M0-19 at the Santa Rosa Marathon 5K: Magsano Leads a Deep Young Field

• Jaydrek Andre Magsano, 19, wins in 20:37 — a 6:38/mi pace that put 36 seconds of clear air between him and the rest of the M0-19 field.
• Tightest battle of the day: Tommy Harris Jr. (11 years old) and Kassius Lopez finished 3rd and 4th in 22:04 and 22:05 — one second apart after 3.1 miles.
• Youngest top-10 finisher: Evan King of Petaluma, just 8 years old, crossed in 26:43 (8:36/mi) to claim 10th in a field of 48.
• 48 finishers came through in the M0-19 field, ranging from an 8-year-old to 19-year-olds — one of the widest age spreads of any group on the course.

Jaydrek Andre Magsano of Napa set the tone from the start, running a composed 6:38/mi to finish in 20:37 and win the M0-19 race outright. Benjamin Bautista of Pacifica gave chase and earned a strong 2nd in 21:13 — a 6:50/mi effort that would have topped most fields, but Magsano's lead was simply too large to close.

The real drama unfolded in the fight for the final podium spot. Tommy Harris Jr. — 11 years old, from Cotati — ran a 7:06/mi pace to cross in 22:04, edging 16-year-old Kassius Lopez of Willits by a single second. That one-second margin is what separates bronze from fourth after more than three miles of racing. Diego West of Santa Rosa rounded out the top five in 22:11, just six seconds back, making it four runners within seven seconds of each other from 3rd through 5th.

Nery Hernandez of Ukiah closed out the top six in 22:29, and then the field spread out — Brandon Pedraza (7th, 24:20) and Abel Steinberg (8th, 25:02) led the next wave. But the story that deserves its own mention: Evan King of Petaluma, age 8, running 8:36 miles to finish 10th overall in the M0-19 field in 26:43. In a race full of teenagers, that's a number worth remembering.