Results/Photos

Date: Feb. 1, 2026 Participant: Joshua Lerch #21368 Race: 2026 Surf City Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles

Consistent Pace, Strong Finish Joshua Lerch's performance at the 2026 Surf City Marathon demonstrated impressive consistency in pacing and strategic positioning. Maintaining a near-constant pace between 5:31 and 5:44 minutes per mile for the majority of the race allowed him to secure a second-place finish overall. This consistency was evident through the first 13 miles, where his split times varied only slightly, demonstrating strong control over his tempo. While temporary fluctuations occurred between miles 19 and 23, where his pace slightly increased to over 5:50, Joshua reclaimed momentum in the final miles. Crossing the finish line with an official time of 2:30:16, he showed excellent late-race resiliencea valuable skill in endurance running. Maintaining composure and pacing over such distances is key, and there were moments of brilliance such as mile 16, where Joshua shifted into first place with a split pace of 5:34. Highlighting specific splits like this can serve as motivational benchmarks for future races.