Marathon #118 (sub-four state #34): OYO Marathon Salt Lake, UT

3:56 finish, 18/145 place overall (as of 12/27/20). This is a unique "on your own" race, created in response to COVID, along the Jordan River south of Salt Lake City. It is not a "virtual" race, where you run wherever you want and then send "results" from your watch and get a medal in the mail. OYO races are actual certified measured courses that are monitored with cameras and timing mats that sync to an app on your phone. They are not normal races with everyone running at the same time, but it's better than nothing considering how many races are being canceled. The Salt Lake course is fairly flat and scenic, and with good running weather I was able to squeak by under four hours in spite of the altitude getting to me in the later miles.

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Marathon #117: World AIDS Marathon, Queens, NY

3:55 finish, 9/25 place overall. Flat and scenic but repetitive course along the Rockaway boardwalk, four times out and back. The race is connected to a charity organization for AIDS victims in Africa. Cold wind made it a challenge and the final miles were slower than usual, but still managed to get by under four hours.

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Marathon #116: XCelsior Marathon, Rockland Lake State Park, NY

3:47 finish, 2/15 place overall. Scenic multiple-loop race around Rockland Lake. Ideal cool and cloudy weather, mostly flat, and another decent finish.

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Marathon #115: Valley Forge Marathon, Phoenixville, PA

3:43 finish, 72/192 place overall. Nice small race on a bike path along the Schuylkill River near the Valley Forge historic site. Very flat course which, combined with ideal weather, allowed for a fast time. Only my second marathon since February because of COVID cancellations, and the one last month was slow, so it’s nice to be back under four hours. Fifth fastest finish ever.

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Marathon #114 (second round state #19): Nutmeg State Marathon, Hartford, CT

4:15 finish, 11/31 place overall. Scenic but repetitive and hilly course running multiple loops around a golf course and lake just south of Hartford. With most marathons still being canceled due to COVID restrictions, there aren't many options to choose from, so this small race was better than nothing. With no marathons since February, I slacked on long training runs until recently and wasn't expecting a fast time, and the hills combined with warm and humid weather didn't help. It was more of a glorified long training run in preparation for hopefully getting back to the 50 states sub-4 goal later this fall.

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Marathon #113 (sub-four state #33, second round state #18): El Paso Marathon, TX

3:54 finish, 63/308 place overall. Small city race in and around El Paso, starting downtown, running out into the suburbs, and then a unique finish inside the minor league baseball stadium. A little hilly with minor altitude, but nothing crazy. Okay sub-four finish.

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Marathon #112 (sub-four state #32, second round state #17): Louisiana Marathon, Baton Rouge, LA

3:45 finish, 197/912 place overall. Nice well organized race around Baton Rouge and the LSU campus. Very flat course with good weather; fastest finish since late 2018.

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