M70+ at Jed Smith Ultra Classic 50K: Jankowski Runs Away With It

• Tony Jankowski won the M70+ group in 6:25:41 (12:25/mi), finishing nearly 48 minutes clear of second place.
• Carl Jacob held second comfortably, crossing in 7:13:52 — but the real drama was behind him.
• Gary Aguiar and Eric Poulsen were separated by just 17 seconds at the finish — 7:53:28 to 7:53:45 — after 31 miles of racing.
• All four finishers were 70 or older, with Eric Poulsen (74) the eldest of the group.

Tony Jankowski made the M70+ race his own from the outset. The 73-year-old from Concord averaged 12:25 per mile across the full 50K, a clip that left the field behind well before the final laps. His gender standing hovered consistently in the upper 20s throughout, drifting no more than a place or two in either direction — a sign of a controlled, even effort rather than a late surge. When it was over, his 6:25:41 stood nearly 48 minutes ahead of second place. In a four-man field, that's a commanding solo performance.

Carl Jacob (also 73, from Novato) ran a steady race of his own to claim second in 7:13:52. His gender standing actually improved over the back half of the race — moving from 36th to 33rd — suggesting he found a rhythm as others faded. At 13:58/mi, he was consistent and composed through Sacramento's foggy, humid morning.

The story of third place, though, belonged to the final 17 seconds. Gary Aguiar, 70, from El Cerrito, and Eric Poulsen, 74, from Sebastopol, ran the entire race in lockstep — both holding 37th or 38th in the men's field from the very first checkpoint to the last. Aguiar crossed in 7:53:28, Poulsen in 7:53:45. Seventeen seconds after more than seven and a half hours of running. Aguiar's best segment came on Lap 2 into Lap 3; Poulsen had his strongest showing on the final push to the finish line — but it wasn't quite enough to overturn the gap. Third went to Aguiar, fourth to Poulsen, and both can hold their heads high.