Half Marathon NB25-29: Medina Stands Alone

• Sole finisher: Drew Medina, 26, of San Francisco completed the NB25-29 race in 2:56:51 (13:29/mi).
• Consistent women's field position: Held 5th among the women from start to finish.
• Standout mid-race segment: Posted the 5th-fastest women's split on the 2.95M–5M stretch.

Drew Medina owned the NB25-29 race from gun to tape — because she was the only one there to own it. The 26-year-old San Francisco local crossed in 2:56:51 at 13:29 per mile on a cool, humid Sunday morning, the overcast skies and 60°F temperatures offering as friendly a San Francisco summer day as runners could hope for.

Within the broader women's field, Medina was a fixture in 5th place, never drifting from that spot at any checkpoint. The most telling moment came on the 2.95-to-5-mile stretch, where she clocked the 5th-fastest women's split on that segment — a sign she was running with genuine purpose through that middle portion of the course, not simply ticking off miles.

Racing your own city's marquee half marathon is its own kind of statement, and Medina made it on home turf.