn Dominates a Two-Man Showdown in Auburn

• Kevin Svahn won the M30-39 age group in 1:28:12 (8:49/mi), finishing well clear of the only other finisher.
• Will Mccloskey completed the course in 3:00:24 (18:02/mi), more than 92 minutes behind Svahn.
• Svahn posted the fastest Last Gasp→Finish split in the men's field, closing the race with authority.
• Just two runners finished in M30-39 on a clear, mild morning in Auburn.

With only two runners toeing the line in the M30-39 age group at the American River 50 - 10 Miler, this was less a competition than a tale of two very different days on the course. Kevin Svahn, 32, from Alta Loma, made his intentions clear early and never wavered — he held 1st among men from start to finish and crossed in 1:28:12, averaging a crisp 8:49 per mile over the 10-mile course.

What made Svahn's performance particularly sharp was how he finished. On the closing Last Gasp→Finish segment, he posted the fastest split of any man in the field — a strong exclamation point on an already commanding run. On a calm 61°F morning with barely a breath of wind, conditions were about as cooperative as they get, and Svahn took full advantage.

Will Mccloskey, 33, from Auburn, had a far tougher afternoon. He completed the course in 3:00:24 — more than 92 minutes behind Svahn — averaging 18:02 per mile, suggesting a difficult stretch somewhere on the route. To his credit, he got to the finish line, which on a 10-mile trail race with a segment called "Last Gasp" is never a given. Mccloskey held 14th among men throughout, and his closing split ranked 14th among men on that final stretch as well — consistent, if grinding, to the end.