Date: April 5, 2025 Participant: Zhinong Gao #1958 Race: 2025 REVEL Mt Charleston Marathon Distance: 26.2 miles Weather: Chilly start. Heavy winds (tail/cross wind). Sunny at the finish.

Consistent Splits and Strategic Pacing Zhinong Gao, age 56 from Princeton, NJ, exhibited impressive consistency throughout the Marathon at the 2025 REVEL Mt Charleston. Starting with a steady 9:35 min/mile for the first mile, he progressively increased his pace, achieving his fastest split at 7:08 min/mile by mile 7. Despite the increasing distances, Zhinong maintained sub-8:10 min/mile paces well into the second half of the race until mile 15. He displayed a remarkable ability to keep consistent mile splits, only slowing slightly in the later stages. Overall, Zhinong completed the 26.2-mile course with a final time of 3:49:16, placing him 67th in his division and 922nd among male participants out of 2,690 total participants. While his pace decreased slightly towards the end, with the final five miles averaging 10:34 min/mile, the steady earlier performance set a solid foundation. Focusing on maintaining speed during longer distances can be beneficial for future races.