Two Cities Marathon 5K — F55-59: Solem Sets the Pace in Fresno

• Cheryl Solem won the F55-59 age group in 27:41 (8:55/mi), finishing nearly two minutes clear of the field.
• Janet Teixeira was the runner-up in 29:29 (9:29/mi), the only other finisher under 30 minutes.
• A tight battle for 3rd and 4th: Patricia Bloodgood edged Theresa Marquez Barboza, 33:22 to 34:08 — just 46 seconds apart.
• 32 women completed the F55-59 race, with times spanning from 27:41 to well past the hour mark.

Cheryl Solem, 57, of Clovis, owned this race from the start. Her 27:41 — an 8:55/mi clip — put clear daylight between herself and the rest of the F55-59 field. Janet Teixeira, 59, of Fresno, was the only one who came close, crossing in 29:29 at 9:29/mi. That 1:48 gap between first and second was the defining margin of the morning.

Behind the top two, the race got interesting in a hurry. Patricia Bloodgood (56, Clovis) and Theresa Marquez Barboza (58, Fresno) ran nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, separated by just 46 seconds at 33:22 and 34:08 respectively. Carol Dupras (56, Clovis) rounded out the top five in 36:11, with Marcie Lierly (55, Fresno) just 38 seconds back in 6th at 36:49.

Places 7 and 8 produced the day's tightest finish: Heidi Fiorentino (59, Fresno) crossed in 37:23, with Susan Jones (57, Fresno) just two seconds behind at 37:25. Further back, Cheryl Hurley (56, Clovis) finished 9th in 41:53, and a cluster of finishers between 46 and 57 minutes filled out the middle of the pack — Michele Locatelli, Christina Kaundart, and Yolanda Felton all arriving within a minute of each other around the 47-minute mark. All 32 women who toed the line in Fresno got it done.