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!

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

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!

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!

Vainey Ortiz

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 11:44; 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!

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!

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

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!

Hey everyone welcome back to another monthly installment of the Race Recap this time for the month of September 2025! We enjoyed tons of great racing from road racing to the USATF Pacific Association Cross Country season well under way. As always lets take a moment to not only enjoy our own achievements but recognize and celebrate the achievements of members across the club. 

As always if there is a race or effort I missed you would like included please let me know and we can add it in.

Thank you and enjoy!

-Zeb

Aloha Run 5K

Liza Medina ran the 5K in a time of 28:06 earning 3rd place in her age group (60-64), well done Liza way to represent in sunny San Diego!

Davis Labor Day 5K

Mike Tiska completed the 5K race in a time of 23:53, well done Mike breaking the 24 Minute barrier; your fitness is growing!

Cancer Champions Walk-Run-Roll 5K/10K

Vianey Ortiz completed the 10K in a time of 56:35 earning 2nd place in her age division (40-49); well done Vianey way to go!

David Ortiz ran the 5K to a time of 41:33; well done David getting the road race done!

Ironman 70.3 Santa Cruz 

Lean Castle completed the half ironman distance in a total time of 6:43:49 with a 45 minute 1.2 mile swim, 3:11:09 on the 56 mile bike ride, and a 2:34:05 13.1 mile run. Well done, Leann your abilities in endurance are unparalleled!

Gold country 5K

Angelica Cross earned 2nd in her age group (F40-59) with a time of 48:03; way to go Angelica!

Kunhuor Hak was right there with Angelica running a time of 48:04; another strong race Kunhuor keep it up!

Garin Park XC Challenge

Race timing data for this race was lost so I will list the placings instead. Great job guys showing up and representing the club strong!

Since Cross Country is a team sport in addition to being an individual sport I will include a recap of the team scoring after every race.

The men’s 50+ team composed of John Gibson, Ruben Rodriguez, Mike Tiska, and Andy Harris (scored down as a 50 year old) placed 5th out of 7 teams earning 9 points; way to go guys on a tough course!

The men’s 60+ team composed of Ben Mundy, Gil Machado, Shane Curren, and Ron Souza placed 7th out of 7 teams but still bagged 6 points for the club; great job guys!

If any club member is interested in running cross country please reach out to any board member or club member who runs XC. There is a whole series with championship style scoring which adds an additional layer of tension and suspense to the entire season!

John Gibson ran hard to secure 51st place overall; well done John!

Ruben Rodriguez was not far behind running a strong race to finish 56th place overall; excellent effort Ruben! 

Ben Mundy enjoying a strong string of performances finished 76th place overall; great job Ben!

Mike Tiska pushed himself to the absolute limit to earn 83rd Place; excellent work Mike!

Gilbert Machado used all of his skill and experience to secure 98th place; well done Gil!

Shane Curren completed the course to earn 100th place; looking strong as ever Shane!

Andy Harris looking strong in the headband finished in 102nd place; another race in the books for the veteran racer!

Ron Souza rounded out the Rebel effort to finish 104th place; way to get it done Ron despite the difficulties. 

Buffalo Stampede 4 & 10 Miler

Mariano Meza running his longest race up to this point completed the 10 miler in a time of 1:53:34; way to push yourself Mariano you now a seasoned racer for sure!

Richard King completed the 10 miler in a time of 1:39:50; great job Rich getting under the 100 minute mark; well done!

Suzie Oyoung completed the 10 mile course in a time of 1:50:32 way to show up and represent the club with style as always Suzie!

Steve Bond completed the 4 mile race in a time of 34:53 earning 1st place in his age group (M65-69)in the process too ; another solid effort by a long time member; great job Steve!

Here is what Mr.Bond had to say about his race:

“Finally recovered from my quad strain in early August when I lost my footing on a turn in Land Park and went down hard on the pavement, damaging my right knee, hip, elbow and shoulder. Three hours at urgent care gave me the reassurance that, as they reported, I had “no new fractures.” Key word being NEW. Takes a while to get the confidence back after a painful fall and I took it cautiously at the Buffalo Stampede 4 mile, averaging 8:35 pace and winning the 65-69 age group by 4 minutes.”

Steve Swindell completed the 10 mile course in a time of 1:59:12 sneaking under two hours; another great effort Steve!

Berlin Marathon

Udochi Mbonu ran the marathon major to a time of 4:37:39 running consistent splits all throughout to earn a 30 second PR in the marathon! Great job Udochi your running is growing with every month. Here is what she had to say about her race:

“This training block didn’t ( wait i just saw harry styles lol) really feel like a training block. And maybe because this is my second one around and I no longer had the excitement of doing so many “1st” . Just felt like I was running so much and not feeling well at all. Most of my runs did not go as well as I wanted. I’ve been in a weird mood and my body has been hurting so much. Also combined with the travel to Portland 🤮 I was just all over the place. The last few weeks are fun bc you get to that end point of the block where you are running less mileage and your body actually starts to work lol and you might even trick yourself into signing up for another one! Ha! Anyways I loved taper and I went into this marathon with no plans just to have fun and try my best to do it alone! And that’s exactly what I did! I high fived every kid I saw and took as many pictures that I could! And boy was it HOT! But I was hydrated and made sure to stay hydrated so it wasn’t anything crazy! And thankfully by the second half things started to cool down! So it was everything I could have dreamed of! The crowds were mid compared to nyc! Like so mid, but I learned so much and trusted myself! Listened to my body and felt consistent the whole way through. It was only a 30 second pr, but one I’ll cherish forever! Plus all the police officers in berlin were so nice to stare at during the race lol! Now I will be doing nothing but eating and spending money that I don’t have :)”

Rebels Cross Country Challenge 6K

The club’s very own USA Track and FIeld certified Cross Country race is part of the USATF Pacific Association’s Cross Country Championship, a race which has been put on for well over a decade now bringing competitive runners in from all over Northern California. Another super successful event with many amazing efforts by members of the club. We look forward to even greater participation and even more fun next year!

Since Cross Country is a team sport in addition to being an individual sport I will include a recap of the team scoring after every race.

The male 60+ team made up of Ruben Rodriguez, Howard Iseri, Shane Curren, Ben Mundy and Andy Harris came in 3rd out of 5 teams; great job guys racing hard and scoring well for the club; excellent work!

The male 70+ team made up of Ron Souza, Mike Buzbee, and Gil Machado came in fourth out of four teams but still secured 10.5 points in the championship; great job guys!

If any club member is interested in running cross country please reach out to any board member or club member who runs XC. There is a whole series with championship style scoring which adds an additional layer of tension and suspense to the entire season!

I would also like to give a massive shoutout to all of our volunteers but I want to give special recognition to Gil Inouye and Souzie Oyoung for going above and beyond with their duties by helping with the course setup. Thanks again!

Mariano Meza ran his first cross country race to a time of 39:38; well done and congrats and welcome to XC racing!

Ron Souza completed the course in 36:47; way to keep moving in your 70s Ron!

Michael Trotta ran his first XC race for the club in a time of 37:39; congrats and welcome to XC!

John Gibson completed the course in a time of 26:20 scoring well for the 50+ in the process; well done John!

Mike Buzbee ran the race in a time of 33:34; way to show up for the club Mike!

Howard Iseri ran a strong race to finish in a time of 28:37! Way to go Howard!

Lucas Sanchez completed the XC course in an excellent time of 25:53; averaging 6:53 per mile! Well done Lucas, your training is paying off!

Jessica Rong ran the 6K course in a time of 29:57 averaging 8 minutes per mile pace on a challenging course; well done Jessica you are having an amazing summer of running!

Courtney Eldridge was right there with Jessica completing the course in a time of 30:14; another club member who is having an amazing summer coming off the back of a great personal record in the Santa Rosa marathon; keep going Courtney!

