M65-69 5K: Marchini Rojas Runs Away With It in Napa's Cold Morning Air

• Carlos Marchini Rojas, 68, wins in 42:05 — a 13:33/mi pace that put more than three minutes between him and the rest of the M65-69 field.
• Tight battle for second: Francisco Gutierrez Rodriguez (45:21) and Stephen Vance (45:56) were separated by just 35 seconds across 3.1 miles.
• Back of the pack: William Doherty (57:19) and Brendan Daly (57:51) finished fourth and fifth, 32 seconds apart.

With temperatures sitting at 36°F and a light breeze off the valley, five men toed the line in the M65-69 race at the 2022 Napa Valley Marathon 5K — and Carlos Marchini Rojas, of San José, made the cold air look like no obstacle at all. The 68-year-old crossed in 42:05, running a 13:33/mi pace that no one in this group could match. His winning margin over second place was 3:16 — a gap that tells a story of front-running dominance from the gun.

Behind him, the real drama unfolded between Francisco Gutierrez Rodriguez and Stephen Vance. Gutierrez Rodriguez, 66, traveling from Ciudad de México, secured second in 45:21 at a 14:36/mi pace. Vance, a local Napa runner aged 68, came in third at 45:56 — a 14:47/mi effort. Those 35 seconds represent a genuine chase, with Vance unable to quite reel in his rival over the short course.

Further back, William Doherty of Vallejo finished fourth in 57:19 (18:27/mi), with Concord's Brendan Daly rounding out the five-man field in 57:51 (18:37/mi). The 32-second gap between them mirrored the closeness seen up front, bookending a race that featured two tight battles separated by a wide gulf in the middle. Marchini Rojas, meanwhile, was simply in a different race entirely.