M35-39 at the Shamrock'n 10K: Riley Gardner Runs Away with It

• Riley Gardner won the M35-39 group in 35:20 — a 5:41/mi average that put more than 5 minutes of daylight between him and 2nd place.
• Anthony Burgos (40:50) and Vincent Khuu (44:21) rounded out the podium, with Khuu holding off Chris Allgood (44:32) by just 11 seconds for 3rd.
• Allgood was the group's strongest closer in the back half, moving from 27th to 23rd among men on the 5K-to-finish stretch — the best positional gain of any listed finisher.
• David Dakwa (44:56) faded slightly in the second half, slipping from 22nd to 25th among men, just enough for Allgood to sneak past him in the final standings.

On a clear, mild Sacramento morning — 56°F with a gentle breeze — the M35-39 group sent 97 men across the line, and Riley Gardner made the outcome look settled almost immediately. Running 5:41 per mile, the 38-year-old from Sacramento didn't just win; he posted the second-fastest men's split of anyone in the field on the back 5K, signaling he wasn't coasting to the tape. By the finish, no one in the age group was within shouting distance.

Behind Gardner, the real drama unfolded in the fight for 3rd. Vincent Khuu (36, West Sacramento) and Chris Allgood (39, Carmichael) were separated by just 11 seconds at the line — 44:21 to 44:32 — after Allgood spent the second half charging through the men's field. Allgood's closing split was the sharpest positional move among the top finishers, yet Khuu had built just enough of a cushion to hold on. Meanwhile, Dakwa at 5th (44:56) had the inverse experience, slipping a few spots in the final 5K after sitting comfortably in 22nd among men at the halfway mark.

Further back, the group's depth showed through the teens and twenties — eight men finished between 50 and 54 minutes, a tight cluster that made for plenty of quiet battles down the results sheet. With 97 finishers, the M35-39 group was a substantial field, and Gardner's winning margin of over five minutes stands as a decisive, numbers-backed statement on what a great day looks like at 5:41 pace.