Marathon #89 (second round state #12): Northern Central RR Trail Marathon, Sparks, MD

3:39 finish (PR), 56/285 place overall. Small but well-organized scenic race along a smooth dirt path in rural northern Maryland; fairly flat with a very gradual uphill for the first half and a very gradual downhill on the return. Ideal cool temperatures and flat course made for a fast time, allowing for a personal best marathon finish, beating 2012 Washington State marathon by about two minutes.

Garmin map and performance details

Marathon #88 (second round state #11): Marine Corps Marathon, Arlington, VA & Washington, DC

3:53 finish, 2142/20122 place overall. Very popular and patriotic race, well supported and organized by US Marines. Race starts in Arlington, VA, crosses into DC passing many monuments and landmarks, and finishes back in Arlington at the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial. Course is mostly flat aside from the first few miles in Arlington and the last stretch up to the finish. Weather was unseasonably warm, which slowed me down a little more than usual in the later miles, but still managed another sub-four.

Garmin map and performance details

Marathon #87 (sub-4 state #28, second round state #10): Clarence DeMar Marathon, Keene, NH

3:48 finish, 67/339 place overall. Originally registered for Montreal, which was canceled due to heat, so switched to Clarence DeMar last-minute. Weather in NH was similar, but instead of canceling, this race moved its start time earlier and simply reminded runners to take it easy and hydrate properly. Race is small, but very well organized and supported, running along scenic rural roads of southwestern NH. It did get warm in the later miles, but far from the worst heat I've dealt with in a marathon. Glad to finish sub-3:50 for the third time in four months.

Garmin map and performance details

Marathon #86 (country #11): Longford Marathon, Ireland

3:46 finish, 63/185 place overall. Nice low-key race running through farmland and small towns in north-central Ireland. Course is mostly flat with a few rolling hills. Ideal weather - cloudy and 60ish. A little slower than Ottawa in May, but still better than average - fourth fastest time ever and third best in five years.

Garmin map and performance details

Photos

Marathon #85 (country #10): Zermatt Marathon, Switzerland

5:40 finish. Very scenic but brutally challenging, high altitude, uphill course in the Swiss Alps. As expected, this was my second hardest and slowest marathon ever aside from Pikes Peak. The race starts in the tiny village of St. Niklaus, at about 3,800 feet. The first half is the "easy" part, going along mostly paved roads with a gradual uphill climb to the resort town of Zermatt, at about 5,300 feet. After Zermatt, in the second half, there are prolonged sections of very steep inclines along dirt roads and trails, forcing most people to walk. There are a few short flatter sections in the late miles, and even a couple of downhills, but they save the hardest uphill for the end. In the last two miles, without trees at this altitude, it is possible to see the finish area. It's so steep, however, that looking towards the finish you can only see a line of very slow, zombie-like "runners" working their way up. That last section was painfully slow, but the finish was worth it. At about 8,500 feet, the finish line near the Riffleberg railway station provides great views of the surrounding Alps, and if it were a clear day, the famous Matterhorn mountain. My finish was far from pretty, but considering the conditions and the fact that I'm a crappy trail runner even if it's flat, I have no complaints.

Garmin map and performance details

Photos - Switzerland

Photos - Italy

Photos - Germany

Photos - Austria