Susan Empey Dominates the F50-54 Half Marathon in Napa

• Susan Empey, 53, wins in 1:28:49 — a 6:47/mi pace that left the field nearly 10 minutes behind.
• Lan Shen (1:38:32) edges Raeleigh Harris (1:38:34) for second — just two seconds separated them at the line, though Harris ran the stronger closing stretch.
• Brooke Hewson surges late: she entered the final 6.9-mile stretch ranked 190th among women and finished 148th — the biggest mover in the closing miles among the top finishers.
• Beth Popler fades: sitting 87th among women at the 6.9-mile mark, she slipped to 125th by the finish, posting the 182nd-fastest closing split among women.

In cold, damp conditions — 37°F and 87% humidity at the start — Susan Empey ran a commanding race through the Napa Valley. Her 6:47/mi average was in a class of its own among the 119 women in the F50-54 field, and she held 20th place among all women through the 6.9-mile mark before finishing 21st — a remarkably consistent run from wire to wire. Her 22nd-fastest closing split among all women confirmed she didn't just survive the back half; she pushed through it.

The battle for second was one of the tightest of the day. Lan Shen (50, Arcadia) crossed in 1:38:32 to claim second, but Raeleigh Harris (50, Truckee) was right on her heels in 1:38:34 — two seconds and two places settled by a hair. Notably, Harris actually ran the faster closing segment, posting the 61st-fastest women's split on the back half compared to Shen's 70th. Shen built enough of a cushion in the first half to hold on; Harris made up ground but couldn't quite close the gap.

Further back, the closing miles told two very different stories. Brooke Hewson (54, Unionville) was one of the most impressive movers in the field, climbing from 190th among women at 6.9 miles all the way to 148th by the finish with the 111th-fastest closing split among women — earning 5th in the F50-54 standings with a 1:48:16. Beth Popler (51, San Carlos) had the opposite experience, fading from 87th to 125th in the women's field over those same miles on her way to a 1:46:21 finish and 4th place.

Rounding out the top ten: Stacie Dirito (1:48:26), Tami Blasius (1:48:30), Cathy Nugent (1:50:42), Lynn Frise (1:52:35), and Yolanda Loya (1:52:52) — a tight cluster between 6th and 10th, separated by just over four minutes across the group.