M75-79: Broach Claims the Age Group in Fresno Heat

• Thomas Broach, 76, took the M75-79 title in 1:09:35 (11:12/mi), finishing ahead of a tight two-man chase pack.
• David Goodwin, 78, was second in 1:11:15 — just 1:40 back — running 11:28/mi to push Broach the entire way.
• Ben Bergstrom, 75, rounded out the three-man group in 1:23:45 (13:29/mi), finishing 14:10 behind the winner.

Three men in their mid-to-late 70s lined up in Fresno on a warm November morning — 74°F and clear — and delivered a genuine race. Thomas Broach, the oldest of the top two at 76, set the tone from the gun. He moved steadily through the men's field across the back half of the course, gaining five places between the mile mark and the finish, and closed in 1:09:35 at 11:12/mi to claim the M75-79 title outright.

Right on his heels was David Goodwin, 78 years old and the elder statesman of the group. Goodwin ran 11:28/mi — a noticeably slower pace than Broach — but his 1:11:15 finish tells the story of a man who was very much in this race throughout. He also gained ground in the men's field over the final stretch, picking up seven places from the mile mark to the line. The 1:40 gap between first and second is the kind of margin that keeps a competitor thinking about what might have been.

Ben Bergstrom, 75, of Clovis, ran his own race at 13:29/mi, finishing in 1:23:45 for third in the age group. He faded slightly in the men's field over the final segment, but completing a 10K at this level of competition at 75 is worth noting on its own terms. The gap to Goodwin was 12:30 — the real contest up front had already been decided by then.