Results/Photos

Date: Sept. 27, 2026 Participant: Sam Mcelhiney #13651 Race: 2026 Boulderthon Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Strong Front Half Gives Way to a Tough Closing Stretch Sam Mcelhiney finished the 2026 Boulderthon Marathon in 4:06:23, good for 73rd in the men's 30-34 division. Through 18 miles he ran a steady, well-paced race, holding between 7:28 and 8:49 per mile and reaching the midpoint in roughly 1:58. That effort put him inside the race's top 200 overall at multiple checkpoints along the way. The final eight miles told a different story: pace slowed sharply from mile 19 onward, with mile 20 alone taking 17:04, before he settled into the 9-12 minute range to the finish. Boulder's elevation, over 5,000 feet, sits behind every mile of this course. Sam's effort through the lululemon Power-Up Zone near mile 22.5 came during his toughest closing miles, as he worked to hold pace through the marathon's final stretch back into downtown Boulder.