Results/Photos

Date: Sept. 27, 2026 Participant: Shane Ruether #12456 Race: 2026 Boulderthon Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Strong Early Pace Fades Into a Determined Finish Shane Ruether completed the marathon in 4:24:07. He moved efficiently through the race's first half, holding between 9:06 and 9:33 per mile from mile 1 through mile 11, a well-controlled and consistent stretch that kept his cumulative pace near 9:20 min/mile. From mile 18 onward, his per-mile pace eased into the 10:1812:19 range as fatigue set in, before he closed strong with a 9:20 mile 26, the fastest mile of his back half. Racing at Boulder's altitude of over 5,000 feet adds a real physiological factor to any marathon effort, and Ruether's pacing through the opening 11 miles reflected sound execution given those conditions. Looking ahead, he might consider working on maintaining that early rhythm a bit further into the back half, using the closing surge he showed in mile 26 as a model for pacing more of the second half of the race.