M30-34 at CIM 2024: Kool Runs It Down in the Final Miles

• Steven Kool wins in 2:18:30 (5:17/mi), the fastest time in the M30-34 group across a 998-man field.
• Podium gap: Oscar Viquez (2:19:08) finished 38 seconds back; Dillon Breen (2:20:30) a further 1:22 behind — a clear, decisive 1-2-3.
• John Vodacek, the biggest mover: entered the men's field around 111th at the first checkpoint and climbed all the way to 49th by the finish, posting the 12th-fastest split in the field on the 40K-to-finish stretch.
• Rouleau vs. Augsten: separated by just 6 seconds at the line (2:22:31 vs. 2:22:37) after 26.2 miles, the tightest battle on the day.

Steven Kool of Sunnyvale didn't lead wire-to-wire — his moves tell a more interesting story. He sat around 47th among men at the first checkpoint, gradually worked his way forward, and by 40K had climbed to 29th. He crossed the line 31st among men, running 5:17/mi across a mild December morning in Sacramento. The win was earned over the back half of the race, not gifted at the gun.

Oscar Viquez (San Jose, 2:19:08) held a remarkably consistent line throughout, hovering between 38th and 42nd among men at every checkpoint before finishing 38th — a model of even-effort racing that nearly paid off with the group title. Dillon Breen (San Diego, 2:20:30) was similarly steady, though he faded slightly in the final stages, slipping to 43rd among men by the finish. His best segment came between 30K and 35K, where he posted the 37th-fastest split in the field on that stretch.

The race's best late surge belonged to John Vodacek of Woodbury, MN. Starting well back in the men's field, he spent the entire race reeling people in — and his 40K-to-finish split was the 12th-fastest in the field at that stage, a remarkable close that lifted him to 4th in M30-34. Just behind him, Marc-Antoine Rouleau and Karl Augsten — both representing Canadian cities — ran each other into the ground over 26.2 miles and arrived just 6 seconds apart, Rouleau (Vancouver) edging Augsten (Squamish) for 5th.