M70+ at the Santa Rosa 10K: Jenkins Dominates a Local Showdown

• Steven Jenkins wins in 55:19 — an 8:54/mi pace that put him nearly 3:30 clear of the field.
• Ken Grabenauer finishes 2nd in 58:46, the only other man under the hour mark.
• Kevin Teuscher and Edwin Riddle battle to the closest finish of the day — separated by just 31 seconds (1:03:16 vs. 1:03:47) for 3rd and 4th.
• Don Barlow, 78, travels from Austin, TX to complete the field in 1:29:37 — the eldest finisher by four years.

Eight men 70 and older toed the line in Santa Rosa on a cool, drizzly Saturday morning — and Steven Jenkins, running on home turf, made it look like his race from the start. His 8:54/mi average was a full 33 seconds per mile faster than runner-up Ken Grabenauer, and the gap tells the story cleanly: Jenkins crossed in 55:19 while Grabenauer, also a Santa Rosa local, came home in 58:46. Two men under an hour, and daylight between them and everyone else.

The most compelling battle in the M70+ field played out just behind Grabenauer, where Kevin Teuscher (1:03:16) and Edwin Riddle (1:03:47) ran each other to the wire. Both are 74, both finished within a minute of each other, and 31 seconds is a tight margin over 6.2 miles. Teuscher held the edge for 3rd, with Riddle taking 4th at 10:16/mi. David Greene rounded out the top five in 1:10:05.

Pervie McAlpin and Bryan Chan ran together through much of the back half of the field, finishing 6th and 7th in 1:19:42 and 1:20:27 respectively — 45 seconds apart after more than an hour of racing. Closing out the M70+ field was Don Barlow of Austin, TX, who at 78 is four years older than the next eldest finisher. His 1:29:37 on a wet morning in Northern California is worth the trip alone.