Mimi Macias was out there supporting the club by running our race to a time of 43:26! Great job Mimi we look forward to many excellent race performances in the future.

Emily Huang ran an excellent race to a time of 34:40 averaging 9:17 per mile pace; way to perform on the day Emily!

Megan Rodriguez completed the course in a time of 36:52; way to go Megan always proudly representing the club; way to go!

Andy Harris club founder and former president ran the masters race in a time of 35:37! Well done Andy; you are putting together a strong XC season this year!

Ben Mundy current club President ran a strong race to finish in a time of 30:40! Ben your consistent training this summer is paying dividends with your performance at the XC; enjoy!

Gil Machado another long time club member and all around strong runner ran the 6K in a time of 34:05; well done Gil another great race in the books!

Vainey Ortiz ran a strong race finishing in a time of 36:43; amazing work Vainey!

Lynn Marshall raced hard to complete the course in a time of 37:38; well done Lynn!

Mai Nakamoto completed the Rebel XC challenge in a time of 43:19; great job Mai!

Shane Curren demolished the course to run a time of 30:26; great job Shane you are also having a standout summer!

Ruben Rodriguez ushered in his 60th birthday the day before by putting in a fantastic effort to run the 6K course in 26:24 at 7:04 minutes per mile pace! 

Zero Prostate Cancer Run 2025

Lucas Sanchez won the entire race with a time of 17:49 for the 2.5 mile course; well done Lucas for a fantastic cause!

Urban Cow 5K and Half Marathon

Another of the marquee races in Sacramento along with CIM and Shamrock’n this race featured over 5000 participants in the half marathon and the Rebels made up the numbers by showing up on both days with gusto!

Liza Medina displayed some true grit and determination to finish the race despite struggling throughout; great job Liza you are an inspiration to us all!

David Herman completed the half marathon in a time of 2:16:39; great job David we are excited to watch you grow into your running!

Jessica Rong earned a PR in the half marathon continuing on her amazing from this summer with a time of 1:43:07! Great job Jessica we are all so proud of your progress!

Traci Seto ran an amazing race to finish the half marathon in 1:46:38; great job Traci!

Mariano Meza completed the half marathon in a time of 2:38:25; while also completing a fantastic photo bomb jump at the end; excellent work on both counts Mariano!

David White completed the Half Marathon in a time of 1:46:39 earning 2nd place in his age group (M65-69)! Congrats David way to smash the race!

Steve Bond ran the 5K in a time of 25:37 earning 2nd place in his age group (M65-69); great job Steve representing strong at every race!

Here is what Steve had to say about his Urban Cow 5K effort:

“Two weeks later (after the Buffalo Stampede), still cautious and not at all happy when racers cut me off, not even looking before changing direction, I averaged 8:11 pace at the Urban Cow 5K for second in the 65-69 age group. An 8 year old girl beat me by 3 seconds! Girl Power! If only there was a way to assure never falling again!”

Michael Trotta ran the half marathon in a time of 2:26:31; great job Michael you are unstoppable! 

Michelle Carrasco ran the 5K on Saturday to a time of 33:20!

The next day she finished the half marathon in a time of 2:16:23; way to go Michelle you are consistent in your training and your racing! Congrats on completing the double udder challenge and looking great in both the black and white rebel race shirts!

Mike Tiska ran the 5K to a time of 24:02 earning 3rd place in his age group (50-54) great job Mike always bringing the fire!

Mike Buzbee finished the 5K in a time of 24:39 earning a 2nd place age group (M70-74) finish! Well done Mike!

Vaniey Ortiz completed the half marathon in a time of 2:12:56; well done Vainey!

David Ortiz completed the half marathon in a time of 3:05:40 well done David getting out there and getting it done!

Richard King running for Ainsley’s Angels completed the Half-Marathon in a time of 2:43:36! Way to get it done for a great cause Rich; congrats!

Gil Inouye ran the 5K in a time of 33:22!

 He also completed the half marathon in a time of 2:16:50 pacing David Herman at first and finishing with Michelle Carrasco at the end; another stellar effort Gil! Congrats on completing the double udder challenge (running both the 5K and the Half-Marathon)!

Courtney Eldridge first ran the 5K on Saturday with her sister to a time of 31:16. Here is what Courtney to say about the 5K:

“Pacing my baby sis for her first race in 10+ years! She CRUSHED it. I made sure to be as annoying as possible so she was motivated to move fast.

Legitimately so much fun and I am so proud of her 🥲

Also a milestone for me, first ever race weekend where I’m just having fun with it.”

The next day Courtney ran the Half Marathon with Zach Gonzalez to a time of 2:14:44. Here is what she had to say about the Half Marathon:

“But make it PARTY PACE ft. Zach Gonzalez

First HM race ever where I just had fun with it. Chest cold took me out this week, combined with ongoing hip pain made a PR weekend well outside my reach. Had an incredible time though!”

Great job Courtney completing the double Udder Challenge (running the both 5K and the Half Marathon)!

Zach Gonzalez completed the half marathon in a time of 2:44:44 with Courtney. Here is what he had to say about his race:

“After a busy homecoming week and month of prep I knew I’d just take this one easy. Had fun just chilling on the course and enjoying the time. Courtney Eldridge also took it easy so didn’t feel the pressure to beat her this time! It was my first time back at Urban Cow in the last few years, and it was great!”

Well done Zach another excellent race in the books!

Sherry Kirton set a PR in the Half-Marathon with a time of 2:55:49, made all the more remarkable given the back story:

“Urban Cow half marathon for Team World Vision’s Clean Water Wells project

Ambitious goal: 2:45-2:50.
Forgot my water bottle at home. After panicking- pulled my ancient spare bottle & Capt. Jill filled it with cold water; I swallowed some electrolyte capsules. Then nerves sent me to the porta & heard my corral start without me. After cleaning up and getting to the start line with no one around me I raced to catch my pacer—never saw him/her, but met Linda and two others along the way.
Got a huge boost when a text notification said I had a new donation! Sally Majestic

Two weeks left to fundraise for underdeveloped communities worldwide giving them clean water: health, education, life.”

Congratulations Sherry both on your race and your cause!

Suzie Oyoung ran the 5K in a time of 35:02 even getting the race done with some hops in the middle; Suzie you are very athletic!

The next day Suzie ran the Half-Marathon to a time of 2:22:51! Congrats Suzie on completing the double udder challenge way to stay mooving! 

Ron Souza completed the 5K in a time of 24:34 earning 1st place in his age group (M70-74)! Well done Ron!

Ruben Rodriguez ran an excellent Half-Marathon finishing in 1:42:23 and as always taking fantastic photographs of friends and club members alike; congrats Ruben!

Hello everyone and welcome back to another edition of the monthly race recap. August was a very busy month for the club with racing ranging from 5Ks, cross country, 10Ks, Half Marathons, all the way up to Marathons trail ultras and Triathlons all across the beautiful Western United States and the world! Please take a moment to enjoy the amazing results of your own hard training but also enjoy the amazing results and photos of your fellow club members. The club is nearing 100 members, massively up from a low of just 20 only a few short years ago. It is remarkable the diversity of athletes across the membership and it only serves to make the club stronger and more vibrant as a whole. Thank you everyone for making August so memorable and fun. September promises to be even more fun with plenty of cross country action including our very own Rebels XC challenge on the 20th. 

Thanks! – Zeb

As always The format includes the athlete, the race they completed along with official timing/placing, an associated strava activity, and some photos if any from the event. Feel free to add club members via strava and give them kudos and support for their race events. Take note of the races your fellow members are running too; perhaps you could join them in the next running of the event!

Obviously if there is a race or a club member I missed from this month, please let me know and I can add them in. 

Susan B Anthony Women’s 5K

Traci Seto earned 2nd in her age group (F-55-59) with a time of 23:10; excellent as always Traci!

