Results/Photos

Date: Feb. 14, 2026 Participant: Ryan Hughes #15766 Race: 2026 Mesa Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles

Consistent Pacing with Notable Improvements Ryan Hughes delivered a steady performance at the 2026 Mesa Marathon Half Marathon, maintaining an average pace of 8:37 min/mile. With a finish time of 1:53:04, his performance was consistent across all splits, starting at 8:44 min/mile in the first mile and improving to his best pace of 8:27 min/mile at the 2nd and 8th miles. Notably, Ryan excelled in the latter part of the race, consistently narrowing his pace fluctuations and finishing strong. Analyzing his split placements, Ryan showed his strongest relative performance in the 8th mile, where his overall placement was 901st, up from an initial 509th after the first mile. His placement fluctuations highlight a competitive field, offering insight into strategic moments in the race. As a member of the East Valley Runners team, Ryan demonstrated a commendable improvement from his previous marathon pace of 10:15 min/mile in 2023, showcasing increased speed over a shorter distance. Focusing on sustaining early pace improvements across all miles may further enhance future race outcomes.