Results/Photos

Date: February 8, 2025 Participant: Valerie Smith #10126 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.

Steady Performance with Room for Incremental Gains Valerie Smith delivered a solid performance at the 2025 Mesa Marathon, clocking in a finish time of 5:22:23 for the 26.2-mile course. Her pace was 12:18 min/mile. Notably, she achieved her fastest splits in the early stages of the race, with a standout first-mile split of 10:22 min/mile. Consistency was evident, as Valerie maintained an average pace through the middle stages, although there's potential to leverage her strong start to sustain faster paces in future races. Among 3624 participants, she placed 2822nd overall. Comparing her performance to the previous year’s Mesa Marathon, Valerie exhibited a slight increase in total time, moving from a previous finish of 5:14:39. Her overall place among female runners was 1003rd. Potential focus areas could include the later miles, where minor pacing adjustments might help manage fatigue. Valerie’s commitment to improvement is evident, and continued focus on endurance and pacing strategies will likely yield promising results.