Results/Photos

Date: Nov. 1, 2025 Participant: Derek Longenecker #1562 Race: 2025 Vacation Races | Joshua Tree Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles

Consistent Improvement with Key Lessons to Learn Derek's performance in the 2025 Vacation Races | Joshua Tree Half Marathon showcased a commendable effort in maintaining an average pace of 12:32 min/mile. Notably, his most notable improvement came in the second mile with a pace of 10:50 min/mile, which indicates potential for a stronger start strategy. The early stages saw significant positive movement with Derek moving from 446 overall at the 1-mile mark to 335 by the 2-mile mark. However, the third mile presented challenges, slowing his pace to 17:48 min/mile, but he demonstrated resilience by recovering and gradually improving his pace in the subsequent miles. Finishing with an elapsed time of 2:44:22, Derek secured the 81st position in the M30-34 division. Although his pace fluctuated, his ability to regain pace and maintain position highlights his perseverance. The last two miles were completed with one of his fastest splits at 11:41 min/mile. Focusing on maintaining pace in the middle portions could be beneficial for future races.