Date: Oct. 5, 2025 Participant: Paul Smits #20427 Race: 2025 Portland Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles

Consistent Performance with a Strong Finish Paul Smits delivered a consistent performance at the 2025 Portland Marathon Half Marathon, finishing with an impressive time of 1:35:44, maintaining a steady pace averaging 7:18 per mile. His strategic pacing was evident right from the start, with the first mile split recorded at 7:34, and progressively adapting his pace to achieve a significant acceleration by the final mile, clocking in at a remarkable 6:54 split. His ability to finish strong is noteworthy, moving up the ranks, particularly in the last few miles. Throughout the race, Smits efficiently advanced his positioning, improving from 331st place overall after the first mile to ultimately finishing 241st out of 5,623 participants. As part of the M35-39 division, he secured the 32nd place, highlighting the competitive edge in his age group. Future training could focus on sustaining strategic pacing across the splits, particularly aiming for closing gaps in the middle segments.