Marathon #166 (country* #33): Newport Marathon, Wales

3:47 finish, 1239/2846 place overall. Nice well organized mid-sized race starting and finishing in downtown Newport, a small industrial city in southeastern Wales just east of Cardiff and about two hours west of London. Most of the course is on farmland and very flat, allowing for fast times. Decent sub-four finish.

* Although Wales is part of the UK, Marathon Globetrotters counts it as its own country along with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their list is the standard used by many international marathon runners.

Garmin map and performance details

Photos - Wales

Photos - England
(Many more England photos on 2015 England marathon post)

Marathon #165 / Ultramarathon #2 (second round state #39): Badger Mountain Challenge 55K, Richland, WA

7:50 finish, 34/74 place overall. This was a short ultramarathon, which is defined as anything from a 50K (31 miles) to hundreds of miles. This 55K (just over 34 miles) was only my second ultra and longest run ever, the only other one being a 50K - three miles shorter on a much easier course - in 2018. It’s a scenic but very tough race just outside Richland, WA in the southeastern part of the state - a desert environment much different than the dense forests of western Washington around Seattle. The course is very hilly on mostly dirt roads and trails, making for a painfully slow pace. Considering the course and my lack of experience with ultramarathons, I have no complaints - only goal was to finish under the cut-off time without injury.

Garmin map and performance details

Photos

Marathon #164 (second round state #38): Hyannis Marathon, MA

4:04 finish, 181/385 place overall. Like the Icebreaker Marathon in January, this was intended as an extra-long training run, which I needed anyway, rather than a race for a fast time. This one had the added benefit of another second round state (MA done sub-four on first round). It’s a decent course around Hyannis on Cape Cod with some nice waterfront views, but weather was cold and windy. Slower than usual finish time as planned.

Garmin map and performance details

Photos

Marathon #163 (country #32): Split Marathon, Croatia

3:52 finish, 190/500 place overall. Fairly scenic mid-sized race in and around Split on Croatia’s Adriatic coast. It finishes on the waterfront in front of Diocletian’s Palace - home of the Roman emperor about 1,700 years ago and later converted into a town. It’s a mountainous area and the course has repetitive hills that seem to never end, but with ideal running weather I still ended up with an okay time.

Garmin map and performance details

Photos

Marathon #162: Icebreaker Marathon, East Meadow, NY

4:08 finish, 42/70 place overall. Just like the one other time I did this marathon in 2018, this was meant as an extra-long training run rather than a real race - intentionally not going for a fast time. I would have needed at a least 20 miler anyway in my normal training cycle, and with most of the usual routes covered in ice and snow, this was a nice way to get it done on a cleared and supported course. It's a very small race and nothing exciting (eight loops around Eisenhower Park in the cold), but it's fine for what it is. Slower than usual finish time as planned.

Garmin map and performance details