M70-74 Five-K: Greg Sheela Runs Away With It in Fresno

• Greg Sheela, 73, wins in 38:32 (12:24/mi), finishing more than two minutes clear of the field.
• Esmeraldo Arada takes 2nd in 40:46 — the only other finisher under 45 minutes.
• Tightest battle of the day: Rick Bahr (3rd, 43:27) and Mark Balcom (4th, 44:27) were separated by exactly one minute across 3.1 miles.
• Eight men, ages 70–74, toed the line in 74°F Fresno heat and every one of them finished.

Greg Sheela made the M70-74 race look straightforward. The 73-year-old from Kingsburg posted 38:32 at a 12:24-per-mile clip — brisk work in warm, clear conditions — and crossed more than two minutes ahead of Esmeraldo Arada of Clovis. That's a decisive margin in a 5K at any age, let alone against men in their early seventies.

Arada's 40:46 locked up 2nd place comfortably, but behind him things got interesting. Rick Bahr (Atherton) and Mark Balcom (Clovis) — both 71 — ran the back half of the podium nearly in tandem, finishing 3rd and 4th in 43:27 and 44:27 respectively. A minute over 3.1 miles is close enough to keep both men honest the whole way.

Charlie Nelson (5th, 50:22), Rod Kraft MD (6th, 55:12), and Dave Martin (7th, 57:25) filled out the middle of the pack, with Martin — the group's oldest finisher at 74 — crossing just under the hour mark. Ken Carter completed the eight-man field in 1:52:53, nearly double the time of the next finisher, but he got to the finish line, which is the point.