Ellen Raco achieved 1st in her age group (F65-69) with a time of 24:23; well done Ellen! Your consistent training is paying off congratulations on your progress this year!

Angelica Cross ran the 5K to a fantastic time of 23:45; well done Angelica your training this summer is paying off!

Leann Castle podiumed with a 3rd place in her age group (F30-34) with a time of 24:35;continuing on the great form you have enjoyed all summer long; great job Leann!

Cooper Teare Classic Alameda 10-Miler

David White ran a time of 1:22:20 in the 10 miler; well done David, way to represent!

Mike Tiska was right there with David running a time of 1:22:51, well done Mike!

Tri For Real #3

Leann Castle earned a second place age group finish (30-34) with a total time of 3:03:26; completing the 1.5K swim in 37:57.153, the 40K bike in 1:23.815, and the 10K run in 1:02.108. 

Trans Rockies Run 120 Miler

‘Camel’ and John Painting ran the 120 Mile race spread over the course of 6 days in the Colorado Rockies, with over 20,000 feet of elevation gain to withstand and peak elevation over 12,000 feet! The shortest stage (day) is 13 miles and the longest is 25 miles. The Trans Rockies Run is as much of a running race as it is an exercise in survival with participants required carry their own supplies along with a limited number of aid stations on the course itself. 

John and ‘Camel’ completed all six stages in a total time of 48 hours and 59 Minutes! They beat out over 30 other runners/teams who dropped from the race entirely or didn’t finish individual stages but completed latter stages, but did not gain a general classification. 

Congratulations to the both of you on this monumental achievement, you two certainly put in the time and effort to complete the race and overcome an amazing challenge; well done! 

Race for the Arts 5K

Steve Swindel ran the 5K in a time of 34:23, well done Steve; way to push yourself!

Steve Bond completed the course in a time of 26:22; here is what he had to say about it:

“Unfortunately, a painfully strained quad muscle had me running slow and flat the two weeks prior to the race, with each day getting somewhat better. So I needed to run the race cautiously to see how it would do. Thankfully, I warmed up well and eased into it and was satisfied with a good effort all things considered. Hopefully it’ll be close to normal by the next race so I can run harder.”

Ellen Raco ran the race in a time of 24:35 earning herself 2nd place in the women’s 60-69 age group! Well done Ellen, your speed work at Folsom Lake College with your husband is paying off!

Lou Nishimura also earned 2nd place in the male 70-79 age group running a time of 23:24! Welcome to the 70+ age category Lou, it looks like you are set for success in it!

Santa Cruz XC Challenge

Mike Buzbee completed the 4.15 mile course in a time of 39:42; well done Mike!

Gil Machado was right behind Mike with a time of 39:54; way to go Gil!

Ron Souza ran the 4.15 mile race to a time of 43:09; congrats on getting it done Ron!

Collectively the 70-79 team placed 2nd in the team competition; well done guys grabbing a good haul of points for the club!

Sly Park 10K 

Ben Mundy earned 2nd in his age group(male 60-65) and second overall with a time of 57:52; well done Ben way to represent up in the hills!

Double Dipsea Trail Trace

New club member Melanie Masaad ran the Double Dipsea 13.7 mile trail race in Stinson Beach California with over 4400 feet of ascent and descent to a time of 3:28:13! Congrats Melanie and welcome to the club! 

Santa Rosa Marathon/Half Marathon/10K/5K

Yet another ‘home’ race for the club with the vast majority descending upon the natural beauty of wine country to take part in the 5K/10K on Saturday or the Half Marathon/Marathon on Sunday. The club also had a group dinner at Riviera Ristorante Saturday night enjoying excellent food, wine, and camaraderie; a good time for all. Big thank you to Jasmin McClean for organizing the dinner!  We will definitely do it all over again next year. 

Omar Solis completed his very first Half Marathon ever with a time of 2:05:04! Omar has trained very hard over the past few months and has become an integral member of the club during this time. So everyone give him some kudos on strava and in person for his amazing accomplishment; congratulations Omar!

Thao Giang completed the Half Marathon in a time of 2:35:53; well done Thao the half is no mean feat; well done!

Jasmin McClean dusted the Half Marathon in a time of 2:07:04, what an excellent way to celebrate your 50th birthday Jasmin; congrats and happy Birthday! Jasmin’s son also helped spruce up Jasmin’s garmin watch with some very aesthetic stickers.

Glen Schaezlein coming off the back of a respiratory infection, Glen gritted it out to run the Half Marathon in a time of 2:03:15! Glen gets bonus points for neutralizing a pesky bee at the dinner table the night before; thank you Glen!

Jessica Rong earned a massive PR in the Half Marathon running  an amazing time of 1:45:50! All of the hard and consistent training is paying off Jessica, many excellent PRs are in store for you in the races to come. 

Courtney Eldridge earned a massive marathon PR running the 26.2 mile course in a time of 3:45! Congratulations Courtney your consistency in training (averaging well over 50 miles a week all summer long) is paying off. What makes her PR all the more remarkable is the fact that her body was in pain (and a bleeding foot) from mile 10 on, but she focused and persevered to earn an amazing result. Here is what Courtney had to say about her race:

“The marathon is a beast, and she has my respect 🫡

Not the finish I wanted, but I ran the best race I could in the moment. I cruised through the first 10 miles and felt great, and then my hips started locking up. The pain was unreal. I was fighting for my life to stay under 9. It got rough out there, lots of lonely long stretches and uneven terrain. I was definitely not prepared for the hills either.

I had a big goal for this race, and I stand by that. Gonna continue to dream big, and now I know what I need to work on.

Big thank you to Angelica Cross for joining me in the final push, and Zach Gonzalez for being there as well and being the most supportive running partner.

Also super proud of Michael for persevering and finishing his first half marathon!

And thank you to all the Rebels! Truly the best teammates ❤️ “;

Michael Eldridge (Courtney’s husband) completed his very first Half Marathon in a time of 2:51:53! Congrats to going sub 3 hours in the half marathon on the first time out, hopefully this is the beginning of many more running races to come!

Angelica Cross smashed the Half Marathon with a time of 1:50:37;a great result, congrats Angelica! 

Kunhuor Hak came roaring back into form in the Marathon running a time of 3:29:02! Kunhuor has been recovering from a knee injury this summer and this results indicates he is back on  track for some even more amazing times to come!

Gil Inouye & Michelle Carrasco completed the double barrel challenge running the 5K and Half Marathon. Gil and Michelle completed the 5K in a time of 31:56 and the Half Marathon in a time of 2:31:31. Great job Gil and Michelle representing the club well and always being a joy on race weekend!

Mimi Macias completed the double barrel challenge running the 5K and Half Marathon to times of 38:45 and 2:45:08. Great job Mimi you completed the challenge with gusto; congrats!

Kelly Macias, running her first race for the Rebels completed the 5K in a time of 50:19! Welcome to the club Kelly we look forward to many excellent races in the future!

Katherine Winkler completed the Half Marathon in a time of 2:19:05; well done Katherine your training this summer has paid off!

Zach Gonzalez earned an amazing PR in the half marathon running a time of 1:35:53! His race was so strong he negative split the race, running the 2nd half faster than the first. Zach earned this result with consistent training all summer long steadily and safely building his mileage and endurance. Well done Zach we are all excited to see your continued upward progress, because of your dedication to the craft; enjoy! Here is what Zach had to say about his race:

“It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction

This was the BEST race I’ve ever ran, time-wise and feeling-wise. Started with the 1:40 group planning on running with them most of the way. Then sped up with Ruben Rodriguez who encouraged me to go faster and after about 3-4 miles I did. I continued finding someone ahead of me to catch, run with for a while, then moved on to the next fast person. Only started to kind of feel it by mile 10, and by then just stuck close behind a guy running almost 7:00 pace. At mile 12 I knew I’d PR but quick mental math showed me that if I ran a sub 7:00 mile I can get a sub 1:35! My math (and legs) wasn’t quick enough though, I think I forgot about that last .1 in the half and pushing it felt like my heart was working but my buddy was weak. Overall great race, I am very happy with it!

