Masters Women's Half: Sears Conquers the Redwoods in 2:59

• Laura Sears (San Gregorio, CA) wins the Masters Women's race in 2:59:10 at a 13:40/mi pace — the only finisher to crack three hours.
• Ashley Hendrix (Carrollton, GA) climbs from 16th to 13th among all women by the finish, posting the 14th-fastest Skyline 1→Skyline 2 split in the women's field to lock up 3rd in Masters Women.
• Rhea Tombropoulos (Woodside, CA) — racing on home turf in Woodside — nearly erases a two-second gap to Hendrix with the 11th-fastest Skyline 2→Finish split among women, finishing 4th in 3:06:01, just two seconds back.
• Kathryn Kelly (Redwood City, CA), 66, finishes 7th in 3:23:45 — one of the standout age-story performances in a field that spans from 40 to 66.

Laura Sears made the most of the cool, clear morning through Huddart County Park and Purisima Creek Redwoods, running the only sub-three-hour time in the Masters Women's field. Her 2:59:10 — at 13:40/mi through terrain that doesn't forgive anyone — gave her a 2:44 cushion over Emily Garrison (2nd, 3:01:54, 13:53/mi). Sears also moved from 12th to 9th among all women through the middle segment, her 10th-fastest Skyline 1→Skyline 2 split helping her pull clear.

Garrison held her position steadily at 10th among all women through most of the race before finishing 11th, crossing in 3:01:54 for a comfortable second in the Masters Women's standings. Behind her, the battle for the final podium spot was settled by Ashley Hendrix, who made one of the more impressive positional moves of the day — entering the women's field in 16th and climbing to 13th by the finish — to claim 3rd in 3:05:59.

The closest finish of the day came right behind her: Rhea Tombropoulos, racing in her hometown of Woodside, posted the 11th-fastest Skyline 2→Finish split among women and nearly ran Hendrix down, finishing 4th in 3:06:01 — a two-second margin after more than three hours on trail. Helena Hartwell rounded out the top five in 3:09:35.

Further back, Amy McMullen and Anne-Laure Chaillou crossed 9th and 10th in identical displayed times of 3:28:58 — though the places confirm McMullen edged across the line first. Lidia Fiandeiro (San Jose, CA), 60, completed the course in 5:28:29, finishing every one of the 14 starters.