Marathon #96 (Can. prov. #3): Nova Scotia Marathon, Barrington, NS, Canada

3:53 finish, 11/60 place overall. Small but friendly race along the southwest coast of Nova Scotia on rural roads with some nice scenery. Some short rolling hills, but fairly flat overall. Not too hot but extremely humid, which was tolerable when it was cloudy and foggy early in the race, but when the sun came out it felt almost tropical, slowing me down more than usual in the later miles. Still had enough of a cushion from the early miles to ensure another sub-four finish.

Garmin map and performance details

Marathon #95 (continent #3 / country #13): Pacasmayo Marathon, Peru

4:15 finish. Small, remote race along the northern desert coast of Peru, about 350 miles north of Lima. The area gets few visitors aside from surfers and the marathon, and there’s not much English spoken, but the people are welcoming and friendly. This is not the Andes, so no altitude issues, but it’s still a fairly tough course with some steep hills and long sections of trail and beach running. Weather was fine - cloudy and 60s - until the last 10K when the sun came out and it got hot fast. That last section was also the hardest part of the course, running on loose sand and rocky dirt paths, slowing me down to 12-13 minute miles. Slow finish time compared to recent races, but no complaints considering the course.

Garmin map and performance details

Photos

Marathon #94 (sub-4 state #29, second round state #14): Vermont City Marathon, Burlington, VT

3:48 finish, 532/1935 place overall. Scenic and very well supported mid-sized race in and around Burlington, finishing along bike path overlooking Lake Champlain. Somewhat hilly course, but weather this year was mostly cloudy and relatively cool, making for a 19 minute improvement over my 2011 time when it was very hot and humid. Much better experience this time overall.

Garmin map and performance details

Marathon #93 (second round state #13): New Jersey Marathon, Long Branch, NJ

3:38 finish (PR), 498/2118 place overall.  Nice, well-organized mid-sized race going through towns and neighborhoods along Jersey Shore, starting at Monmouth Racetrack and finishing along the boardwalk in Long Branch. Very flat course and ideal weather allowed for another personal best finish - by just 44 seconds - beating my previous best in Maryland five months ago.

Garmin map and performance details

Marathon #92 (country #12): Olympia Marathon, Greece

3:49 finish, 35/110 place overall. Small but friendly and well-supported race through rural areas of the western Peloponnese peninsula, with a unique finish in Ancient Olympia next to the ruins of the stadium where the original Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. A couple of tough hills in the second half, but otherwise relatively flat with ideal running weather, leading to a decent finish time.

Garmin map and performance details

Photos