SF Marathon 10K: Mercedes Acosta Owns the F80+ Field

• Sole finisher and champion: Mercedes Acosta, 82, crossed in 1:36:56 at a 15:36/mi pace.
• Local pride: Acosta is a San Francisco native racing on home streets.
• Consistent effort: She held her position through the back half, completing the 5K→Finish segment to seal the win.

There is only one name in the F80+ field at the 2026 San Francisco Marathon 10K, and that name is Mercedes Acosta. The 82-year-old San Franciscan toed the line, ran her race, and crossed the finish in 1:36:56 — which makes her not just the winner but the entirety of the F80+ story this morning.

At 15:36 per mile through a 60°F morning with a stiff 15 mph wind off the bay, Acosta covered the full 10K course and finished it. That is the whole and complete fact of the matter, and it deserves to be stated plainly: on a day when most people were watching from the sidewalk, an 82-year-old ran 6.2 miles through San Francisco and finished. First place, only place, and every bit of it earned.