Results/Photos

Date: Feb. 14, 2026 Participant: Jay Gando #11733 Race: 2026 Mesa Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Consistent Effort with Notable Improvements Jay delivered a solid performance at the 2026 Mesa Marathon with an overall finish time of 4:19:38. His pace remained consistent throughout the race, starting at an 8:43 min/mile and finishing with an overall pace of 9:54 min/mile. Notably, Jay demonstrated determination by maintaining a steady pace despite experiencing a slowdown from miles 19 to 26, ranging from 10:32 to 11:50 min/mile. His strongest split was at mile 4 with an 8:32 min/mile pace, indicating potential areas to strategize for better overall race consistency. Comparing to his previous years, Jay improved his division placement to 103rd in M40-44 from 157th in 2025, showcasing visible progress. His recent time aligns closely with his 2022 performance of 4:00:07, which was a notably faster race. A focus on pacing strategy during the latter part of the marathon can potentially enhance future performances, preventing late-race slowdowns and possibly achieving sub-9:30 min/mile average pace.