Results/Photos

Date: February 8, 2025 Participant: Kassoum Doumbia #11141 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 with Late Race Challenges Kassoum Doumbia maintained a commendable pace during the initial phases of the race, starting with a quick 6:37 min/mile for the first mile. Impressively, he managed to increase his pace to 6:26 min/mile on the second mile, which helped him advance his position to 209th overall. Consistency was key as his splits mostly hovered around the mid 6:30s to low 6:40s min/mile. By the midpoint, Kassoum had settled into a steadier pace, frequently placing within the top 200s and performing well within his age group, achieving a high of 33rd place in his division (M35-39) by mile 21. As the race continued, gradual fatigue seemed to play a factor. From mile 22 onwards, his pace began to slow, notably peaking at 9:12 min/mile by mile 25. Despite this, Kassoum demonstrated resilience by concluding the marathon with an overall time of 3:05:37. Focusing on sustaining pace in the final segments and energy management may further bolster Kassoum’s performance in future events.