F75-79: Roslyn Smith Runs Away With It in Sacramento

• Roslyn Smith won the F75-79 age group in 4:09:59 — a 9:32/mi pace that put her 1:35:25 clear of second place.
• Deborah Hammond held off Ursula Uhlir for second, finishing in 5:45:24 vs. Uhlir's 5:56:52 — a gap of 11:28.
• Smith's lead among the women's field actually grew across every checkpoint, moving from 1,499th to 1,741st — a sign she was running a steady, controlled race as others around her faded.
• Uhlir posted the 2,844th-fastest split among women on the 40K-to-finish stretch, showing she had something left in the closing miles.

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Three women lined up in the F75-79 age group at the 2024 California International Marathon, and Roslyn Smith, 76, of Comox, BC, made the outcome clear early. Running a crisp 9:32-per-mile average, Smith crossed in 4:09:59 — a margin of over an hour and a half over the field behind her. That kind of separation doesn't happen by accident; it's the product of a pace that simply belonged in a different race than what the other two were running.

Behind Smith, the real contest was between Deborah Hammond of Tacoma and Ursula Uhlir of Fair Oaks — both 75 — trading positions in the women's field throughout the race. Hammond was the more consistent mover, briefly gaining ground on the women around her between the 10K and 15K marks, while Uhlir drifted back slightly through the middle miles before steadying. In the end, Hammond held second in 5:45:24 (13:10/mi) and Uhlir rounded out the podium in 5:56:52 (13:37/mi).

Uhlir's strongest relative moment came late — her 40K-to-finish split was her best segment of the day measured against the women's field, suggesting she found another gear when it mattered least for the standings but most for personal pride. On a mild December morning in Sacramento — 59°F, barely a breeze — all three finishers got the conditions they needed to get the job done.