Results/Photos

Date: Feb. 1, 2026 Participant: melissa dayton #22426 Race: 2026 Surf City Marathon Wheelchair Distance: 26.2 miles

Consistent Pacing and Strong Finish Melissa Dayton from Carlsbad, CA, delivered an impressive performance at the 2026 Surf City Marathon with a final time of 3:43:29. Maintaining an average pace of 8:31 min/mile, Melissa showed remarkable consistency across the 26.2-mile distance. Notably, she achieved first place in her gender and division, constantly holding the top position after Mile 17. Her race strategy included a strong start with an initial split of 9:04 min/mile and progressively stabilizing her pace between 8:35 min/mile and 8:17 min/mile in the latter half of the race. Melissa's ability to maintain a steady pace is commendable, particularly from Mile 18 onwards where she consistently achieved an 8:36 min/mile pace. A notable highlight was her final split time of 8:03 min/mile at Mile 26, reflecting a strong finish. Future races could potentially benefit from maintaining the momentum established towards the end earlier in the race to improve overall time.