Results/Photos

Date: Dec. 13, 2025 Participant: Mike Soehl #3009 Race: 2025 Phoenix Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Strong Initial Performance with Challenging Later Splits Mike delivered an impressive performance at the 2025 Phoenix Marathon representing East Valley Runners. He started strong, maintaining a steady sub-8-minute pace for the first half of the race and even secured first place in the M55-59 division in that phase. His initial split was clocked at 7:27 min/mile, and he maintained a pace under 7:53 min/mile for the first 10 miles, gradually transitioning into a sustainable pace of 7:42-7:44 min/mile until mile 23. In the final miles, from mile 24 onward, Mike experienced a notable drop in pace, with the split pace reaching 13:16 min/mile by mile 24 and 12:53 min/mile at mile 26. This affected his division standing towards the end, finishing 8th in his age group. Training to sustain pace in later miles may be beneficial. Overall, completing the marathon in a time of 3:42:40 with an overall pace of 8:29 min/mile is commendable.