M75-79: Bryan Henry Holds Off Francis Rodriguez in a Two-Man Battle Through Wine Country

• Bryan Henry, 76, of Angwin, CA, won M75-79 in 4:48:17 (10:60/mi avg), the only finisher in this field to break five hours.
• Francis Rodriguez, 76, of Santa Clara, CA, finished 2nd in 5:59:10 (13:42/mi avg) — a gap of over 70 minutes separating the two.
• Henry's strongest relative segment came on the 13.1M→16.2M stretch, where he posted the 784th-fastest men's split in the field; Rodriguez's best relative showing on the 16.2M→20M segment ranked 1,010th among men.
• Both men are 76 years old, racing 26.2 miles along the Silverado Trail through Napa Valley's vineyards.

With just two finishers in M75-79, this was an intimate duel — two 76-year-olds covering the point-to-point course from Calistoga to Napa on a cool, humid Sunday morning. Bryan Henry set the tone early and never relinquished the lead, running a steady 10:60/mi to cross in 4:48:17. His men's field position fluctuated through the middle miles — drifting back as far as 922nd among men at one checkpoint — but he kept his own race, and his time stood comfortably clear of the field's only other finisher.

Francis Rodriguez ran a different kind of race. His pacing of 13:42/mi reflected a more measured approach across the 26.2 miles, and his men's field position actually improved notably between the 16.2M and 20M marks — moving from 1,108th to 1,044th among men — before settling back to 1,131st at the finish. That mid-race surge showed real competitive grit, even if the gap to Henry was never in doubt.

The margin between them — 1 hour and 10 minutes, 53 seconds — tells the full story of the M75-79 race. Henry's win was decisive, Rodriguez's finish was hard-earned, and both deserve credit for covering one of California's most scenic marathon courses at 76 years old.