Welcome! This blog gives a summary of each marathon with finish time/place, course info, conditions, and links to performance data and travel photos. There are also separate pages listing marathons in different countries/continents, states, and Canadian provinces as well as general info about my running background, frequently asked questions, and advice for anyone looking to start running or exercising more. This blog is linked on my Facebook page, but I'm very rarely on social media otherwise.
Saturday, November 15, 2025
Marathon #173 (second round state #43): Honoring our Heroes Marathon, Rolla, MO
3:57 finish, 11/90 place overall. Small rural race on the edge of the Ozarks in southern Missouri, about an hour and a half southwest of St. Louis. Nothing spectacular, but it’s a friendly small-town race that supports local veterans, which is nice. Fairly hilly course and unseasonably warm, making for a very slow pace in the final miles with a long relentless uphill into the finish area. Still squeaked by just under four hours - not needed for the state, but always a goal anyway when possible.
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Marathon #172 (sub-four state #46, second round state #42): Rogue Marathon, Medford, OR
3:47 finish, 71/176 place overall. Fairly scenic rural marathon in the mountains of southwestern Oregon, about four hours south of Portland near the California border. It starts in a remote park near Ashland and runs along country roads and bike paths to the finish in downtown Medford. The course has an overall elevation drop which, combined with ideal cool weather, helped me get a decent sub-four finish as needed for the state.
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Marathon #171 / Ultramarathon #3: Old Forge 50K, NY
5:35 finish, 15/37 place overall. This was a 50K (31.1 miles), the shortest ultramarathon distance - about five miles longer than a marathon - and only my third time going beyond 26.2. It’s a scenic but fairly tough, hilly course in the southwestern Adirondacks running mostly on dirt paths that are used for snowmobiles in the winter. It was significantly harder and slower than my only other 50K in 2018, but nothing close to the 55K earlier this year that was only three miles longer but over two hours slower.
Sunday, August 10, 2025
Marathon #170 (country #35): Monschau Marathon, Germany
4:29 finish, 244/443 place overall. Scenic and very challenging race in the area around Monschau in far western Germany, just a few minutes from the Belgian border. Most of the course is on rural dirt roads and paths through woods, farmland and small towns - the largest of which is the historic center of Monschau. Ideal cool weather with nice scenery and friendly local supporters, but the hills are steep and relentless - about twice as much elevation gain as the tough Victoria Falls race last month and harder than any regular marathon since Portugal in April 2024. Much slower than usual finish time as expected.
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Marathon #169 (country #34): Victoria Falls Marathon, Zimbabwe
4:06 finish, 176/444 place overall. Scenic but tough race near Africa’s famous Victoria Falls on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Most of the course is on the Zimbabwe side in the town of Victoria Falls, but it crosses the bridge over the falls and runs briefly into Zambia as well before turning back. The falls are a major tourist destination and the race draws people from all over the world in addition to the local runners and friendly volunteers. Weather was cool to start but it got very warm in the second half without much shade and some tough hills; hardest and slowest marathon I’ve done in the past year (not counting the 55K ultra in March).
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