Want to give a shout out to the River City Rebels for the encouragement and kudos through this cycle. Also Courtney Eldridge has been the best training partner as I’ve tried to catch up to her marathon times and training volume. Such an inspiration!

Finally, as I ran I thought about and made a modification to the Nietzsche quote… “When you hunt for monsters be careful that you don’t become a monster yourself…. and when you run with fast people, remember the fast people are running with you “

PS also shout out to Tyler Ence for the shoe recommendations early this summer, the Adidas Adizero Pros really helped me fly! And they look hella sick 😎”

Mai Nakamoto – completed the double barrel Challenge where you run a race on Saturday(5K/10) and Sunday (Half Marathon/Marathon), running the 5K and Half Marathon respectively. Finishing the 5K in a time of 27:57 and the Half Marathon in a time of 2:45:10, Mai is showing off some excellent fitness and representing the club well; well done!

Steph Lunetta-Henry & Selena Hak  ran the 5K and Half Marathon (double Barrel challenge) together looking amazing in the new black rebel tank for the 5K and the traditional red rebel racing singlet for the half marathon. Steph completed the 5K in a time of 40:15, with Selena finishing in a time of 39:05. Selena and Steph both completed the half-marathon in a time of 3:17:59. Steph completed a special milestone by running the entire 5K non-stop without stopping or walking. The next day Steph went even further running the first 5 miles of the half marathon without pause. Amazing work Steph your fitness has been growing steadily! Congratulations ladies on completing the Double Barrel Challenge, it is no mean feat!

Here is what Steph had to say about the 5K

“Original plan was to walk it, then decided yesterday to run 2/1. Today felt good so just ran the whole thing, only walked for a minute in the very beginning. 😊❤️🏃🏾‍♀️”

Here is what she had to say about her half-marathon:

“Pleased with how this went. Not my fastest by far but was able to cut most of my intervals out. Ran the first 5 miles straight, the next several were with short walk breaks but mostly ran. Walked the last three. Progress’ 😊❤️🏃🏾‍♀️”

Alejandro Santana completed his Half Marathon in a time of 1:52:58; well done Alejandro you have responded to the training so well this year, your next half marathon will be even better! Enjoy the candid shot with him and his girlfriend as well!

Megan Rodriguez finished the Half Marathon in a time of 2:21:54, representing the club well as always; great job Megan!

Liza Medina ran the Half Marathon in a time of 2:14:43, excellent consistency as always Liza; way to go!

Mariano Meza set a PR in the half marathon with a time of 2:25:28! This has truly been the summer of Mariano because his fitness has grown by leaps and bounds over it.

Rich King ran the half marathon to a time of 2:19:06; well done Rich your consistency in training in paying off; congrats!

Ruben Rodriguez ran the Half Marathon finishing with an excellent time of 1:43:13! As always thanks for bringing the fun and making sure to take plenty of photos of all club members Ruben.

Sydney Marathon 

Anel Martinez completed the race in a time of 4:36:53. Congratulations Anel marathons are always a difficult ordeal great job getting it done! Here is what she said about her race:

“Not my best time but had a great ime on the course. I’m just grateful to be here and to be able to run Sydney and saw all the elites.”

Ampee Villamore-Haynes ran the marathon in a time of 4:18:29, completing her 7th world marathon major race! Congratulations Ampee getting it done in the southern hemisphere! She ran the mini-marathon (5K) to a time of 29:14 too!

Welcome everyone to another edition of the race recap. With the help of the coolest July in decades the club enjoyed excellent training and racing performances with amazing turn out at our major races. Big thank you everyone for always showing up bringing your best efforts, energy, and enthusiasm for running, making the club healthier and more fun than ever.  Lets carry this momentum into the rest of the summer and fall!

As always I have included strava profile links, so feel free to add club members you do not have added and throw them some kudos for their efforts; we are all training very diligently this summer and it shows in our performances!

Obviously if any race or result is missing please reach out and we can add it in.

Thank you everyone and enjoy!

Run 4 Hunger 5K/10K

Another home race for the club with so many living in and around the Elk Grove area. The Elk Grove Run4Hunger takes place on July 4th with a quick run around the automall from the Elk Grove aquatic center. Besides the excellent turn out, the club as a whole earned 10 age group podium awards.Also we had Gil Inouye, Michelle Carrasco & Selena Hak were on cheer duty that day, showing the strong support the club has from and for all members. Another very successful day out for the club; great job everyone! 

Michael Trotta ran the 10K in a time of 1:02:41 earning a personal record in the 10K; well done Michael!

Liza Medina ran the 5K in a time of 28:44 earning a  2nd in age group podium award; congrats Liza!

Chris Koris showed his pedigree going sub 22 minutes in the 5K with a time of 21:49 to earn 1st in age group! Well done Chris way to show it is possible to run quick even later in life!

Shane Curren ran the 5K finishing with a time of 22:45 to earn 3rd in age group. Congrats Shane you have earned your results due to your hard work developing your fitness this summer.

Jessica Rong completed her 5K in a time of 23:27 earning another PR! Congrats Jessica your training is paying off; there are many more PRs on the horizon for you!

Steve Bond completed the 5K in a time of 25:25 running stong throughout the entire race. Here is what Steve had to say about the race:

“I ran 8:05.6 pace which was my fastest 5K since 2023 and my best age graded race (out of 18!) since December of ’23, so heading in the right direction after the two low level heart attacks last year.”

Thanks Steve for giving us some greater insight into your running journey.

Adrienne Morelos finished the 5K in a time of 45:57; always showing up to every race with a smile and good vibes; thanks Adrienne!

Steph Lunetta-Henry finished the 5K in a time of 45:45 always bringing the energy and enthusiasm for the club!

Zach Gonzalez ran the 10K in an excellent time of 47:09 taking 3rd place in age group! Zach is another member who has put in the work this summer and his results are indicative of this hard work; kee it up Zach!

Traci Seto was excellent in the 10K yet again running a 48:41 to achieve a 1st in age group award. Great job Traci setting the bar high for all of us!

Lupe Rodriguez came out for the 5K and ran a time of 25:17; way to go Lupe!

Ruben Rodriguez ran a great 10K to finish in a time of 46:28 with a  2nd in age group award to boot! A consummate racer at heart; well done Ruben!

Suzie Oyoung earned 3rd in her age group division with a time of 1:05:01; way to go Suzie always shining bright for us all!

Mariano Meza ran the 10K in a time of 1:05:52. Mariano’s improvement this summer has been dramatic and we can’t wait to see the times he runs this fall!

Leann Castle ran a strong 5K to finish in a time of 25:57; congrats Leann!

Courtney Eldridge showed her speed to run the 5K in a time of 22:04 bagging 2nd in age her age group. Her consistency and discipline is definitely paying off!

Emily Huang finished the 10K in a time of 54:56 securing 2nd in her age group. Emily has been another amazing addition to the club and we are all so impressed; congrats Emily!

Ron Souza the local legend of the club ran the 5K in a time of 24:36 to earn 1st in his age group. Well done Ron forever a strong runner!

Sherry Kirton  completed the 5K in a time of 39:27; Sherry always shows up with energy and enthusiasm; way to go Sherry!

Katherine Winkler ran the 10K in a time of 1:00:32; well done Katherine you are improving with every race; great job! 

Thao Giang  completed the 5K in 44:13; well done Thao!

Alejandro Santana smoked the 10K in a time of 48:53 to secure  3rd in age group. All the more remarkable because he was out partying the night before, slept in, and made it to the race late; but despite all of those setbacks ran an amazing time. Alejandro you are the man!

