Greetings everyone! Here is our penultimate monthly recap of the year. This recap includes the final two races of the cross country season, turkey trots, CIM prep, and much more! Thank you for getting out there and representing the club so well at races near and far; lets carry this momentum into December and 2026!

Pacific Association 2025 Cross Country Final Points and Placing

The River City Rebels always competes in our Northern California chapter of the USA Track and Field Cross Country (XC) Championship. Here is a roundup of both Team and Individual points and placings this season. Great job and well done to everyone who ran cross country this season!

Note we have needed to score older runners in younger age groups for the sake of fulfilling the minimum team requirement for team scoring; hence the reason a single runner may have points in multiple age groups.

Our 50+ Men’s team came in 7th out of 10 teams with 30 points!

The 60+ Men’s team finished 5th out of 12 teams with 51 points!

The 70+ Men’s team placed 4th out of 9 teams with 61.5 points!

Ruben Rodriguez came in 53rd place with 310 points in the 50+ age group and 29th place in the 60+ Age group!

John Gibson placed 55th in the 50+ age group with 308 Points!

Shane Curren placed 68th in the 50+ age group with 214 points and 26th place in the 60 year old age group!

Michael Tiska completed the season in 76th place in the 50+ age group with 195 points!

Gilbert Machado earned 81st place with a total of 186 points in the 50+ age group, 30th place in the 60+ age group, and 7th place in the 70+ age group!

Ben Mundy earned 84th place with 182 points overall and 34th place in the 60+ age group!

Ron Souza came in at 92nd place with 164 points and 11th place in the 70+ age group!

Andy Harris ran to 108th place with 132 points overall and 44th place in the 60+ age group!

Michael Buzbee placed 111th with 129 points overall, 49th place in the 60+ age group, and 19th place in the 70+ age group!

Howard Iseri achieved 167th place with 64 points overall and 102nd place in the 60+ age group!

Larry Fluharty came in at 171st place with 53 points overall and 75th place in the 60+ age group!

David White earned 180th place with 45 points overall and 87th place in the 60+ age group!

Finally Steve Swindel rounds out the team with 81st place in the 60+ age group, and 34th in the 70+ age group!

39th Annual GGP Open and National Masters 5K Championship – San Francisco

Andy Harris put in a stellar performance running a time of 27:24; well done Andy!

Larry Fluharty pushed himself to run a time of 25:34; your fitness is really coming along this season Larry, enjoy!

Ben Mundy turned in another strong result running 24:37 on the undulating course; great job Ben!

Gil Machado was right there with Andy running a time of 27:29; another great race Gil!

Shane Curren ran 23:52; well done Shane you are having an excellent cross country season!

John Gibson ran the race in a time of 21:39; well done John consistent as always!

Mike Buzbee ran an excellent 26:16; consistent as ever Mike well done showing up and representing the club well!

David White ran well to complete the course in a time of 23:45; great job David!

Ron Souza ran 28:28 for the team; it is always awesome to see you out there Ron running hard; congrats!

Mike Tiska was right there with you Shane running a time of 23:52; great job Mike!

Steve Swindel completed the course in a time of 35:11; well done Steve showing up at all races for the team; thank you!

Rio Del Lago Endurance Run 

Lucas Sanchez completed the 50K in a time of 5 hours and 30 Minutes well done Lucas! Lucas putting on the gun show during the race. 

Melanie Masad completed the 100 miler in a time of 28 Hours and 30 minutes; way to go Melanie; monumental achievement!

Clarksburg Country Run

Michelle Carrasco & Gil Inouye completed the 30K in a time of 3:15; well done Michelle and Gil always showing!

Vianey Ortiz ran the 30K to a time of 3 hours and 37 minutes; great job Vianey!

David Ortiz completed the 10K in a time of 1 Hour and 25 Minutes; well done David!

Andy Harris did the 10K in 59:17; well done Andy getting it done in less than an hour!

Mike Tiska ran the 10K in a time of 49:14 and took 3rd in his age group (50-59); well done Mike!

Mariano Meza ran the 30K in 4 hours and 9 minutes; well done Mariano tackling the longer distances now!

Gil Machado completed the 10K in a time of 58:17; another strong effort Gil!

Rich King ran the 30K in a time of 3 hours and 29 minutes; way to show up Rich; keep rocking!

Ellen Raco blitzed the 5K with a time of 24:40; earning 1st place in her age group (60-69); your hard speed work with your husband at Folsom Lake College is paying off; great job!

