Run the Parkway 20 Miler: Bella Almaraz owns the F70-74 field

• Solo champion: Almaraz was the only finisher in the F70-74 age group, crossing in 4:25:31 at a 13:17/mi average across 20 miles.
• Strong closing stretch: She posted the 209th-fastest split among women on the Mile 16-to-Finish segment, a meaningful push through the final miles.
• Steady climb through the women's field: After dipping to 284th among women at one checkpoint, she rallied to finish 262nd — recovering 22 places from her low point.

Bella Almaraz, 72, of Sacramento made the F70-74 age group entirely her own at Run the Parkway, and she did it the hard way — 20 miles in Folsom's November warmth, with temperatures reaching 74°F and humidity sitting at 59%. Those aren't forgiving conditions for a long effort, and a 4:25:31 finish at 13:17 per mile tells the story of someone who managed the day with discipline.

The race unfolded with a bit of mid-race turbulence. Almaraz sat 272nd among women early, slipped back to 284th through a middle checkpoint, then began methodically reeling in competitors. By the finish she had climbed to 262nd in the women's field — a net gain of 10 places from her opening position, and a recovery of 22 from her lowest point. That kind of second-half movement over 20 miles isn't accidental.

The closing segment told the same story. Her Mile 16-to-Finish split ranked 209th among all women in the race — a sign that she was still running with purpose when many others were simply surviving the final stretch. For a 72-year-old covering 20 miles in warm, humid conditions, that finishing kick is the detail worth remembering.