Results/Photos

Date: Feb. 14, 2026 Participant: Paloma Garcia #15413 Race: 2026 Mesa Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles

Consistent Start Sets the Pace Paloma Garcia from Tucson, AZ, demonstrated strategic pacing at the 2026 Mesa Half Marathon. Starting strong, Paloma ran her first mile in 8:12, her fastest split of the race, placing her 144th among female competitors and 21st in her division. Her initial consistency continued through mile 4, maintaining a sub-8:30 pace, with her placements fluctuating between 21st and 75th in her division, out of the total of 4125 participants. As the race progressed, there was a notable gradual increase in split times, peaking with a 10:04 pace for the final mile. Her overall time was 2:02:57 with an average pace of 9:23 per mile. Despite the slowdown, her steady early pace was enough to secure 123rd in the competitive F25-29 division. For future races, consider focusing on maintaining splits below the 9-minute mark in the later stages to optimize overall performance. Good job representing "Amandas Team"!