Men's 10K: Williams Seizes the Lead and Never Looks Back

• Elijah Williams wins in 33:56 (5:28/mi), overtaking early leader Anthony Cortes between the 1-mile and 5K marks and holding the front all the way home.
• Cortes holds strong for 2nd in 34:23, with Christian Santana rounding out the podium in 34:58 — the top three separated by just over a minute.
• Courtney Curtis, 43, finishes 5th in 37:03 — a remarkable result made sharper by the fact that he stood on this same podium in both 2024 (2nd, 36:34) and 2025 (2nd, 36:09).
• Jrake Soliman, age 15, clocks 37:53 for 8th place at 6:06/mi, while 13-year-old Owen Evans posts a 40:18 for 11th — two of the youngest standouts in a men's field of 377.

Anthony Cortes came out of the gun as the early leader among the men, holding the top spot through the first mile. But Elijah Williams, the 21-year-old Fresno native, had other plans. Between the 1-mile and 5K marks, Williams posted the 2nd-fastest men's split of that stretch — enough to move from 2nd to 1st — and from there he was untouchable, crossing in 33:56 at a 5:28/mi clip. Cortes, who ran the 3rd-fastest men's split over that same stretch, held his composure and locked in 2nd at 34:23. Christian Santana ran a steady, wire-to-wire 3rd — never dropping a place — and finished in 34:58, posting the 3rd-fastest men's split from 5K to the 5.2-mile mark for good measure.

The battle for 4th and 5th told its own story. Jordan Barajas, 22, moved up from 5th at the mile to claim 4th by the finish in 36:48. Right behind him, Courtney Curtis — 43 years old and clearly not done competing — climbed from 7th at the mile all the way to 5th, finishing in 37:03 with the 6th-fastest men's split on the back half. Curtis has now finished 2nd here in back-to-back years (2024 and 2025); today he dropped a spot on the podium but proved again he belongs at the front of the men's race. Michael French (6th, 37:21) and Zachary Flores (7th, 37:29) rounded out a tight cluster just behind.

Among the broader field, 15-year-old Jrake Soliman's 8th-place finish at 37:53 stands out, as does 13-year-old Owen Evans finishing 11th in 40:18. Cool temperatures and a brisk 13 mph wind made for honest racing conditions, and the men's field of 377 delivered a front-to-back result full of real competition.