Steve Bond ran 25:39 for his 5K earning 2nd place in his age group (Male 60-69)! Here is Steve in his own words:

“This was race #23 since I last broke 8:00 pace in December of ’23 and the first since I came within one second of doing it the prior weekend in Land Park at the Run For a Safe Haven. Normally I prefer not racing two weekends in a row since I just don’t recover as quickly as I used to, but that’s the way my race schedule fell this year. With only one more race in ’25 after this one, I had to give it what I had as I’m sure not getting any younger. 

Very crowded off the start and yet somehow I managed to go through the first mile in 7:47.2 per my Garmin, under control and a surprising 10 seconds faster than my previous fastest mile in the last almost two years. That gave me a boost of confidence and a buffer, so I just needed to keep up the effort. Pushed through mile two, which was surprisingly slower based on my effort level at 8:12.9, which still had me dead on 8:00 pace at the two mile, same as last week. The third mile had the only significant uphill of the course and it mattered. Gave it all I had knowing it was going to be close, but my legs just didn’t have the energy I had last weekend. The third mile was 8:11.8, then 7:54 pace for the final .16 mile to the finish. 

Disappointed that I ended up at 8:03 pace for 3.16 miles, yet on the upside it was my second best race in the last 23 to last weekend’s, so I couldn’t be too upset. I did run 13 seconds faster than last year in this race and was second in the 60-69 age group (out of 11) to a 61 year old who wasn’t even in high school yet when I had graduated college! (61st out of 377 overall). It’s definitely tough being the oldest in a 10 year age group. Next year that’ll change! One more race left in ’25 to go for that elusive sub 8:00 pace I’ve been chasing for two years now!”

Mai Nakamoto ran the 30K in a time of 3 hours and 28 minutes; well done Mai!

Ruben Rodriguez and Traci Seto ran the 30K together completing the distance in a time of 2 hours and 37 minutes; another excellent race this season Ruben & Traci; keep going!

New York Marathon

Jasmin McClean right off the back of running the Chicago Marathon only a few weeks earlier completed the New York Marathon in a time of 4:12:56 great job Jasmin knocking out another marathon major this year; congrats!

Parkway 20 Miler and Half Marathon

Suzie Oyoung completed the 20 miler in a time of 4:12; great job as always Suzie!

Courtney Eldridge & Zach Gonzalez completed the 20 miler in a time of 3:43; well done Zach and Courtney!

Mimi Macias ran the half-marathon to a time of 2:33; great job Mimi!

Jessica Rong smashed the 20 miler course with a time of 2:50:19; way to go Jessica (pictured on the right)!

Mai Nakamoto paced Mimi to a time of 2:33:45 for the half-marathon!

Vianey Ortiz ran the 20 miler in a time of 4:16; great job Vianey you are CIM ready!

David Ortiz completed the Half-Marathon in a time of 3:01; great job David getting it done!

Adrienne Moreles ran the half marathon in a time of 2:55 well done Adrienne!

David Herman completed the 20 miler in a time of 3:39; great job David!

Rich King ran the half marathon in a time of 2:33; great job Rich on a difficult course!

39th Annual PA XC Championships, San Francisco

John Gibson ran the 5 mile course in a time of 36:06; well done John a very strong effort indeed!

David White completed the race in a time of 39:45; great job David!

Mike Tiska ran the race in a time of 40:16; well done Mike; congrats on a great season!

Shane Curren was right with Mike running a time of 40:25; well done Shane!

Ben Mundy completed the race in a time of 41:31; excellent work Ben; congrats!

Larry Fluharty ran a time of 43:54; steady work Larry!

Ron Souza completed the 5 mile course in a time of 44:11; well done Ron!

Gil Machado ran the race in a time of 46:07; way to finish the season Gil!

Andy Harris was right there with Gil finishing in a time of 46:11; another successful season Andy!

Mike Buzbee completed the season with a time of 51:11; congrats Mike!

Steve Swindel kept the 5 mile race under an hour finishing in 57:30; well done Steve!

Ruben Rodriguez capped off a fantastic season in the 60+ age group with a time of 36:47; congratulations Ruben!

Apple Hill Half Marathon

Courtney Eldridge, Zach Gonzalez, & Emily Huang ran the half marathon to a time of 2:20; great job team!

Monterey Bay Half Marathon

Selena Hak and Steph Lunetta-Henry completed the half marathon in a time of 3:27; great job ladies representing in the bay!

