Results/Photos

Date: February 8, 2025 Participant: Matt Lail #12312 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 Performance with Late Challenges Matt Lail showcased determination at the 2025 Mesa Marathon, covering 26.2 miles in 4:08:11 with an average pace of 9:28 min/mile. His performance was solid through the first half, with impressive splits like mile 3 at 6:39 min/mile and mile 4 at 7:34 min/mile, maintaining sub-8-minute miles until mile 6. The early splits positioned him as high as 589th overall at certain points, highlighting his initial strong form. In the latter stages, especially from mile 18 onward, the pace began to slow, with mile splits extending beyond 9 minutes. By mile 21, the pace dropped to 17:41 min/mile, indicating signs of fatigue. Although he finished 1690th overall out of 3624 participants and 1152nd among males, adjusting split strategies in this phase might help maintain earlier pacing success. His consistent early pace shows great potential for improvement. Engaging in targeted endurance training could further enhance performance in future events.