Fort Ord 50K M60-69: Gang Qin Dominates, 27 Minutes Clear

• Gang Qin won the M60-69 group in 5:52:16 — an 11:20/mi pace across 31 miles of Fort Ord terrain.
• Ramiro Garcia took 2nd in 6:19:37, finishing 27:21 behind Qin but a comfortable 40:52 ahead of 3rd.
• Michael Glover (65, Jackson, WY) and Peter Chan (67, Fremont, CA) separated by just 13:17 in the battle for 3rd and 4th.
• Five finishers completed the M60-69 field, ranging from age 61 to 67.

Gang Qin made the M60-69 race his own from the opening miles. Starting conservatively among the men's field, he was 49th among men at the first checkpoint — but that was the last time anyone would question his trajectory. By the halfway point he had climbed to 31st among men, and he kept pressing, reaching 13th among men by the finish. That kind of sustained, progressive move through a 50K field is a statement. His 5:52:16 at 11:20/mi set a bar none of his M60-69 rivals could approach.

Ramiro Garcia ran a steadier, more measured race. He moved efficiently through the men's field — from 26th at the first checkpoint all the way up to 17th by mid-race — before settling back to 19th at the line. His 6:19:37 was a solid effort, and he posted the 14th-fastest split on the First Half segment among the men, a sign he came out with real intent early.

The race for 3rd had its own intrigue. Michael Glover of Jackson, WY held a narrow edge over Peter Chan through most of the back half, and his 29th-fastest Second Half split among the men helped him close in 7:00:29. Chan (7:13:46) couldn't quite close the gap despite posting the 32nd-fastest split on the Toro Creek–to–Finish segment. Mihai Bulea, also 67 and from San Jose, rounded out the group in 7:31:16, having shown some early life with the 28th-fastest Sandstone 1→Sandstone 2 split among the men before fading through the closing miles.