Run to Feed the Hungry 5K and 10K

Ron Souza ran the 5K in a time of 25:06; well done Ron on a fantastic fall season including XC! Ron was so fast his photo was cut off!

Rich King completed the 10K in a time of 59:19; well done Rich you are progressing well this season!

Steve Swindel completed the 10K in a time of 1:09; way to cap off your fall season Steve!

Steve Bond ran 24:52 for this 5K earning 4th in his age group (65-69). Here is Steve in his own words:

“This was my final race of the year after two years of trying to get back under 8:00 pace in a race after misdiagnosed chest pain slowed me way down starting in January of ’23. That was followed by my heart finally sending me to the ER resulting in the discovery of an 85% blockage of the Widowmaker artery and a stent implantation surgery in August of ’23. Took me the better part of a year after that to actually feel semi-normal again. Big thanks to Kathleen for helping me get through the scariest year and a half of my life. 

Run to Feed the Hungry has a mostly flat, fast course that I usually run well. I’ve discovered that the slower I get the more crowded the roads are during the race, complete with walker blockades and some folks just doing unexpected things, like kids sprinting, walking, sprinting, or even adults just suddenly stopping dead in front of you. You’ve got to be really aware of what’s going on around you, while also watching out for cracks, ruts and dips in the pavement. Not for the faint of heart when going fast.

The weather was ideal at 46 degrees and no wind. Went out comfortably hard while also being careful. My Garmin showed 7:57.1 at the mile, so I was happy to be right on pace. Kept up a strong effort, weaving around walkers and runners slowing down, which was frustrating. Hit mile two in 8:01.4 so knew I could do it if I could just keep the effort level strong. The last long stretch to the finish tends to be crowded, requiring weaving around people. I knew it was now or never for this year. I was passing people and got elbowed from the right as someone weaved into me. (I won’t name the guilty party!) Shortly after a really big guy, basketball player size, suddenly dead stopped, then went to his right directly in front of me, elbowing me hard in my forearm. Come on! Didn’t let it blow my concentration, knowing it was going to be very close, still feeling confident I could do it and pushing through to the finish. Mile three was 8:01.5 with a fastest pace of 7:12, so you know I was moving when I could! That put me at 8:00 pace at the 3! Of course I wasn’t calculating or even seeing my watch at that point as I was totally focused on going as hard as I could. 

When I looked at my watch at the finish it read 8:00 pace. NO! But I knew that the Garmin rounds so it might have been a little faster. I had my fingers crossed as I checked the results. 24:52 for 8:00 pace. NO! I had one last chance since race results round up and that was to see what the Garmin had to say when I uploaded the splits. So when I finally got home I did, holding my breath. And there it was. 7:34 pace for the last .11 mile to the finish and 7:59 pace overall. I broke it by ONE SECOND! YES!! Finally!! That obviously was my best race out of 24 in the last 2 years and a significant 33 seconds faster than last year in this race. Stacked at the top, I was fourth out of 30 in the 65-69 age group, over 5 and a half minutes ahead of fifth. 380^th out of 2,526 overall. SO glad I finally achieved my goal. Thanks to you, my friends, for your encouragement during this two year journey. Now to see if I can do it again in 2026!”

Shane Curren ran the 10K in a time of 47:25; way to go Shane your persistent and focused training has paid off with a fantastic result!

David Howse ran strong to complete the 10K in a time of 50:22 earning 1st place in his age group (70 year old age group); way to go David congrats on the age group victory!

David White ran strong to earn a time of 23:34 and a 2nd place age group podium (60 year old age group); well done David!

Larry Fluharty ran the 5K in a time of 25:36; great effort Larry you have recovered and trained well this fall and are reaping the benefits of it!

Jovana Sanchez completed the 10K in a time of 1 hour and 3 minutes; great job Jovanna!

David Ortiz ran the 10K in a time of 1:21:49; great job David!

Alejandro Santana jogged the 5K to a time of 36:47; great seeing you out there Alejandro!

Vianey Ortiz completed the 10K in a time of 1:01:30; great job Vianey!

Traci Seto ran the 10K to go sub 50 minutes with a time of 49:44 and earn 3rd place in her age group; well Done Traci. It must be noted this was only the first half of the double header she pulled by running the Elk Grove Gobble Wobble only later that morning.

Zeb Kazi ran the 5K in a time of 21:29.

