M40-44 at the Kaua'i Marathon: Lloyd Runs Down the Field

• James Lloyd won the M40-44 group in 3:22:40 (7:44/mi), climbing from 13th to 7th among men by the halfway point and holding that position to the finish.
• Blain Bucao was the early mover, surging from 14th to 10th among men in the first half before settling into 2nd in M40-44 at 3:29:57 — 7:17 back of Lloyd.
• David Bierman made the biggest positional climb of the day, moving from 38th to 17th among men across the race to claim 3rd in M40-44 at 3:37:41.
• The top five were separated by just 21:32, while a significant gap opened to 6th-place Reed Arrott (3:52:19) and beyond.

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In 77°F heat with thick humidity hanging over Poipu, James Lloyd of nearby Koloa ran a controlled and quietly relentless race. He entered the men's field at 13th, moved to 11th by the midpoint, and cracked the top 10 among men by the time the course reached its final miles — finishing 7th in the men's field overall. His 7:44/mi average was the class of the M40-44 group and gave him a 7:17 cushion over second place.

Blain Bucao of Lihue was the aggressor in the opening half, climbing four spots among men to reach 10th before the halfway mark. He couldn't quite sustain that pace over the back half — slipping two spots in the men's field — but 3:29:57 was more than enough to secure 2nd in M40-44. David Bierman of Astoria was the day's quiet charger: starting deep in the men's field at 38th, he worked steadily forward all day, posting one of the stronger closing splits in the group to land 3rd at 3:37:41. Adam Shaffer ran a remarkably steady race by comparison, barely moving in the men's standings from start to finish and coming in just 50 seconds behind Bierman at 3:38:31.

Behind the top five, the field spread out considerably. Reed Arrott's 3:52:19 put him comfortably clear of 7th through 19th, a group that ranged from Kyle Otsuka's 4:13:53 to John Samson's 6:56:57 — a testament to the range of challenges this course and this heat can present to a field of 19.