Marathon #126: Rehoboth Seashore Marathon, DE

3:49 finish, 221/740 place overall. Scenic race through residential areas and a state park along the southern Delaware coast. Good weather and flat course; another decent finish time.

Race map and details 

Marathon #125 (sub-4 state #38): Marshall University Marathon, Huntington, WV

3:46 finish, 74/224 place overall. Nice race in and around Huntington, WV with unique finish on Marshall University football field. Ideal running weather and mostly flat course allowed for another sub-four hour state.

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Marathon #124 (sub-four state #37, second round state #23): Wichita Marathon, KS

3:52 finish, 40/235 place overall, 3/18 age group place. Small urban race running through residential areas and some parks around Wichita. Nicely organized with friendly local support. Mostly flat course makes it ideal for a fast time, but above average temperatures with very little shade made the later miles a struggle. With a fast first half I still managed to finish comfortably under four hours and get the state done.

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Marathon #123 (sub-four state #36, second round state #22): Mesa Falls Marathon, Ashton, ID

3:55 finish. 17/121 place overall, 3/8 age group place. Small scenic race in southeastern Idaho, starting in the Targhee National Forest, running through mostly wooded areas along a river and then a final seven mile stretch through potato farm country. It’s high altitude, as is most of the state, but the mostly downhill course makes up for it and allows for faster finish times. I just missed four hours the first time I did this race in 2013, but this time with cooler weather and better training I was able to just barely get it done.

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Marathon #122 (country #19): Olands Marathon, Hogby, Sweden

3:47 finish, 18/50 place overall. Small rural marathon on Oland Island, located in the Baltic Sea off the east coast of Sweden about five hours south of Stockholm. Fairly scenic and flat course with friendly support from locals. First international race in almost two years and fastest finish time since last fall.

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Photos

Marathon #121 (second round state #21): Hatcher Pass Marathon, Willow, AK

4:45 finish, 22/63 place overall. Very small remote race in the mountains about an hour and a half north of Anchorage. This was my third hardest marathon ever (after Pikes Peak, CO and Zermatt, Switzerland) with an almost entirely uphill course, gaining about 4,000 feet of elevation from start to finish. Luckily it was all road (mostly dirt) rather than trail with ideal cool weather, helping me stay relatively strong for most of the race and finish under five hours - very slow by my normal standards but good considering the very tough course. It was also one of the most scenic I’ve ever done and had very friendly race organizers and volunteers.

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Photos

Marathon #120: Half Sauer Half Kraut Marathon, Philadelphia, PA

4:11 finish, 43/132 place overall. Nice small German-themed marathon on the outskirts of Philadelphia in Pennypack Park, running along a combination of paved bike paths and dirt trails through mostly wooded areas. Tough course with many short but steep hills and a section of trail that has rocks and roots to slow you down. Not too hot but very humid. The course and weather made for a hard and slow race overall, but it still felt good to finally be back to the full marathon distance after a four-month injury gap.

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Marathon #119 (sub-4 state #35, second round state #20): Oak Island Marathon, NC

3:54 finish. Nice flat course through mostly residential areas of Oak Island on the southern end of the North Carolina coast. Weather was lousy with light rain and cold, but luckily not too windy. No crowds of course due to COVID, but enthusiastic volunteer support and well organized to adapt to all of the guidelines. Okay finish time under four hours.

Race map and details