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Mystery Marathon 2025

marathon runners stack of 26.2 books Thanks to our daughter, real-life marathon runner Bethany Mills - b.mills in this challenge - for posing for this photo.

The Mystillery Literary and Athletic Association (MLAA) welcomes you to the second running of the Mystery Marathon! Your goal is to to complete the marathon by reading 26 mysteries during the year. (No actual running is required.) One book is equivalent to one mile, and the number of pages equivalent to the number of steps taken to complete that mile. No advance signup necessary. Just read the General Information for Runners page and run your first mile! You'll be crossing the finish line in no time!
Apr 17: Karen A of New Mexico is #12 to finish, crossing the finish line in 106 days, taking 5527 steps!
Apr 15: Close behind SueC, Jjean of Texas is #11 to finish, crossing the finish line at 4:43 PM today, completing the Mystery Marathon challenge in 104 days, taking 8626 steps!
Apr 15: SueC of Utah is #10 to finish, crossing the finish line at 3:10 PM today, completing the Mystery Marathon challenge in 104 days, taking 8827 steps!
  Revisit previous marathons: 2024

Official
Elapsed
Time:
My count-up
MYSTERY MARATHON updated SUN APR 20 2025 @ 7.00 pm EDT       12 Finishers • 9 On the course FINAL
Place • Runner Status Tracker Completed miles in yellow, showing steps (pages) Days Steps
  1 Linda B
Kentucky
  190 165 250 416 235 372 203 244 226 218 224 222 176 247 272 437 265 304 260 264 445 192 503 178 249 304 48 7061
  2 Vallery
Louisiana
153 272 400 258 296 368 432 440 132 212 517 194 245 204 623 384 527 155 272 238 215 384 198 204 266 159 53 7748
  3 Colleen
Illinois
232 341 304 296 224 418 312 319 340 110 309 608 338 298 285 279 326 432 380 373 449 306 353 317 342 376 63 8667
  4OutsmartYourShelf
The United Kingdom
364 224 317 334 337 354 321 336 401 193 227 31 309 368 400 282 360 369 396 42 316 633 287 65 100 254 65 7620
  5 Terry M
Minnesota
384 340 285 368 160 223 253 320 373 358 288 340 376 318 350 274 400 308 320 359 269 352 308 504 324 306 71 8460
  6 Bev "Flash" Hankins
Indiana
348 285 192 360 214 312 289 332 158 402 266 272 209 276 192 328 408 719 190 192 162 194 185 308 301 208 81 7302
  7 Traci L.
Illinois
304 304 344 246 210 336 302 213 235 217 394 186 88 301 194 276 186 270 320 295 439 314 264 436 426 295 88 7395
  8 "Zoomin" Susan Jensen
Arizona
320 321 270 349 295 274 368 308 371 295 310 369 320 352 337 316 355 266 304 325 327 352 384 340 324 333 91 8485
  9 Rick "Spandex Streak" Mills
Maine
192 280 126 191 306 304 184 121 217 302 304 248 313 191 190 320 189 270 51 311 38 336 275 271 15 316 100 5861
  10 SueC
Utah
364 256 480 304 336 421 291 434 416 256 280 398 291 400 297 370 435 298 378 273 296 280 310 306 353 304 104 8827
  11 Jjean
Texas
257 420 512 368 125 248 446 464 226 247 341 305 385 367 198 265 227 333 464 322 384 320 493 400 225 284 104 8626
  12 Karen A
New Mexico
367 368 274 338 142 182 199 45 224 55 81 224 209 208 214 226 207 127 223 293 245 224 168 238 222 224 106 5527
updated JenneB
Pennsylvania
112 272 327 327 407 320 379 304 312 272 352 352 301 304 304 304 333 304 504 304 234 304 23 24 25 26
Sanacrow
Tennessee
323 368 9 47 149 149 336 320 384 51 448 496 468 468 488 325 307 337 325 386 309 22 23 24 25 26
bat "Go Speed Racer" kat
West Virginia
432 256 304 304 308 384 480 368 241 255 271 280 384 416 352 89 416 416 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Beth M
North Carolina
437 424 177 480 448 404 528 400 408 336 112 346 259 160 320 400 432 303 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Tari Hann
Ohio
131 200 204 236 307 158 190 332 257 306 150 297 199 182 193 128 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Erika Morris
California
383 504 282 295 438 290 388 420 344 361 336 359 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
David "Speed Reader" Salley
New York
298 375 403 264 303 304 290 180 272 213 170 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Tina Hilbert
Ohio
434 370 191 341 167 368 152 268 336 362 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Tara Taylor
Illinois
432 304 312 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Name Template
Location
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

      Ambiguous instructions and arbitrary rules are found on the General Information page.

Key to symbols
Moved up a position(s)
New or updated today
Update pending
0 Mile marker
000 Steps (page count)
On the course!
finish line in sight Finish line in sight! Sprint!
crossed finish line Crossed the finish line!
crossed finish line In the medical tent
Tracker page (optional)



A Mystillery challenge
hosted by Goodreads librarian Rick Mills
rickmills9@gmail.com
The Mystillery Reading Challenge Addict Susan Jensen's reading challenges