Steve Swindel board member and Rebel XC race organizing ran the 10K in a time of 1:11:02 to bag 3rd in age group. Way to run strong Steve while also keeping things moving with our race; thank you!

Lynn Marshall  destroyed the 5K with a time of 28:31 for a 1st in age group award; well done Lynn are you running strong; enjoy!

Jasmin McClean completed the 10K in a time of 59:12 on top of running with her son earlier that morning too! Jasmin you are a beast keep it up!

Kunhuor Hak ran an excellent 5K to finish with a time of 21:31 and receive a 1st in age group award. Kunhuour your consistency and dedication to training shows in your range and ability to run short and long distances with equal ease.

Zeb’s 5K was paced in by Chris Koris and Kunhuor Hak to run 21:31 and earn 2nd in his age group!

Folsom Firecracker 5K/10K

Even though Ben Mundy couldn’t join the club in Elk Grove he still represented the club well running the Folsom Firecracker 5K in a time of 25:28; way to represent the club out in Folsom Ben; great job!

Stars and Stripes 5K

Elsewhere club Vice President Richard King running for Ainsley’s Angels completed the Stars and Stripes 5K in a time of 33:08; great job Rich!

Patagonia 5K

Held in the beautiful Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, this race is part of the USA Track and Field road race series. 

Mike Tiska ran an excellent race finishing in 24:40; great job Mike!

Mike Buzzbee completed the race in a time of 25:59; great job Mike!

Gilbert Machado pushed hard to go sub 28 minutes with a time of 27:57, well done Gil!

Ron Souza pushed himself to a time of 25:30; the legend of Rocket Ronnie carries on!

Grant All Comers Track Meet

Michael Tiska showed up to the all-comers track meet at Grant Highschool to set excellent times in the: 800m – 3:06, Mile 6:59, and 3200m – 15:56! Way to go Mike showing us some proper speed; congrats!

Blood Sweat and Beers Trail Race

Now for some trail racing, the Blood Sweat and Beers is split into two distances: short course 5.9 mile and long course 10.5 miles. Club members battled the heat, dust, rocks, roots, elevation gain and loss to complete this challenging race.

David Herman ran the  short course in a time of 1:09:00; great job David showing us your range to conquer this race!

Courtney Eldridge smashed the  Long Course in a time of 1:52:26; well done Courtney! 

Lucas Sanchez lit up the Long Course with a time of 1:40:08; you are running strong this summer; congrats! Also you nabbed the best action shot of the club for this month; looking focused and determined in this one!

Kunhuour Hak blitzed the Long Course in a time of 1:47:43; you are well on your way to qualifying for the Western States 100 miler at this rate Kunhuor; congrats!

John Gibson stormed the Short Course to finish in a time of  49:24 and achieve 1st in age his group. Another amazing performance for a long time strong runner for the club; well done John!

Jessica Rong completed the long course in a time of 2:01:49 showing her proficiency at distance running especially over treacherous terrain; great job Jessica! 

Ben Mundy ran the short course in a time of 57:53 pushing himself to 3rd in his age group; great job Ben your fitness has also grown immensely over this summer; you should be proud!

Ironman 70.3 Oregon Triathlon

Traci Seto and Leann Castle competed in the half Ironman distance in Salem Oregon. For those not in the know a half iron man contains a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run all done back to back to back with no rest in between; a true test of determination, skill, and grit across multiple disciplines. Traci completed the total 70.3 mile race distance with a time of 5:07:03. Leann completed the race in a time of 5:46:30. Great job ladies way to execute on a fly away race!

Great American Triathlon

Ron Souza completed the 5.8 mile run section of the team Triathlon in a time of 47:11. His team placed 2nd overall in the 60+ age group. Well done Ron and company!

Peach Festival 5K

Michael Buzzbee earned 1st place in his age group running a time of 26:23 on a tough course; well done Mike!

Courtland Pear Fair 5 Mile/10 Mile

Yet another ‘home’ race for the club is the Courtland Pear Fair featuring a 5 mile and a 10 mile ,effectively, cross country race. Again the Rebels were out in full force bathing the town in red with a total of 14 podium age group award winners!

Adrienne Morelos, Steph Lunetta Henry, and Selena Hak completed the 5miles course in a time of 1:21:25; well done ladies always bringing smiles, fun, and enthusiasm to every race; thank you!

Katherine Winkler completed the 10 Miler in a time of 1:44:59, well done Katherine on what is effectively a dusty and windy cross country course! 

Liza Medina ran the 5 Miler in a time of 48:25 to earn 1st place in her age division; well done Liza way to push yourself!

Mai Nakamoto completed the 10 miler in a time of 1:40:13 to earn 3rd place in her age division; well done Mai!

Daniel Rodriguez pushed himself in the 5 mile course to a time of 39:42 to earn 3rd place in his age group; congratulations Daniel on a well earned result!

Ethan Rodriguez ran the 5 Miler in a time of 46:21; great job Ethan; we look forward to many excellent results in the years to come! 

Megan Rodriguez as always (she races for the club very frequently) pushed the pace to go sub 50 Minutes in the 5 Miler with a time of 49:52; great job Megan!

Jovana Sanchez ran the 5 miler with Megan to a time of 49:49; congrats and well done Jovana!

Manuel Amezcua crushed the 10 Mile course with a time of 1:16:15 7 to earn a 2nd place podium finish in his age group; congratulations Manuel on a hard effort and excellent kick at the end!

Michael Trotta survived the 10 Mile race to finish with a time of 1:45:44! He endured a fall at mile 2.5 but didn’t let that hold him back from running a strong race! This picture captures him on his unscathed side. 

Thao Giang ran the 10 Mile distance to a result of 1:57:29 earning a 3rd place in age group award! Well done Thao for toughing out the long race!

Gil Inouye turned in another solid performance on the 5 mile course for a time of 46:04. Way to always turn up and deliver Gil!

Leann Castle smoked the 5 Mile course with a time of 45:46 to earn 1st place in her age group; well done Leann! As with Traci this was week off her half ironman race in Oregon!

Mimi Macias ran the 5 miler in a time of 1:03:55 great work Mimi, and you did it all with a big smile as well!

Emily Huang crushed the 5 mile course in a time of 45:05  to secure 1st in age group; another excellent race and result Emily congrats!

Lynn Marshall pushed herself to her limits to run the 5 mile to a time of 48:56 and earn 3rd place in age her group; well to go Lynn always racing hard and showing your strength at running!

Lorena Mertz Van Rein picked up Michelle Carrasco bibs at the last minute for the 10 Mile race running a time of 1:32:27 to earn 2nd in age group. Very impressive Lorena; way to show up on short notice and put in a strong performance!

Newly married Adriana & Lucas Sanchez ran the 5 mile race to a time of 1:03:41 off the back of their honeymoon. Congratulations Adriana and Lucas both on the race and more significantly on getting married!

Richard Nakamoto completed the 5 mile race in a time of  50:11; looking beastly in the backwards baseball cap; well done Richard!

Lupe Rodriguez smoked the 5 mile race in a time of 43:54; way to go Lupe and represent well!

Courtney Eldridge notched up another victory with the 10 mile run in a time of 1:19:38 to nab 1st in age group, well done Courtney yet another amazing success this year; keep it up!

Traci Seto ran the 10 Mile race in a time of 1:24:40 earning a first in age group award! Well done Traci! She was also the Rebel’s Pear Queen for the day!

Zach Gonzalez  ran an excellent 10 Mile race to a time of 1:19:09! Well done Zach your training this summer has been extremely consistent and you are reaping the benefits of it; keep rockin’ Zach!

Omar Solis completed his very first running race in his life the 10 miler to a time of 1:33:13 to achieve 3rd in his age group! Congratulations Omar this is an amazing achievement we are all excited to follow your progression, welcome to the club!

Suzie Oyoung ran the 5 Miler in a time of 58:44; way to show up as always Suzie; great job!

