M60-69 at American River 50 - 10 Miler: Ferra Pulls Clear in Auburn Heat

• Joseph Ferra won the M60-69 group in 2:12:32 (13:15/mi), finishing more than 36 minutes ahead of runner-up Vince Bloom.
• Ferra's strongest stretch came late — he posted the 17th-fastest split on the Last Gasp→Finish segment in the men's field, closing hard when others faded.
• Vince Bloom held off Bruce Tidrick by 31 minutes for second, while the back half of the group was spread across nearly 75 minutes from first to fifth.
• The five M60-69 finishers ranged in age from 60 to 67, with the top two both aged 60.

Joseph Ferra set the tone for the M60-69 group from the outset, moving through the field steadily before uncorking his best running on the final stretch. His Last Gasp→Finish split ranked 17th among the men — a notable surge at the end of a 10-mile effort on a warm Auburn afternoon, with temperatures reaching 73°F and the sun fully out. His 13:15/mi average tells a story of controlled, purposeful racing.

Vince Bloom ran a solid second, climbing from 33rd to 29th in the men's field between checkpoints and logging the 29th-fastest Rattlesnake Bar→Last Gasp split among the men — a respectable mid-race push. He crossed in 2:48:47, holding a comfortable cushion over Bruce Tidrick of Modesto, who came through in 3:19:43. Tidrick actually dropped a spot in the men's field on that same segment, sliding from 29th to 37th, suggesting the middle miles took their toll in the heat.

Nathan Sorenson, 67, was the elder statesman of the group and ran a remarkably consistent race — holding 41st in the men's field across both measured checkpoints without budging. He finished fourth in 3:48:55. Tom Cooper of Citrus Heights rounded out the five in 4:03:52, equally steady at 42nd throughout, crossing 57 minutes behind Sorenson but completing what is no small feat on a clear, warm California day.