M65-69 at Barks & Brews 5K: Painting Leads the Pack

• John Painting won the M65-69 group in 21:39 (6:58/mi), posting the strongest finish in a field of 11.
• J Shane Curren was 25 seconds back at 22:04 (7:06/mi), with his best relative work coming on the 2M→3M stretch where he clocked the 78th-fastest split among the women's field.
• Steve Ashe held 3rd in 23:59 (7:43/mi), while John Feeney was 43 seconds further back in 4th at 24:42 — a gap that stayed largely stable through the second half.
• The spread from 1st to 5th was under five minutes; from 5th to 11th, it ballooned to nearly 54 minutes.

On a clear Sacramento morning — 68°F with a 14 mph breeze keeping things honest — John Painting ran a composed 21:39 to take the M65-69 title at 6:58 per mile. His strongest relative showing came on the 1M→2M segment, where he logged the 80th-fastest split in the women's field, and he held his position steadily through the back half to finish ahead of every one of his age-group peers.

J Shane Curren gave chase throughout, pulling back ground on the men ahead of him in the broader race across the middle miles. His 2M→3M leg was his sharpest segment — the 78th-fastest among women on that stretch — and he crossed in 22:04, 25 seconds shy of Painting. Steve Ashe (23:59) and John Feeney (24:42) rounded out the top four, separated by 43 seconds but both well clear of Brian Malone's 26:30 in 5th.

Behind the top five, the race spread out considerably. Jeff Olson (31:12), Robert Bardini (36:50), David Brotman (39:20), Allen Barnes (40:35), and David Alltop (42:29) each finished their 5K and earned their post-race brew. Glen Harada brought it home in 1:20:42 — every finisher counted, and on a holiday weekend in Sacramento, getting all 11 across the line is the full story.