David Herman ran the 10 Mile course to a time of 1:38:06; well done David you are progressing well!

Jessica Rong & Kunhuor Hak 10 Mile course together to a time of 1:22:59; with both earning 2nd place in their respective age groups. Well done to both of you always training together and pushing each other to greater heights! I am excited to see how you two will do at the Santa Rosa half-marathon!

Ben Mundy our club President put in a strong performance in the 5 Mile race to run a time of 43:45 and earn 2nd in his age group; way to go Ben your aerobic base building this summer is really paying off and we can see it with your performances; way to go Ben!

Andy Harris the founder of our club was in attendance for the 10 Mile race clocking in a time of 1:40:04 to earn 3rd place in his age group; well done Andy your dedication to the sport is unparalleled and it shows; you are an inspiration to us all!

Rich King our wonderful Vice President ran the  5 Miler to a time of 50:10, but he also brought our tent and set up our float (and drove it for us) so we could participate in the Pear Fair Parade. Lets pay back his generosity by supporting him in the votesacramento restaurant contest by voting for Tipps & Shakes for the  Sandwiches, Deli, Cheap Eats, Lunch Spot, Frozen Treats, Burgers, and French Fries categories. Thanks in advance!  

Shane Curren displayed his excellent form by running the 5 Mile course in a time of 42:31 to secure 1st in age group division award; great job Shane your hard, consistent, and intelligent training is paying off with these fantastic results; keep pushing boss!

Finally local boy and board member Ruben Rodriguez put in a stellar performance in the 10 Miler to clock a time of 1:15:43 and finish 5th overall and 1st in age group; another commanding performance. Lets all give Ruben a big thanks for inviting us to his home town to enjoy the race and the festival; I think I can safely say we all had an amazing time and we all look forward to making our way back to Courtland next year to do it all over again; thank you Ruben!

That wraps up an amazing July lets carry this energy and momentum into August team; thank you! -Zeb

Hey everyone back with another race recap this time for May 2025! Lots of excellent efforts and results all throughout the month whether it was on the road or the trails. Rebels were making it happen every weekend regardless of distance or elevation! Special thanks to everyone for coming out to the club’s Summer kickoff picnic on May 31st. Despite the heat everyone had a good time. Hopefully we can get together again with the others that were not able to make it. Have a great summer everyone! 

I would also like to give a special recognition to Michelle Carrasco and Gil Inouye for racing in some capacity every weekend of the month of May! Way to go Michelle and Gil you two are showing us all how to be fit and have fun in the process! 

Additionally going forward, if you would like to include any special story, thoughts, musings, or anecdotes about your race performance feel free to email me or throw those notes into your strava activity associated with your race.

Finally big thanks to Ron Souza and Jessica Rong for their help with editing and compiling results!

Take care and enjoy!

Folsom Lake Trail Run 50K

Kunhuour Hak completed the Folsom 50k trail run in a time of 6:02:54. Earning first place in his age group. It was a warm day and despite the heat and cramping he managed to keep going and finished strong!! 

Anel Martinez completed the race in a time of 6:56:50 completing the 50K course in less than seven hours. Despite the course being promoted with 2,250 elevation gain it was actually around 3,400 elevation gain. Excellent grit and determination Anel!! Way to power up through the hills Anel and Kunhuor!

Fair Oaks Chicken Run 5 Miler/2 Mile

New club member David Herman completed his first race with the club with a time 48:05! Congratulations and welcome to the club David we look forward to racing many happy miles with you going forward!

Shane Curren put in a strong effort to complete the 5 mile course in a time of 48:58! Well done Shane on a difficult course!

Mariano Meza turned up yet again to complete the full 5 mile course in a time of 56:49! Great job Mariano with your positive attitude you are going to continue improving quickly and we are excited to watch your progress!

Gilbert Machado left it all out on the course to earn 2nd place in age division award with a time of 47:20! Great job Gil, you are a wise head who knows how to extract the maximum from yourself!

Scott Cleland pushed hard to earn himself a tidy 3rd place in age group with a time of 38:19! Well done Scott to earn a hard fought podium on a hilly course!

Lisa Sunahara used all of her knowledge, experience, and racecraft to secure a 1st place in age group award, with a time of 45:37! Great job Lisa we are all so proud of you!

Alejandro Santana in only his second race with the club turned in another stellar performance completing the 5 mile course in a time 38:09;! Great job Alejandro and the same as Mariano we are all excited to watch your progress as a runner!

Andy Harris used all of his cross country experience to complete the 5 mile course in a time of 47:55! Way to conquer those hills Andy, another strong effort! 

Ruben Rodriguez ran with Rich King to complete his race in a time of 52:34! Great job Ruben always running with a smile despite the difficulties!

Rich King pacing with Ruben completed the race in a time of 52:34! Well done Rich persevering through a tough course to get it done(with a smile too)! 

Steve Swindell completed the full 5 mile course in a time of 1:05:29; great job Steve sticking it out to the end!

Lynn Marshall ran strong to finish with a time of 54:30! Excellent work Lynn!

Finally Zeb completed the 2 mile course in a time of 14:44! It was a fun day out for a run with the team; thanks for a great day everyone! Also big thanks to Alejandro Santana for pacing the first mile with me!

Beer City 5K

Michelle Carrasco completed the 5K in a time of 34:22; well done Michelle! Displaying awesome range from the trails, road, and everything in between! 

Gil Inouye completed the 5K in a time of 44:08; great job Gil getting another race in the book! Same range applies to Gil; you are the man!

Orange County Marathon

Mai Nakamoto completed the 26.2 mile distance in a time of 4:40! Congratulations on your marathon PR! Great job getting it done on a fly away race in Southern California! 

Devil Mountain 5K/Mile of Truth

Courtney Eldridge earned a PR in the 5K running a time of 22:01 to earn a 2nd place podium in the process! Great job Courtney, and we are sure many more PRs and podiums are on the way soon too!

Mike tiska ran the ‘Mile of Truth’ finishing with a time of 7:35; well done Mike recovering off of injury to go sub 8 in the mile!

Dirty Little Secret Trail Run

Glenn Schaezlein completed the long course (10 and a half miles with tons of elevation) in a time of  2:02:24! Great job Glenn using all of your trail knowledge and experience to bring together a strong race result!

Michelle Carrasco completed the short course (5.9 Miles) in a time of 1:22:39! Great job Michelle you never back down from any challenge, chapeau!

Gil Inouye was right there with Michelle completing the short course in a time of 1:23:09! Excellent work Gil showing your range in running the large and small distance races with equal enthusiasm!

Jessica Rong completed the long course in a time of 2:02:24! You are just as strong on the trails as you are on the roads! I think we should all expect incredible results from Jessica in the races to come!

Kunhuor Hak smashed the long course to finish in a time of 1:44:43! Extra points for rocking the patriotic arm sleeves and averaging 10 minutes per mile flat pace on a not so flat course; great job!

John Gibson absolutely blitzed the short course in a time of 47:32; a demonstration of his excellent ability to tackle tough courses! Way to go John!

Anel Martinez ran a steady race with Jessica and Glenn to finish the long course with a time of 2:02:27! Again we expect nothing less from Anel being the trail running beast that she is!

Suzie Oyoung completed the long course in a time of 2:53:59! Suzie demonstrated her ability to never give up by completing conquering this difficult course with ease; great job Suzie!

Yolo Run 10K

Andy Harris  ran a strong race to finish the 10K in a time of 55:45 earning a 2nd place in age group award in the process! Great job Andy inspiring us all with your infinite love of running!

Mike Tiska pushed himself hard to complete the 10K in a time of 51:52! Well raced Mike as with other club members you are gaining fitness with each and every race; keep going!

