| 220 | Country Music Marathon | 2010-04-26 |
On Saturday we returned to Lisa and Cynthia’s house on 18th Street for the Country Music Marathon. 18th Street is a great place to watch the race because the runners pass at about mile 4.5 and then again at mile 8.
Equipped with coffee, pastries, chairs, and rain gear we found a parking space near 18th Street. As we neared the street we saw racers going by. What was up with that? The race started early! Looking for a break in the runners we quickly crossed the street before any of the race officials caught us.
With coffee we sat down to watch the great passing. 32,411 runners and walkers make for a large crowd. The racers filled the street for a long time!
We ate, drank, visited, and had fun as we cheered. We cheered for the runners, the joggers, and the walkers. We cheered for the wheelchairs and the hoola hoops. We cheered for the young and the old. They all were there. They had different body types and different fitness levels; but they all had a common goal - finish the race. Our congratulations to all who participated.
A few race notes ...
On bad weather days, arrive early for the race. The runners could start early.
Strategies are required to cross the street while the runners are passing.
We saw lots of ideas on how to relieve the pain while running. Bandages and supports of all kinds were being used; but of course there were 32,411 racers!
The runner who won the Women’s Marathon was very, very, very little. I read where she was supposed to weigh 85 pounds, but that might have been an exaggeration. She was fast.
Due to the weather (tornadoes in the forecast) there were mandatory cutoffs imposed. Our friend, Robin ran hard to beat the cutoff time only to still be cutoff near the 20 mile marker. She was disappointed.
Lisa and Cynthia were great hosts.
Happy Birthday to Thomas!
Happy marathon trails.