Two Cities Marathon 5K — M75-79: Kraus Runs Away With It

• Bernie Kraus (1st, 26:28) finished more than 8 minutes ahead of the field, averaging 8:31/mi at age 78.
• Ed Borjas (2nd, 34:56) and David Cortez (3rd, 36:08) were separated by just 72 seconds in a tight battle for the podium.
• Benjamin Duran (4th, 52:20) and Gurdas Singh (5th, 53:25) — both running 17-minute-per-mile territory — finished within 65 seconds of each other at the back of the five-man field.

Bernie Kraus made this one look easy. The 78-year-old from Clovis crossed in 26:28, averaging 8:31 per mile — a pace that would be respectable in almost any age group, let alone among runners in their late 70s. His margin of victory over second place was 8 minutes and 28 seconds, effectively turning a competitive race into a solo time trial from the gun.

Behind him, Ed Borjas and David Cortez staged the race's most compelling battle. Borjas, 76, came in at 34:56 and an 11:15/mi clip, while Cortez — three years his senior at 79 — pushed hard at 11:38/mi to finish at 36:08. The 72-second gap between them tells the story of a genuine tussle for second place, with the oldest man in the field refusing to give ground easily.

At the back of the M75-79 field, Benjamin Duran (4th, 52:20, 16:51/mi) and Gurdas Singh (5th, 53:25, 17:12/mi) kept things interesting in their own right. The Merced and Clovis runners were separated by just 65 seconds across 3.1 miles, making theirs the closest finish of the day. All five men in this group deserve credit for toeing the line — the oldest finishers were both 79 years old, and they were still racing.