Napa Wilderness Trail Run 30K

Anel Esmerelda Martinez completed the 30K trail race in a time of  4:48:55! This is in addition to completing over 100 miles every week during the course of the month of May! Great job Anel you are displaying incredible fitness and ability with your running exploits!

Sutter Buttes Spirit Half Marathon/5K

Michelle Carrasco and Gil Inouye paced the half marathon to perfection! Great job representing the club well!

Mike Buzbee ran the 5K course in a  time of 25:38 earning a 1st place in age group award too! Great job representing strong Mike!

Bay to Breakers 15K

Alejandro Santana completed the famous 15K race in a time of 1:27:14! Great job Alejandro tackling this famous race, you are hitting all of the highlight races with great speed!

Chasing Chocolate 5K

Liza Medina completed the 5K in a time of 29:07! Great job Liza and congratulations to your cousin for putting on their first road race; it was a massive success!

Ron Sozua ran a time of 26:44 to earn a 1st in age group award! Great job Ron you medal every time you go out to a race!

Chris Koris (new club member) ran a blistering time of 21:56! Welcome to the club Chris we look forward to many more fantastic results going forward! 

Barks and Brews 5K 

Steph Lunetta Henry and Ziggy were there too!

Steve Swindel completed the race in a time of 36:21; great job Steve getting out there and moving!

Lynn Marshall displayed excellent form to complete the race in 28:13! Great job Lynn!

Logan Tiska (Mike’s daughter) in her first race with the club ran a 27:29 5K and earned a 3rd place in age division award! Welcome to the club Logan and congratulations we are all proud of you!

Richard King ran a strong race to finish in 28:38! Great job Rich you are gaining fitness and speed with every single race!

Ron Souza conquered some of his demons to finish in 24:56 and earn 1st in his age group! Great work Ron showing us all there is no excuse to stop racing at any point in our lives!

Michelle Carrasco & Gil Inoye proved to be the unstoppable duo completing their 4th race in as many weekends over the course of May! Congratulations Gil & Michelle on this achievement!

Mike Tiska as always pushed hard to finish in a time of 24:39; great grit and determination Mike! His race photos never disappoint either.

Steve Bond completed the race in an excellent time of 25:36! Here is what he had to say about it:

“Despite being soundly trounced by the superstars in my age group, I still managed to run my best age graded race over the last 16 races dating back to the Valentine’s Run in 2024.” – Steve Bond

Scott Cleland and his dog Boo ran an excellent pace to finish in a time of 21:39 and earn 3rd place in the male medium dog division! Way to go Scott and Boo!

Zach Gonzalez ran strong to finish in a time of 22:27; great work Zach you are improving with every race while avoiding injury; congrats!

Gil Machado pushed himself to finish in 27:31; great job Gil! Your dedication to running is very admirable! 

Camel is ever improving, completing the 5K in 26:57! Way to go!! Looking forward to seeing you reach your goals!

Mike Buzbee ran strong to finish in a time of 25:01 and earn a 2nd place in age division award!

Zeb finished in 21:30 to round out a fun day with the team; thanks everyone for an amazing May. Let’s carry this energy and enthusiasm into June and beyond!

Hey everyone back for another edition of the monthly Race Recap, this time for April 2025. Again the goal is to celebrate all of the great race day efforts of the team. All in all, great work everyone! A big reminder that we can all do hard things! Let’s continue working towards our goals in fitness and personal ones too! 

A big shout out to Jessica Rong for helping with photos and writing, so give her a kudos on Strava for all the work she did yet again this month! Ron Souza helped with editing as well.

As always if a race result is missing please let us know and we will add it to the recap.

Sactown 10 Miler/5K

Megan Rodriguez completed the 10 mile course in a time of 1:48:38; great perseverance Megan!

Richard King completed the 5K in a time of 28:21; great job Rich! Running strong and improving with every race!

John Gibson completed the 10 Mile race in a time of 1:11:45 averaging a pace of 7:10. Great job John always pushing the pace! 

Angelica Cross completed the 10 mile course in 1:21:22. Great job Angelica, always race ready!

Mariano Meza in his second race in Rebel Red completed the 5K course in a time of 31:47! Great job Mariano at this rate you will break 30 Minutes in the 5K very soon! Great seeing your progress, keep going! 

Ben Mundy completed the 5K in a time of 24:47. Excellent work Ben going sub 25 on the 5K!

Gil Inouye 3 minute PR compared to last year completing the 10 mile course in a time of 1:26:03 averaging a pace of 8:36mm. Way to push yourself Gil to get the result! This race also served as great preparation for his half marathon a week later. 

Ruben Rodriguez ran the 10 Miler in a time of 1:20:52 averaging a pace of 8:05mm; excellent work Ruben! Check out his million dollar smile in this photo too!

Shane Curren ran the 10 miler in a time of 1:43:07; great job Shane!

Liza Medina ran the 10 miler in an excellent time of 1:42:39; great job putting in a strong effort despite the jet lag flying back from Japan!

Ed Beci averaged sub 9 minute per mile pace completing the 10 miler in a time of 1:27:48! Great job Ed you are improving with every race!

David White finished the 10 miler in 1:20:02 earning a 2nd place age division podium! Great race David! Thank you for making it out to Sactown from where you live! You are ready for London!

Selena Hak finishing her 10 miler race in 2:11:38. Great job Selena you always give 110%! 

Traci Seto completed the 10 mile course in a time of 1:22:50. Congratulations earning a 2nd place in her age group (55-59).

Courtney Eldridge completed her race in a time of 1:20:56, averaging a pace of 8:05mm. Negative splitting her race, the last two miles being her fastest. Way to go Courtney, relentlessly consistent!

Scott Cleland finished with a time of 1:17:34 averaging 7:45 pace, well done Scott!

Zach Gonzalez completed the 5K in a time of 23:55, great job Zach! Thanks for capturing photos of other Rebels as well!

Ron Souza finished the race in 1:41:36, a masterclass in grit and determination despite challenges.

Mountains to Beach Marathon & Half Marathon

Gil Inouye finished the half marathon in a time of 2:21:18. Great job Gil, your endurance is ever improving! 

Anel Esmeralda Martinez who joined the club just this month completed the marathon in 3:41:52. Huge congratulations on your BQ and 8 min PR!

Kunhuor Hak completed the marathon in a time of 3:30:02 averaging 8 minute pace. Great job Kunhuor persevering near the end to complete another strong effort! Congratulations on your PR! It was Kunhuor’s birthday that week, an excellent way to celebrate with his favorite distance!

Michelle Carrasco ran a strong Half Marathon in a time of 2:04:54; great job Michelle you are making these races look easy!

Jessica Rong completed the marathon in a time of 3:41:41, averaging 8:27 per mile, with her mile splits reflecting her discipline in never deviating from her race plan. A 10 min PR from CIM this past year. 

Lake Sonoma Marathon 

Big congratulations to Lucas Sanchez on completing the Lake Sonoma trail Marathon in 6:25:22. A tough course with a total elevation gain of 5,122 feet. Way to crush it Lucas! 

Sac State 5K Fun Run

Ruben Rodriguez earned 1st place in his age group with a time of 21:59! Well done Ruben! 

Megan Rodriguez earned a personal record in the 5k with a time of 28:29; congrats on the new 5K PR!

Glen Schaezlein completed the 5K in a time of 22:45, earning a 2nd place in age group award. Excellent work Glen!

Ruben and Glen also received the Beat the President medal for running faster than the President’s (of Sacramento State University) son’s time in the race of 24:40. Excellent effort guys!

Mother Lode Earth Day 5K

Kunhuor Hak  finished the race with a time of 25:30; all the more remarkable less than a week after completing a full marathon! Great commitment Kunhuor! Excellent race on a hilly course! 

Angelica Cross running her home town course, completed the race in a time of 26:46. Great job Angelica; way to conquer the nearly 250 feet of elevation gain!

Anel Martinez completed the race in a time of 27:45: great job Anel on a difficult course just a week after your Marathon. 

