Date: Sept. 28, 2025 Participant: Mark Stephenson #13167 Race: 2025 Boulderthon Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles Weather: Perfect running weather with temperatures in the 50's to 70's and nice cloud cover

Consistent midrace, +14:28 positive split; standout 5:41 mile 4:26:46 finish (10:10/mi). Miles 1-3 held 9:36-9:42. Mile 4 slowed to 13:20, then a 5:41 surge at mile 5 (fastest). Miles 6-12 stayed 9:21-9:55 with a 9:30 at mile 10 and 9:21 at mile 12. From miles 21-26, splits ranged 10:50-11:23. Halfway 2:06:09 vs 2:20:37 second half, a +14:28 split. Previous half: 1:50:22 (8:25/mi). To progress, aim for tighter early/mid pacing: cap miles 1-10 around 9:45-9:50 with +/-15-20 sec variance. Practice marathon-pace long runs with a fast finish (last 6-8 miles at goal pace). Add controlled surges (60-90 sec) within steady runs to absorb pace changes without large swings. Include hill strides and strength to support late-race form. A tune-up 10K can calibrate goal pace.