M40-49 Solo Act: Badolato Owns the Age Group

• Chris Badolato, 48, claimed 1st in M40-49 with a finishing time of 2:02:05 — a 6:33/mi average over 30K of foggy Sacramento roads.
• Unchallenged from gun to tape, Badolato led the men's field at every checkpoint recorded.

The M40-49 group had exactly one finisher on Saturday, and he made it count. Chris Badolato of Reno, NV crossed in 2:02:05, sustaining a 6:33/mi pace through the fog and 93% humidity that blanketed the course. There were no rivals to beat in his age group, but the conditions — thick air, near-zero visibility — made the effort real regardless.

Badolato also posted the fastest split on the Out & Back→Lap 1 segment among the men, a detail worth noting in a field that extended well beyond his age group. He held the top spot in the men's standings from start to finish, never relinquishing it at any checkpoint. For a 48-year-old logging a sub-2:03 on a 30K in January fog, the performance speaks for itself — even if nobody in M40-49 was there to push him.