Fort Ord 25K Male Masters: Charmoz Takes the Win in Wet, Heavy Air

• Alex Charmoz (41, Idyllwild) won the Male Masters field in 2:13:39 — an 8:36/mi pace across 15.5 miles of Fort Ord trails.
• John Hiestand (57, Monterey) surged hardest late, climbing from 13th among men at the first checkpoint to 5th by the finish — the biggest mover on the podium.
• Gino Signoracci posted the 4th-fastest Skyline→Toro Creek split in the men's field before fading from 6th to 13th among men on the final leg.
• Roger Fabing (69, Lompoc) was the eldest finisher in the top 10, crossing in 2:48:00 at a 10:49/mi clip — remarkable in 91% humidity.

Alex Charmoz controlled the Male Masters race from the front, holding 4th among men through the early and middle checkpoints before surging to 3rd on the Toro Creek→Finish leg — where he also posted the 3rd-fastest split on that closing stretch in the entire men's field. His 2:13:39 gave him a four-minute cushion over second place, a margin that tells the story plainly: this wasn't a close race at the top.

The most dramatic story belonged to John Hiestand. The 57-year-old Monterey local was buried in 13th among men at the first checkpoint, moved to 11th by Toro Creek, then unleashed the 4th-fastest Toro Creek→Finish split among the men to rocket to 5th overall and claim 2nd in the Masters field at 2:17:49. Kris Kent (46, Pleasant Hill) rounded out the podium in 2:20:46, running a steadier race that held position from mid-field through to the finish.

The fourth-place battle offered its own intrigue. Gino Signoracci (43, Carmel) looked like a podium threat after posting the 4th-fastest Skyline→Toro Creek split in the men's field, sitting 6th among men at that checkpoint. But the final leg reversed his fortunes — he slipped to 13th among men on the run home, and Siddhartha Hamilton (56) passed him to finish 5th in the Masters field at 2:29:53.

With 57 finishers completing the course in damp, heavy air — 53°F and 91% humidity — the Masters field covered the full range from Charmoz's 8:36/mi to a pack of competitors working through 11-minute miles and beyond. Roger Fabing (69) standing 10th at 2:48:00 was a quiet highlight buried in the results: the oldest man in the top ten, still racing hard on the trails of Monterey.