PC: Fit & Able

Following a several-month hiatus from racing, as has been typical during the hotter months, I decided to return to Fit & Able’s Summer’s Done 1/4 Marathon, taking place on August 22, 2026, at Fred G. Bond Metro Park, in Cary, North Carolina. The course had to be modified this year to work around the preplanned baseball game in the same venue. Still warm and insanely humid thanks to sporadic rain, I did not set a greedy time goal, considering also I had not been running at a fast pace in the heat of the summer.

PC: Fit & Able

The event used staggered starts so that the participants would not cause traffic and inconvenience other users of the park. Once the race director shouted my bib number, I took off at a low 7-minute-mile pace, which often happens at the start of a race due to the adrenaline rush but one I knew I could not keep up in these conditions. My entire clothes were rapidly drenched in sweat, making me dread the drive home. I began dealing with minor stomach cramps halfway, and with 2.5 miles to go, I thought about grabbing a cup of water to fight the suffocating humidity but moved past the aid station to avoid disrupting my flow. Though I felt the effort, I kept a consistent pace through these two laps of just over 5K each. I crossed the finish as the second male overall, pleasant surprise, officially in 55.35.96, at 6.63 miles according to my ancient COROS PACE 2. After collecting my finisher’s medal and receiving a complimentary stretch, I stuck around to chat with fellow runners. Hot days are still ahead, but I expect to sign up for running events more regularly and plan to pick up the momentum of my speed increase from the cooler months shortly.