Results/Photos

Date: Feb. 1, 2026 Participant: Peyton Russell #20545 Race: 2026 Surf City Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Consistent Pacing with Late Race Challenges Peyton Russell, 23, from Redding, CA, completed the 2026 Surf City Marathon in a time of 3:06:41, covering the 26.2-mile course with an average pace of 7:07 min/mile. Peyton started strong, with initial mile splits ranging from 6:47 to 6:57 min/mile, demonstrating a disciplined and consistent effort. Notably, at mile 3 and mile 9, he improved his position significantly, breaking into the top 5 in his age division (M20-24) during those moments. However, in the later stages, some pacing deviations were observed. The last 4 miles saw a decrease to an 8:41-8:44 min/mile pace. Focusing on maintaining pace into the final miles could improve overall endurance and timing. Nonetheless, Peyton's performance was strong, ranking him 11th in his division and 61st overall out of 2,517 participants. Consistent pacing early on is commendable and a solid foundation to build upon.