Shamrock'n 5K M70-74: Nishimura Runs Away With It

• Lou Nishimura won the M70-74 group in 23:13 (7:28/mi), finishing over two minutes clear of 2nd place.
• Ron Souza claimed 2nd in 25:14 — a solid 8:07/mi at 72 years old — with Titus Toyama rounding out the podium in 29:31.
• The group of 13 spanned nearly 44 minutes from first to last finisher, reflecting a wide range of paces across the field.

Lou Nishimura set the tone from the start and never let up. His 7:28/mi average is a genuinely quick clip for any age group, and in the M70-74 field it was in a class of its own. The gap to Ron Souza — 2:01 — tells the story cleanly: Nishimura wasn't just the best here, he was the best by a comfortable margin on a crisp, clear morning in West Sacramento.

Souza deserves his own moment. Running 8:07/mi at 72 is no small thing, and his 25:14 was a composed, confident effort that kept third place well behind him. Titus Toyama, also 70, crossed in 29:31 to complete the podium, nearly four and a half minutes back of Souza but clear of the rest of the field.

Behind the top three, Duane Davis (39:14) and Russell McMahon (45:42) separated themselves from a tight cluster of 70-year-olds — Scott Edwards (47:04) and Gary Campbell (47:13) were just nine seconds apart at the line. The back half of the field stretched out considerably, with Lorenzo Sifuentes edging Tom Walker by nine seconds in 1:06:54 to close out the group in 13th. All 13 finishers got it done, which on a 54°F morning with a bit of wind, is worth noting on its own.