Two Cities Marathon 10K — F35-39: Roque Runs Clear in the Central Valley Heat

• Yesenia Roque won the F35-39 group in 51:44 (8:20/mi), posting the 21st-fastest women's closing split from mile 1 to the finish.
• Erika Kuehn MD was the day's biggest mover — entering the final stretch 57th among women and surging to 21st, a gain of 36 places on the back half to claim 2nd in 53:05.
• Yamili Matias and Michelle Donovan each made dramatic charges late, climbing from 65th and 97th among women respectively to finish 4th and 5th in the age group.
• A tight cluster of six women — places 6 through 11 — finished within 65 seconds of each other, between 56:28 and 57:42.

Seventy-four degrees and clear skies in Fresno made for honest, unforgiving conditions, and Yesenia Roque of Clovis handled them best. She crossed in 51:44 at an 8:20-per-mile clip, a full 1:21 ahead of the field's runner-up and enough cushion that no one seriously threatened her down the stretch. Her 21st-fastest women's closing split confirmed she wasn't just sitting on a lead — she was still pushing.

The race's most compelling subplot belonged to Erika Kuehn MD. Kuehn was buried in 57th among women at the one-mile mark, a position that would have buried most podium hopes. Instead she ran the 22nd-fastest women's split from mile 1 to the finish, reeling in 36 competitors to take 2nd in 53:05. Laura Ledesma rounded out the podium in 54:35, though she ran in the opposite direction — entering the final segment 21st among women and fading to 27th, still holding 3rd in the age group comfortably.

The late-race surge was a theme throughout the F35-39 field. Matias climbed 26 spots among women in the back half; Donovan climbed 56. Their finishing times of 55:38 and 56:09 suggest a group that went out conservatively and found another gear. Behind them, the battle for 6th through 11th was relentless — Laura Dotta, Esmeralda Ruiz, Erica Ypma, Mayra Diaz, Samantha Payseno, and Sarah Valentino all finished within 65 seconds of one another, none of them able to shake the others loose across 6.2 miles.