Date: Oct. 5, 2025 Participant: Paul Balmer #18662 Race: 2025 Portland Half Marathon Distance: 13.1 miles

Consistently Strong Performance with a Dominant Division Win Paul Balmer dominated his division in the 2025 Portland Marathon Half Marathon. Starting strong with a 4:19 min/mile pace in the first mile, he secured first place in his M35-39 division. He maintained a consistent pace, closing with an overall time of 1:11:41 and an average pace of 5:28 min/mile across the 13.1 miles. Paul finished 17th overall out of 5623 participants, showing remarkable stamina and speed. His consistency stood out, with only slight variances in split times. The eighth mile was particularly strong at 5:30, while the twelfth mile saw a slight dip to 5:54. Compared to his previous half marathon in 2024, Paul improved significantly, shaving off 1 minute and 40 seconds from his time and moving up five spots overall. To further enhance his performance, he might focus on maintaining the initial high pace throughout the race. He continues to demonstrate impressive growth and consistency.