Results/Photos

Date: Feb. 1, 2026 Participant: Samantha Barajas #20943 Race: 2026 Surf City Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Consistent Pacing Yields Top Division Finish Samantha Barajas demonstrated strong endurance and strategic pacing in the 2026 Surf City Marathon. Her finishing time of 3:08:28 secured the 1st place in her F25-29 division, 4th place in her gender, and 68th overall among 2517 participants. She maintained an overall pace of 7:11 min/mile, with notable improvements in the latter half of the race. Her splits reveal an effective pacing strategy, starting with a 7:40 min/mile in the first mile and dropping to a more consistent sub-7:10 min/mile pace by the halfway mark. Samantha's progression is highlighted by improvement to a 6:58 min/mile split between miles 10 to 11 and maintaining a sub-7:10 min/mile for the duration. Ending the race with three splits in a row at the leader's pace, her final surge included a dominant finish with 1st place in her division. Continuing to focus on this consistency will further enhance performance.