Santa Rosa 5K: Fiegel edges Ostlund in a razor-thin F70+ finish

• Bonnie Fiegel, 74, wins in 43:49 — just three seconds ahead of 81-year-old Karen Ostlund (43:52, 2nd).
• Kathi Glasshagel, 77, claimed 3rd in 44:32, completing a podium that spans ages 74 to 81.
• Polly Ann Johnston, 82, finished 12th in 53:32 — the oldest competitor in the F70+ field.
• 19 women finished across a range of 36:56 — from Fiegel's 43:49 to Mary Dalton's 1:20:45.

Three seconds. That's all that separated the top two finishers in the F70+ race on a cool, misty Santa Rosa morning. Bonnie Fiegel of South Lake Tahoe crossed in 43:49 at a 14:06/mi clip, holding off Karen Ostlund of Austin, TX — who at 81 ran 43:52 at 14:07/mi — to claim the win. The margin was as small as it gets, but the places are clear: Fiegel took it. What makes Ostlund's 2nd-place run especially striking is that she's seven years older than the winner, running stride for stride with her through the mist.

Kathi Glasshagel, 77, of Laguna Niguel rounded out the podium in 3rd with a 44:32 — 40 seconds back of Ostlund but well clear of 4th. Marlayne Williams, a Santa Rosa local, finished 4th in 45:24, and Deborah Mortenson (70) and Nancy Mitrick (81) ran closely together at 5th and 6th in 46:57 and 47:03, respectively — just six seconds apart in their own quiet battle.

The field spread out steadily from there. Virginia Cholez (75) went 7th in 49:21, while Susan Swan and Mareva Lemette — both Santa Rosa-area runners in their early 70s — finished 9th and 10th in 51:32 and 51:47. Polly Ann Johnston of Kelseyville, the field's oldest competitor at 82, finished 12th in 53:32 — a number worth pausing on.

The back half of the field brought its own determination. Deb Fitch (13th, 59:37) through Mary Dalton (19th, 1:20:45) covered the same 5K course under the same gray skies, with Dalton — a Santa Rosa local at age 70 — closing out the F70+ story in 25:59/mi. Every one of these 19 women toed the line and finished it.