Elk Grove Gobble Wobble 5K

Michael Trotta ran strong and steady to finish the 5K in a time of 30:53; great job Michael!

Sherry Kirton ran an excellent race completing the 5K in a time of 34:22; great job Sherry!

Christopher Hak ran a blistering 5K to a time of 21:07; great job Christopher you are taking your XC fitness and translating it to the road!

Selena Hak ran the 5K in a time of 32:40; well done Selena your running is improving in leaps and bounds; keep going!

Mariano Meza ran a time of 30:06; well done Mariano congrats on yet another amazing race; keep rocking!

Steph Lunetta-Henry and Adrienne Morelos ran the 5K in a time of 36:41; another excellent race ladies; you two have improved dramatically in your running over the past year we are all excited to see your progress in 2026.

Gil Inouye ran a solid 5K with a time of 30:13; consistent as ever Gil great job!

Catalina Thorntona ran the 5K in a time of 32 minutes flat; great job Catalina!

Daniel Rodriguez smashed the 5K with a time of 22:33; great job Ethan you are getting stronger with each race!

Mimi Macias completed the 5K in a time of 30:12; another great effort Mimi!

Kelly Macias completed the 5K in a time of 46:42; great job Kelly!

Melanie Masad ran the 5K in a time of 26:31; paced with Richard Nakamoto!

Richard Nakamoto was there in support of the club; thanks Rich!

Mai Nakamoto completed the 5K in a time of 25:25; way to open up Mai and run a really strong time Mai!

Traci Seto ran her 2nd race of the day (She ran the Run to Feed the Hungry 10K) finishing with a time of 24:11 and earning 1st place in her age group (50); great job Traci!

Katherine Winkler ran a time of 24:55; excellent work Katherine!

Courtney Eldridge ran a time of 21:15; super fast Courtney congrats!

Mateo Rodriguez ran a time of 20:49; great job Mateo way to go!

Andres Rodriguez ran a strong race finishing in a time of 22:51; great job Andres!

Lupe Rodriguez ran a very strong race to earn 2nd in his age group (50) with a time of 23:32; great job Lupe!

Ruben Rodriguez  off the back of an amazing cross country season ran the 5K in a time of 21:16 earning 2nd place in his age group (60); well done Ruben! Ruben was so fast the photographer almost missed him!

Rock ‘n Roll Manila Half Marathon

Rebel racing is taking place outside of the continental United States with our very own Ampee Villamor Haynes running the Manila Half Marathon to a time of 2 hours and 26 minutes; way to represent in the Philippines with over 90% humidity!

Run for a Safe Haven 5K

Steve Bond – ran a 25:09; well done Steve! Here is Steve in his own words:

“Finally, a mini breakthrough in my quest to break 8:00 pace for the first time since 2023, pre heart issues. Thanks to the weather finally cooling down I’d had some good workouts, so was hopeful. The weather was iffy, breezy and then a light rain starting 3 minutes into the race, which thankfully didn’t get worse. I saw one friend in my 60-69 age group during warmups who had been beating me, so I knew I’d have to run well to win. That gave me extra motivation.

The first mile had the downgrade and I went through in 7:57.4, slightly ahead of pace. In the last two years I’ve slowed down to around 8:10 or slower for mile 2, yet today I was psyched when I saw my 2 mile split was 15:59.4 thanks to an 8:02 second mile split. At that point my age group competitor was 5-10 seconds behind me. I saw him when I was going around the cones, so I needed to keep my foot on the gas. I knew the third mile would be a make or break challenge as it has a long upgrade by the golf course in Land Park. I gave it my best effort, knowing I had a shot at my goal. The third mile split was 8:09.8 and I was in kick mode well before I hit that point. Closed the last .14 mile at 7:11 pace per my Garmin. 

When I looked at my watch at the finish line it read 8:00 pace. Oh no! SO CLOSE! It read 25:07.7 which calculated out with the 3.14 distance measured to equal 8:00.16 pace. I missed 8:00 pace by HALF A SECOND! If only I didn’t have to run wide around the turn down by Riverside as two people were out for a walk blocking my turn. Sigh. Still, SUPER excited I was so close. Now I KNOW I can break it. I won the 60-69 age group by 35 seconds and was 19^th out of 416 overall with the second best age grade in the race to the winner. I was 41 seconds faster than last year in this race, which admittedly was two months after stent surgery and I was wearing and carrying heart monitor devices. Still, my fastest and best age graded race in the last 22 going back to December of ’23. This race was VERY encouraging!”