San Francisco 10K: Jefts Takes M65-69 in a Battle of the Bay

• Bobby Jefts wins in 54:30 (8:46/mi), the only finisher to break 55 minutes in the M65-69 field of 18.
• Closest battle of the day: Ahmet Yucel (4th, 58:41) and David Mitchell (5th, 58:51) — just 10 seconds apart after 6.2 miles.
• Top-three spread: Just over three minutes separated Jefts (54:30) from Doug Fraleigh (3rd, 57:33), with George Musante (2nd, 55:11) slotting neatly in between.
• Field range: From Jefts' 8:46/mi to Bernard Henry's 1:56:00 finish (18:40/mi), the M65-69 group spanned more than an hour of racing.

Bobby Jefts made the trip from Eagle River, Alaska count. The 66-year-old crossed in 54:30 at 8:46/mi — the only man in the M65-69 field to crack the 55-minute barrier on a cool, overcast San Francisco morning. His margin over runner-up George Musante was 41 seconds, a gap that tells the story of a lead that was never seriously threatened in the final miles.

Musante, 68, from nearby San Mateo, ran a composed 55:11 (8:53/mi) to claim second, while fellow 68-year-old Doug Fraleigh of Fresno took third in 57:33 (9:16/mi). The gap from second to third — just over two minutes — was actually wider than the gap from first to second, suggesting Musante ran a strong and steady race rather than fading into the podium.

The sharpest duel in the field played out just off the podium. Ahmet Yucel (65, San Jose) and David Mitchell (66, Austin) ran each other to near exhaustion, finishing 4th and 5th in 58:41 and 58:51 respectively — 10 seconds across 6.2 miles. John Ulrich (6th, 1:00:13) and Harry Mita (7th, 1:01:26) were not far behind, keeping the middle of the field genuinely competitive.

At the back, Andrei Roschkowsky (17th, 1:36:57) and Bernard Henry (18th, 1:56:00) showed that finishing a 10K in San Francisco at 65-plus, in any time, is a result worth noting. Henry's 18:40/mi pace suggests a tough day on the city's demanding streets, but he got it done.