San Francisco Half Marathon: Faith Wells Owns the F75-79 Field

• Faith Wells, 75, wins F75-79 in 2:53:03 (13:12/mi), more than 27 minutes clear of the only other finisher.
• Carol Turner, 77, finishes 2nd in 3:20:29 (15:18/mi) — two years older than the winner and still covering 13.1 miles through San Francisco's hills.
• Wells gained ground late, climbing from 1,667th to 1,623rd among women across the race's checkpoints — a net gain of 44 places in the women's field.
• Turner held remarkably steady, drifting only one place in the women's field from start to finish — 1,842nd at the first checkpoint, 1,843rd at the end.

Just two women lined up in the F75-79 field on a cool, humid San Francisco morning, but the performances they put in deserve every bit of recognition. Faith Wells, 75, from West Vancouver, BC, set the pace from the start and never relinquished it, crossing in 2:53:03 at a 13:12/mi clip — a commanding margin that left no doubt about who owned this field.

Wells was quietly on the move throughout the race. She entered the women's field at 1,667th place at the first checkpoint and worked her way forward, settling at 1,623rd by the finish — a gain of 44 places among all women on the course. On the final stretch from 11.45 miles to the finish, she posted the 1,516th-fastest closing split among women, a strong finish to cap a controlled effort.

Carol Turner, 77, of Newark, CA, brought her own story to the start line — two years older than Wells and every bit as determined. She came home in 3:20:29 at a 15:18/mi pace, 27 minutes and 26 seconds behind the winner. What stands out about Turner's race is its consistency: she ran from 1,842nd to 1,843rd among women — barely a flicker across the entire course. Her closing split, 1,763rd-fastest among women from 11.45 miles in, reflected a steady, measured effort held together from gun to tape.

In a field of two, every finisher matters, and both Wells and Turner showed exactly what it looks like to race the San Francisco Half Marathon at 75 and 77 years old.