Broken Arrow 23K M70-79: Dave McNaughton Owns the Field

• Sole finisher and champion: Dave McNaughton, 73, of Defiance, MO, crossed in 6:02:44 — the only man to toe the line and finish in the M70-79 field.
• Closing stretch: McNaughton posted the 351st-fastest split in the field on the High Camp→Finish segment among women tracked in that split — a marker of steady, grinding momentum to the line.
• Conditions: Cool at 57°F with light wind, but the course climbs to nearly 8,834 ft — thin air that demands respect at any age, let alone at 73.

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There's a version of race day that involves competition, rivals, and a finishing kick to hold off a charging field. Dave McNaughton's version was something different: a solo mission into the mountains above Lake Tahoe, just a man and a course that tops out near 8,800 feet, with nothing but the clock to race against.

At 73 years old and representing Defiance, MO, McNaughton was the only entrant to finish in the M70-79 field — which makes him both first and last, champion by merit and by sheer presence. His 6:02:44 finish, averaging 25:23 per mile across 23 kilometers of Palisades terrain, reflects what this course demands: sustained effort over technical, high-altitude ground where the thin air alone can turn legs to lead.

The moves data tells a quiet story of consistency. McNaughton tracked between 355th and 358th in the men's field through the middle of the race before edging back up to 356th by the finish — not fading, not surging dramatically, just holding the line across a brutal stretch of Sierra Nevada skyline. On the High Camp to Finish segment, he ranked 351st in the field on that closing split — a respectable push when the finish line was finally in sight.

Finishing a 23K skyrace at altitude is an achievement that doesn't need a rival to validate it. McNaughton showed up, went the distance, and claimed the M70-79 crown at Broken Arrow 2025. That's the whole story — and it's a good one.