Results/Photos

Date: February 8, 2025 Participant: Rich Zappen #14573 Race: 2025 Mesa Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles Weather: Perfect running conditions at 63°F, partly cloudy skies, and a slight breeze from the east in Mesa, AZ.

Consistent Pacing Shows Strong Finish Rich Zappen, 68 from Bensenville, ran the 2025 Mesa Marathon finishing with a total time of 3:47:22, achieving an average pace of 8:40 min/mile. Zappen placed 5th in his age division (M65-69) and 825th in the male category. His performance was consistent throughout, with split paces ranging primarily between 8:02 and 9:33 min/mile. Notably, Zappen started strong with a first mile pace of 8:02 min/mile but faced slower intervals, particularly at miles 16 and 23, with paces over 9 minutes. However, his split at mile 17 was an impressive 7:50 min/mile, showing capability for faster paces. Compared to previous years, this race had a slightly slower finish. It may be beneficial to focus on maintaining initial pace through to the later stages in future races. Overall, his placement in this larger field was commendable, sustaining Top 5 division positioning.