When running the Maine marathon, remember the journey
Scott Martin of South Portland runs along the Back Cove Trail in Portland on Monday, August 3, 2026.(Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer)
Editor’s note: Assistant Sports Editor Scott Martin is training to run the Maine Marathon on Sunday_. He has a goal and it’s within reach. He has been sharing his ups and downs and everything in between for what it takes to be ready to run 26.2 miles._
I took off my hydration vest and dropped it on the pavement next to my car at the Wainwright Sports Complex in South Portland. Three hours and 55 minutes after leaving this spot on Sept. 19, and nearly 10 months after signing up for the 2026 Maine Marathon, peak training was over. I was too tired and sore to celebrate, but as I leaned on my Subaru Impreza and chugged a vanilla protein shake, I couldn’t help but grin.
Training for my first marathon in seven years was not perfect, but training never is, and despite hiccups caused by illness, insomnia, work and other stress, I was able to do enough speed work and run enough miles to be prepared for a successful race on Sunday. For that, I am grateful.
The time on the clock when I finish will not be the sole factor in determining if my race was a success. There are way too many things that could happen that are out of my control to let my time alone determine if it was a good day or not.
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My list of goals for the marathon on Oct. 4 has a number of times (A: 3:47:45; B: 3:49:44 — a PR; C: 3:59:59 — sub 4), but also has things like, “Don’t be a jerk,” “try to have fun,” and “don’t do anything crazy.”
If I accomplish those last three things and cross the finish line healthy, even if I don’t accomplish any of my time goals, race day will be a success.
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Really, when I dropped my hydration vest in that parking lot, I had already won. I spent a lot of time this year (Garmin tells me I ran about 76 hours since July 1) working toward this goal. I ran more miles and harder workouts than I have since the COVID pandemic derailed my running habit. When I tore my calf on March 31, 2021, it started a cascade of health issues that forced me to stopped running for nearly two months at the end of 2022.
I have spent the last four years building myself to this point. Making it to the starting line and having the opportunity to run a marathon is a huge win.
Maybe you think I am giving myself an out if I am unable to run my goal time. Maybe I am. I have a lot of doubts, despite what my running friends and my coaches tell me, about my ability to average 8:41 per mile for 26.2 miles. I ran close to that pace for 11 miles on Sept. 12, but it filled me with more questions than confidence.
“This feels so fast. Can I really do this for 26.2 miles? Am I fit enough? Will my achy knees put up with this?”
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That’s just how my brain works. Confidence has never been my default. Doubt and pessimism are.
When I told my coach, Dan Frey of Finish Strong Physical Therapy and Endurance, about my doubts, he reminded me just how different the situation will be on race day.
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“If you push aside race-day anxiety, that’s the only hard part about it,” Frey said. “It’s a supported race. There’s people running with you. There are people cheering you on. All of these things arguably make (the race) easier (than the workouts and the long runs).”
I’ll try to remember that on race day. I will also try to remember all the fun I had with my friends running this summer. Training has been a shared experience with a group of people I’ve grown quite fond of. What happens in the race won’t ruin what has happened over the last 10 months.
I hope I reach my goal in the race. I would love to erase the chalkboard in my apartment with 3:47 written on it because I finally ran that time after 12 years of trying. Even if I don’t, I’ll do my best to enjoy it, to not be a jerk, and remember the journey to get here.
Because no matter how long it takes to run 26.2 miles, the journey has been a lot longer.
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Scott Martin is the assistant sports editor for the Maine Trust for Local News. More by Scott Martin
