I lined up alone Sunday morning for the 2026 Austin Marathon.  I feared the weather would be too warm, but it was just cool enough at the start in the upper 50s with a strong breeze.  Still, the 80% humidity had me sweating bullets after the first mile.

My brother Steve, sisters Sandy and Nan, wife Karen, nieces Brook and Michelle, and a friend Jim were there as well to walk the 5K an hour after my race start. 

I was in the thick of it by then. My results show that my pace tended to change every 3 miles.  I ran well up the initial 3 mile slope at a 9 minute pace on South Congress and back down South 1st Street at an 8 minute pace. I love that starting pace, it was right on for me. And the downhill pace wasn’t overly fast. 

I then ran 8.5 to 9 minute miles the rest of the first half marathon. 8.5 for the first 2 miles and then 8:55 on that 3rd mile which ends with the steep hill as you turn off Lake Austin Blvd after the Hula Hut. I averaged a 9 minute pace, under that by a bit, for the 3 miles through the hills along Enfield Road. That was a little faster than I figured I could do there. I kept a steady cadence.

I didn’t expect to feel so fatigued running down the Drag along the west side of the UT campus, but my legs began to feel heavy at this point. I wasn’t upset by it, I just took what the course gave me. Guadalupe is a bit of an upslope there and I slowed down to a 9.5 minute pace – still under my 10 minute target by mile 15.

One of the funniest things I saw along the course was here in Hyde Park where tequila shots were being served across the street from the Hyde Park Baptist Church. Another funny sign, which wasn’t funny the first couple of times I saw it, something like, “Hurry up and run so we can start to drink.” I’m paraphrasing. It was funny the 3rd time because it was held up by a 6 year old.

I held this prodding 9.5 mile pace for the next 3 miles, actually the next 4, before slowing down further to 10 and 10.5 up to mile 22. Then the 11 mile pace began at mile 23, followed by 11.5 minute miles for the final 3 miles – including that cruel hill on 11th St.

I saw a guy sprawled out on the side of the road at mile 24 with 9 electrodes taped to his chest, being attended to by motorcycle cops. I handed my salt chews over to a guy at mile 26 being essentially carried by two spectators. The humidity.

I felt successful with my fueling and hydration, having leveraged the aid stations. Succeeding at this technical aspect of running marathons always makes me feel good. As much as the weather guided my finish time, my decision to forgo wearing the vest helped the wind to better evaporate the sweat from my skin. Good call.

I finished in 4:12, 10 minutes ahead of my prediction and nearly a half minute under my target pace. I’m not happy that I’ve lost my conditioning to where I can’t break 4 hours but this was my first of four marathons set for 2026. I hope to be back down to 4 hours by the Colorado Marathon in May and back on the podium for the Boulder Rez and Boulder Marathons with faster runs this summer and fall. A marathon for each season of the year and this was my winter marathon.