Date: Sept. 28, 2025 Participant: Matthew Nielsen #41100 Race: 2025 Boulderthon 5K Distance: 3.1 miles Weather: Perfect running weather with temperatures in the 50's to 70's and nice cloud cover

Steady Gains Amidst the Competition Matthew Nielsen competed in the 2025 Boulderthon 5K, representing the Spice Girls and Dudettes team. Throughout the race, Matthew demonstrated notable improvement in his pacing. The first mile set a conservative pace at 14:58 min/mile, but there was a significant pick up in speed during the second mile, with a split pace of 4:40 min/mile. His third mile continued this momentum, clocking in at 4:57 min/mile, and maintaining an overall average pace of 8:11 min/mile for the race. Overall, Matthew finished 180th out of 1972 participants, showing competitive strength within his age division of M20-24, securing 15th place. In the male category, he held the 121st position. Improvement in the initial mile pacing could lead to a stronger overall performance. Balancing speed across all segments while retaining energy reserves for strong finishes may enhance future race outcomes. Keep building on these positive gains, Matthew!