M75-79 5K: Olson runs away with it in Napa's cold morning air

• David Olson (Berkeley, age 76) wins M75-79 in 31:56 — a commanding 10:17/mi pace on a 36°F morning.
• Olson's winning margin over runner-up Dick Montgomery: 5 minutes, 28 seconds.
• Dick Montgomery (Spencer, age 78) claims 2nd in 37:24 (12:02/mi), finishing more than 4 minutes clear of 3rd.
• Gary Cvach (West Linn, age 76) rounds out the three-man field in 41:39 at 13:24/mi.

Three men lined up for the M75-79 5K at the 2022 Napa Valley Marathon on a brisk Sunday morning — 36°F with barely a breath of wind — and David Olson wasted no time making the race his own. The 76-year-old from Berkeley crossed in 31:56, averaging 10:17 per mile, and the gap he built was never in doubt. His margin of victory — 5 minutes and 28 seconds — was decisive by any measure.

Dick Montgomery, the eldest of the trio at 78, earned a well-fought 2nd place in 37:24. Running 12:02 per mile in those cold conditions, Montgomery held a clear buffer over the field behind him, finishing more than four minutes ahead of 3rd place.

Gary Cvach of West Linn closed out the M75-79 field in 41:39, averaging 13:24 per mile. In a group of three, every finisher counts — and Cvach's effort across 3.1 miles on a cold March morning in Napa is its own story worth telling.