M80+ Marathon: Fifteen Legends Cover 26.2 in Long Beach

• Winner finished in 2:02:00 at a 4:39/mi average pace, topping a field of 15 in the M80+ division.
• 3rd place posted the fastest finish time of any M80+ finisher at 1:43:02 (3:56/mi) — yet placed third, a reminder that timing finer than the displayed clock decided the order.
• Armando Soto of Granada Hills, CA crossed 9th in 4:57:07 (11:20/mi); Hoo Chung of Los Angeles, CA completed the field in 15th at 5:56:42 (13:36/mi).
• The spread from first to last was nearly four hours — 2:02:00 to 5:56:42 — across a 15-runner M80+ field on a warm, humid Long Beach morning.

There is something clarifying about watching a group of athletes aged 80 and above line up for a full marathon. Fifteen of them did exactly that on October 5th in Long Beach, in 72°F heat with 73% humidity — conditions that would test runners of any age. The winner covered the distance in 2:02:00 at a 4:39/mi clip, a pace that would be impressive in almost any field. Second place followed in 2:51:02 (6:31/mi), with third rounding out the podium in 1:43:02 at a blistering 3:56/mi average.

The mid-pack told its own story. Fifth place (2:54:40, 6:40/mi) held a strong position early — sitting second among women through the opening stretch — before a significant fade on the 13.1M-to-20M segment dropped them deep into the field by the finish. Fourth place (3:04:37, 7:02/mi) was steadier, holding a consistent position throughout and finishing in just over three hours. Places sixth through eighth clustered between 3:30:20 and 3:39:26, all running in the 8:00–8:22/mi range.

The back half of the field stretched out across the afternoon. Armando Soto of Granada Hills brought it home 9th in 4:57:07, and Hoo Chung of Los Angeles closed out the M80+ field in 15th at 5:56:42 — nearly six hours on his feet. Every finisher here earned the clock they got.