M70+ Half Marathon: Sullivan leads wire-to-wire at Jed Smith

• Douglas Sullivan, 72, wins in 1:52:02 (8:33/mi), the fastest time in the M70+ group by more than 11 minutes.
• Kitt Flynn, 73, takes 2nd in 2:03:04 — a 9:24/mi average in dense Sacramento fog.
• James Raia, 71, completes the trio in 3:17:18, finishing more than an hour behind the leader.
• Three men, three very different races — spread across 1:25:16 from first to last.

Douglas Sullivan set the tone from the opening miles and never let up. The 72-year-old from Larkspur ran a composed 8:33/mi through the fog along the American River, building a lead that held all the way to the finish. His 1:52:02 wasn't just a win — it was a dominant one, with more than 11 minutes of daylight between him and second place by the time the tape broke.

Kitt Flynn, 73 and the oldest man in the M70+ group, made it a genuine race for the runner-up spot. His 2:03:04 at a 9:24/mi clip was a solid effort in heavy humidity, and he held his position steadily through the Out & Back and into Lap 1, finishing a clear and comfortable second. At 73, running a sub-2:04 half marathon in fog and 93% humidity deserves its own moment.

James Raia, the youngest of the three at 71, had a tougher afternoon. His 3:17:18 — a 15:04/mi average — suggests something may have gone sideways after the early miles; he held a steady position throughout the race but was working on a very different clock than his two competitors. Still, he crossed the line and owns a finisher's result at Jed Smith, which is no small thing at any age.

Three men aged 71 to 73 lining up for 13.1 miles in cold Sacramento fog — that's the M70+ story at this year's Jed Smith Ultra Classic. Sullivan took it decisively, Flynn ran with grit, and Raia saw it through to the end.