M80+ at Barks & Brews 5K: Ammon Leads Five Octogenarians Home

• Mike Ammon won the M80+ group in 27:04 — an 8:43/mi pace that put him well clear of the field.
• Ernie Takahashi claimed 2nd in 31:48, finishing 4:44 behind Ammon but a comfortable 9:57 ahead of 3rd.
• Chris Pantos, at 84 the oldest finisher in the group, crossed 4th in 49:07 — just 1:07 ahead of Ronald Young's 50:14 to close out the standings.
• All five men finished a warm Sacramento 5K under clear skies at 73°F — a full house in the M80+ group.

Mike Ammon made it look controlled from the start. Running 8:43 per mile, he built a lead that only grew over the course of the race, finishing in 27:04 — nearly five minutes ahead of the next man. At 80, that kind of sustained pace on a warm Memorial Day morning is worth appreciating on its own terms.

Ernie Takahashi held 2nd comfortably at 31:48, with a gap of nearly ten minutes separating him from Michael O'Haver in 3rd. O'Haver, also 80, came through in 41:45 at a 13:26/mi pace — a measured effort that left him well clear of the final two finishers.

The real drama in the M80+ group played out at the back. Chris Pantos of Penryn — at 84, the eldest of the five — crossed in 49:07, with Ronald Young of Sacramento just over a minute behind at 50:14. A 1:07 margin over 3.1 miles is a genuine race within the race, and Pantos held it together when it mattered. Young, running 16:10 per mile, gave it everything he had but couldn't quite close the gap before the finish line.

Five men, ranging from 80 to 84, completed a 5K in the Sacramento heat. That's the whole story — and it's a good one.