‘Every Marathon Teaches Me Something New,’ Says Man Who Makes Same Three Mistakes in Every Marathon
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A local runner who often tells friends that he learns something new in every marathon has a history of repeating the same handful of mistakes in those same marathons, Dumb Runner has learned.
George Santayana, 34, has finished seven of the 26.2-mile events over the past 10 years. Each one, he has said, has revealed some lesson or basic truth about himself, or the nature of pain and suffering, or even the nature of existence.
“The marathon is so much more than just a foot race,” Santayana wrote in a social media post last month, days after his most recent marathon. “Every one I do teaches me something new.”
“The insights and revelations never cease to amaze me,” he added.
At the same time, sources told Dumb Runner, Santayana has committed the same few errors in each of those marathons, either unaware he was making them or somehow unable or unwilling to correct them.
Those errors, the sources said, include starting his race “way too fast,” inadequate fueling and hydration, and using new or nearly new gear on race day.
In at least four of his marathons, the sources said, Santayana has worn shoes that he’d bought at the race expo the previous day. In each case, he limped the final few miles to the finish line with painful blisters.
“It’s wild,” said an acquaintance of Santayana’s, on the condition of anonymity. “George keeps making the same rookie mistakes, over and over, and paying the price.”
Reached for comment, Santayana conceded that he was disappointed with his most recent marathon.
”It started out great,” he said. “I was well above my target race pace for the first 10 miles or so, and I saved a lot of time by skipping the aid stations. Also, my shoes were super fresh.”
“But then,” he said, “things went south.”
Santayana said he’d been aiming for a 3:40 finishing time, but crossed the line in a time of 4:24.
Despite everything, Santayana added that he was already looking forward to his next marathon and suggested that he might “go out even faster, to bank more time.”
“I am an eternal optimist,” he said. “Live and learn!”