Ruben Rodriguez completed the course in a time of 22:30; speedy Ruben as always! 

Boston Marathon

Amparo Villamore Haynes completed the extremely famous and prestigious marathon in a time of 4:27:43! Congratulations Amphee on both counts of reaching her donation goal to gain entry and completing the race despite knee pain. Great job Amphee!

Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay

I (Zeb) ran stage 14 of the relay which was 10.7 miles with 900 feet of elevation gain. I completed it in a time of 1 hours and 31 Minutes. My team finished in 19 Hours and 21 Minutes finishing 155th out of 241 Teams and finishing 7th out of 11 in division. Great work Zeb!! Some fellow Rebels are already considering planning a team relay run in Lake Tahoe next year. 

American River Parkway Half Marathon/5K

Ron Souza finished the 5K in a time of 24:24 to earn 1st place in his age group! Great job Ron showing us how it is done!

Liza Medina earned a 2nd place in her age group with a time of 2:13:49! Great job Liza way to push yourself to earn an amazing result; congrats!

Amphee Villamore Haynes completed the half marathon in a time of 2:11:15, made all the more remarkable by the fact she completed the Boston Marathon less than a week earlier! Excellent resilience and determination Amphee!

Traci Seto earned another 1st place in age group with a time of 1:49:11! Excellent work on the 1st place and going well under 2 hours in the half marathon. A very strong race from a strong racer!

Steve Bond ran a time of 25:37 to finish 2nd in his age group! What makes Steve’s race all the more remarkable is that he did it off the back of only 2 hours of sleep and was able to match his season’s best 5K time along with being only 3 seconds per mile off of his best 5K time since 2023. Great job Steve!

Mike Tiska ran an excellent 5K finishing in a time of 25:08, earning a 2nd place in his age group podium finish! Well done Mike your training is paying off!

Big Sur 21 Miler

Suzie Oyoung completed the Big Sur 21 Miler in a time of 4:47:32! By running with great discipline and focus she actually ran negative splits over the course of the race!

London Marathon

David White ran an exceptional race to finish one of the world marathon major course in a time of 3:48:07! It was a warmer day than expected but he fought hard to finish strong! Excellent work David it is never easy running 100% at a flyaway race especially one taking place in a whole different continent! Way to represent in the streets of London!

Run Because You Can 5K

Note:I couldn’t find any photos from this event so if anyone has any please let me know; thanks!

Andy Harris did the club proud earning a 2nd place in age group with a time of 27:06!

Gilbert Machado earned 1st place in his age group division (70-79) with a time of 27:27!

Thank you Mai for capturing this photo of Gil in action!

Mai Nakamoto completed the 5K in a time of 54:13 with her students!

The River City Rebels have a long and illustrious history of not only training for running but applying those adaptations (cardiovascular, muscular, neural, and skeletal) towards competition, specifically racing. In honor of this long held tradition of racing; I would like to align the club of 2025 with this tradition by celebrating the members of the club who are racing by producing the monthly River City Rebels Race Recap. Every month I plan to round up all of the racing regardless of how short or far distance, nor how big or small the event, nor how fast or slow a member completes the race. Running a race whether it is your first or your 100th is always a nerve wracking and challenging ordeal and members should be recognized for taking on the challenge and finishing.

These monthly recaps will serve as a document of achievement for all members to not only reminisce upon but also inspire other members to test themselves through competition. Additionally this is a great way to learn the names and faces of members you may not meet on a regular basis.

The format includes the athlete, the race they completed along with official timing/placing, an associated strava activity, and some photos if any from the event. Feel free to add club members via strava and give them kudos and support for their race events. Take note of the races your fellow members are running too; perhaps you could join them in the next running of the event!

Obviously if there is a race or a club member I missed from this month, please let me know and I can add them to the list.

Again I would like to personally and on behalf of the board congratulate everyone who completed a race this month. It is never easy (and if it is easy you should run faster ha ha!) to put yourself out there and compete, but by proudly wearing your Rebel singlet and giving your all you are representing the club well and earning respect from everyone in the running community. To put things in perspective I will quote a live strong article from 2024:About 50 million Americans (or 15 percent of the U.S. population) participate in some form of running or jogging, according to a 2022 report from Statista Research Department but “Only about 0.1% of the U.S. population (about 328,200 people) races.” Out of 50 Million people who participate in some form of running only 328,200 of those people have the gumption to compete in a race; which means by just completing a race you are already in the top 99.3th percentile of all runners in the United States! 

Our next two big races coming up in March are the Shamrock’n 5/10/Half-Marathon (March 15 & 16)  and the Running of the Elk 5k/10k (March 30th) ! Make sure to register, sign up on the Epeak (Discount codes for both races are saved in the app!) and show up for more fun!

River City Rebels Race Recap February 2025:

First I would like to congratulate Kunhour Hak on going sub six hours on his 50k (k for kilometers) Race!

Along with Suzie Oyoung for completing the half marathon in 3 hours and 39 Minutes!

An honorable mention Jessica Rong for pacing the Salmon Falls 50K.

Next I would like to highlight Michelle Carrasco and Gil Inouye for running the Las Vegas half marathon!

Michelle’s results:

Gil’s results:

Liza Medina ran the 10Kin Las Vegas at the same event with a time of 59:35, congrats Liza on the sub 1 hour 10K.

Next Amphee Villamor Haynes ran the Mesa Marathon in 4:16:45!

• 

Congratulations to Stephanie Lunetta Henry & Adrienne Morelos running the Davis Stampede Half Marathon in 3 Hours and 19 Minutes:

Great job ladies!

At this race our newly elected Vice President Richard King running for Ainsley’s Angels (meaning he was running while pushing a trike with a human being inside it)  completed the Davis Stampede 10K in 1 Hour and 2 Minutes!

I (Zeb) ran the 5k in a time of 21:52, getting 2nd place in my age group!

New club member Steve Mangiapane ran the Trinidad to Clam Beach 5.75 mile race in a time of 45:17; great job Steve!

Next we will cover all of the running from the 2025 Valentine Race of Justice!

I would first like to highlight our club president Ben Mundy who ran a time of 33:52!

Great job Ben!

Next we have Liza Medina who ran a time of 36:13!

Gil Machado ran a strong race finishing in 36:35!

Suzie Oyoung ran an amazing race with a time of 39:45!

Camel completed the race in 40:41! Great Job Camel!

Our new Treasurer John Painting completed the race in 32:02 with a 3rd place age group podium!

Another Podium place finisher (and another John) is John Gibson with a time of 27:24!

Steve Bond finished with a time of exactly 33 minutes and 1st place in his age group; great job Steve!

Long time club and board member Ruben earned 2nd place in his age group with a time of 28:11; excellent work Ruben!

Kevin Cimini completed the 4 mile course in 32:43!

Finally from this race we had Rocket Ronnie (Ron Souza) complete the race in a time of 31:56 for first place in his age group!

I (Zeb) did alright too finishing the 1.8 mile course in 11:45.

Finally I would like to wrap up with covering the Reno Indoor Track (at altitude) event on February 1st.

We had the distance Medley relay team win the masters category with a total time of 13:24.16

Individually in order of appearance:

Mike Leach ran the 1200m leg with a time of 3:52 (5:10 per mile pace)!

Next Stephen Mangiapane ran the 400m in a time of 67 seconds (4:30 per mile pace) with a 32 second opening 200m!

Next we had Michael Dean run the 800m leg with a time of 2:35 (5:10 per mile pace)!

Finally we had John Gibson run the mile leg in a time of 5:50 (5:50 per mile pace)!

Ron Souza ran the indoor mile in a time of 7:38!

I (Zeb) ran the indoor mile in a time of 6:34 to round out the night.

I believe that rounds out all of the racing from February 2025, if I am missing any event or result please let me know and I will update this document immediately.