Santa Rosa Marathon 5K — F70+: Thurber Leads a Remarkable Field at 80

• Joyce Thurber, 80, wins in 39:19 (12:39/mi), holding off Patricia Banks by 32 seconds in a tight battle at the front.
• Karen Ostlund, 82, and Polly Ann Johnston, 83, and Claire Villa, 89 all finish — Villa's 1:00:09 at age 89 is the standout number on the results sheet.
• 18 women toe the line in the F70+ field, ranging in age from 70 to 89 — a 19-year span of competitors.
• The top three finish within 81 seconds of each other, with Laura Roney's 40:40 rounding out a closely contested podium.

Joyce Thurber of Orange, CA didn't just win the F70+ field — she did it at age 80, crossing in 39:19 at a 12:39/mi clip. That's a genuine statement. Patricia Banks of Union City pushed her the whole way, finishing just 32 seconds back in 39:51, and Laura Roney of Santa Rosa — running on home turf — completed the podium in 40:40. Three women, 81 seconds separating them, all north of 70 years old. That's a race within a race.

Behind the podium, Kathi Glasshagel (78, Laguna Niguel) came in 4th at 42:52, and Bonnie Fiegel (75, South Lake Tahoe) was 5th in 45:35. Then came Karen Ostlund — 82 years old, making the trip from Austin, TX — finishing 6th in 46:07. At 82, Ostlund is outrunning women a decade younger elsewhere on the results sheet, and that deserves a moment.

The back of the field tells its own story. Polly Ann Johnston of Kelseyville, 83, crossed in 57:40 for 13th place. And then there's Claire Villa of Novato — 89 years old — finishing in 1:00:09 at a 19:22/mi pace for 15th. Let that land: an 89-year-old completed a 5K race. Virginia Harris (70) and Stella Winckler (72) followed, with Nanette Escueta (70) rounding out all 18 finishers in 1:15:07.

On a mild 63°F morning in Santa Rosa, this F70+ field put on a quiet masterclass in what it means to show up and race. Thurber takes the win, but every single one of these 18 women earned their finish.