SF Half Marathon NB55-59: Javier De Loza Owns It

• Sole finisher and winner: Javier De Loza, 58, Cotati, CA — 2:34:57 (11:49/mi avg)
• Best segment: 7th-fastest non-binary split on the 8M→9.6M stretch
• Gender place progression: moved from 20th to 18th among non-binary runners by the 8M mark, then held that position through the finish

Javier De Loza came to San Francisco and did what no one else in the NB55-59 field did: he showed up and finished. On a cool, breezy morning — 59°F with 14 mph winds cutting through the city — De Loza covered the 13.1 miles in 2:34:57, averaging 11:49 per mile to claim the top spot in the NB55-59 field by virtue of being its only finisher.

That said, there's a real performance worth noting here. De Loza didn't just cruise through the miles — he made a move. Between miles 8 and 9.6, he posted the 7th-fastest non-binary split on that segment across the entire non-binary field, a stretch where he clearly found another gear. It was enough to climb from 20th to 18th among non-binary runners, a position he locked in and never surrendered through the final miles of the race.

At 58 years old, racing the streets of San Francisco in the wind and humidity, De Loza crossed the line as the definitive NB55-59 champion. Sometimes a field of one still tells a story worth telling — and his is a finish line reached, a segment surged, and a title earned.