M70+ at Jed Smith Ultra Classic 50K: Hayes Dominates a Tough Day in Sacramento

• Todd Hayes, 74, wins M70+ in 6:20:15 (12:14/mi), finishing nearly 30 minutes clear of the field.
• Michael Zygaczenko takes 2nd in 6:50:32, holding off Carl Jacob by nearly 17 minutes for the runner-up spot.
• Carl Jacob rounds out the podium in 7:07:23 — the steadiest race of the four, holding his position unchanged throughout.
• Four finishers completed the M70+ field on a cold, wet Sacramento morning: 51°F, light rain, and 14 mph wind.

Todd Hayes made the M70+ race his own from start to finish. The 74-year-old from San Jose crossed in 6:20:15 — nearly a half-hour ahead of the next man — averaging 12:14 per mile across 31 miles of wet, windy conditions that would have tested athletes half his age. He moved steadily through the men's field as the race wore on, climbing from 17th among the men early to 15th by the final stretch before settling 19th at the finish, a reflection of how the broader field reshuffled in the closing laps.

Michael Zygaczenko of Brentwood ran a measured race to claim 2nd in 6:50:32 (13:13/mi). He moved fluidly through the men's field in the middle laps, briefly climbing as high as 19th among the men before finishing 21st — a solid, consistent effort. Carl Jacob from Novato was the picture of consistency: 23rd among the men at every single checkpoint, never drifting a spot in either direction, crossing in 7:07:23 to take 3rd.

Steve Jaber of Mill Valley had the hardest day of the four, finishing in 8:17:26 at 16:01/mi — more than an hour behind Hayes. But finishing a 50K in those conditions at 73 years old is its own achievement, and Jaber did exactly that, holding 24th–25th among the men through the final miles and getting it done.