Two Cities Marathon 5K — F70-74: Farnesi Dominates in the Central Valley Heat

• Teri Farnesi won the F70-74 age group in 28:33 at a 9:11/mi pace — nearly seven minutes clear of 2nd place.
• Dale Huffman and Nancy Talley separated by just 2:08 for the 2nd and 3rd spots, the tightest battle on the podium.
• 14 women aged 70–74 finished the 5K on a warm 74°F morning in Fresno.
• The field spanned over 84 minutes from first to last, reflecting a wide range of paces across the group.

Teri Farnesi made the F70-74 race her own from the start. Her 28:33 finish at 9:11 per mile wasn't just a win — it was a statement. The gap back to Dale Huffman in 2nd was 6:53, a margin that speaks to how completely Farnesi controlled the morning. On a clear November day with temperatures already climbing toward 74°F, that kind of pace at age 70 is genuinely impressive.

Behind Farnesi, the real racing happened between Huffman and Nancy Talley. Huffman crossed in 35:26 (11:24/mi) to Talley's 37:34 (12:05/mi) — a 2:08 gap that kept things honest all the way to the finish. Mao Her rounded out the top four at 39:35, leaving just over two minutes between 3rd and 4th. The top half of the field was notably compact: five women finished within a 14-minute window from 2nd through 6th place.

The back half of the field told a different story. RoseMary Duran, the lone finisher from Merced, came in at 51:09, and Marcia Kraft followed at 55:11 — both completing the course at a deliberate pace in the morning warmth. Luz Newell, at 74 the oldest finisher in the group, crossed in 1:04:41. Every one of the 14 starters finished, which is the kind of result that matters just as much as the podium.