M75-79: Broach Takes the Title in a Battle of Fresno Locals

• Thomas Broach (76) won the M75-79 group in 1:09:35, averaging 11:12/mi across the 10K.
• David Goodwin (78) finished 2nd in 1:11:15 — just 1:40 behind Broach, the closest battle of the group.
• Ben Bergstrom (75) rounded out the three-man field in 1:23:45, finishing 12:30 back of Goodwin.
• All three men gained places in the men's field over the final stretch, each moving up between the 1-mile mark and the finish.

Three men lined up for the M75-79 10K in Fresno on a warm November morning — 74°F and clear skies — and what unfolded was a tight two-man contest at the front between a pair of hometown runners. Thomas Broach, 76, and David Goodwin, 78, ran within striking distance of each other for much of the race, with Broach ultimately pulling clear to win in 1:09:35 at an 11:12/mi clip.

Goodwin, two years Broach's senior, made him earn it. The 78-year-old crossed in 1:11:15 — a gap of just 1 minute and 40 seconds — and both men showed real strength in the back half of the race. Broach moved from 260th to 233rd in the men's field between the 1-mile mark and the finish, gaining 27 places on the closing stretch. Goodwin similarly advanced from 261st to 247th over that same segment, picking off 14 spots. That kind of late movement, in the heat, at their ages, is worth noting.

Ben Bergstrom, 75, of Clovis completed the M75-79 field in 1:23:45, averaging 13:29/mi. He finished 12:30 behind Goodwin and also moved up in the men's field late — from 289th to 288th — crossing the line as the youngest of the three but the furthest back on the clock. Still, finishing a 10K at 75 in conditions like these is a result in its own right.