M80-99: Cortez Takes the 5K, Two Fresno Legends Finish Strong

• David Cortez, 80, won the M80-99 group in 35:11 — an 11:19/mi pace across the full 5K.
• Ken Neufeld, 82, completed the race in 46:54 — a 15:06/mi pace — to claim 2nd in the group.
• The two Fresno locals were the only finishers in M80-99, and both crossed the line on a warm, clear November morning.

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It was a small field and a big achievement. In the M80-99 age group, David Cortez and Ken Neufeld — both from Fresno — were the only two to toe the line, and more importantly, both finished. At 74°F with barely a breath of wind, the conditions were manageable but not easy for a 5K at this stage of life.

Cortez, the younger of the two at 80, set the pace that mattered. His 35:11 finish at 11:19 per mile was a controlled, purposeful effort — the kind of running that earns a winner's spot outright. He crossed 11 minutes and 43 seconds ahead of Neufeld, a gap that reflects a meaningful difference in pace on the day.

Neufeld, two years Cortez's senior at 82, had the harder task and met it. His 46:54 — 15:06 per mile — represents genuine grit. There's no participation trophy in finishing a 5K at 82; there's just the clock, and Neufeld answered it.

Two men, both in their ninth decade, both from the same city, both finishing a road race. The M80-99 group may have had just two entries, but the story it tells is straightforward: they showed up, they ran, and they finished. That's the whole point.