My posting of the race and events:
6 a.m. -
I actually got up much earlier than 6 a.m.. In fact, I woke up at 4:45 a.m. to get some food in me to properly fuel and hydrate myself prior to the race. Had a bit of oatmeal, coffee, and lots of water.
I got my son, and many other Bexley Middle school cross country runners, up at 5:45 a.m. to go work at the Bexley aid station, which is right at about the 5 mile mark. I organized members of the team to work at the station with the help of Nicole Rehill and Carla Sokol, thanks ladies. When I dropped him off it was pitch dark and there were already volunteers setting up cups and filling them for impending throng of humanity that was about to descend upon those two long line of folding tables. This scene was playing out all over the 26.2 miles of the course and the race could not be run without the great help of all the volunteers that help so a big THANK YOU goes out to all them.
I dropped him off and headed down to park near the start line and meet Jim.
We met at the Marriott Residence Inn on Gay St. and discussed the days pending challenge. We met two ladies from Chicago, sorry I can't remember their names, and they walked to the start line with us. One woman was running the half and was up for a faster pace than we were hoping ot run so she was a bit closer to the front than we wanted to be. For those that don't know, when you line up at the start of most marathons there are pace signs or balloons that have a pace or goal time marked on it. You just find the one that corresponds to your goal pace and you start there. In theory, this works fine. However, the start of all of the marathons that I have run, except for trail marathons, is very chaotic. Fun and exciting, but chaotic. There are lots of people all running in the same direction and only so much space for everyone to be at a given time. After you run a few marathons you get the hang of the start but it is best to run with your hands at the ready so you can gently (or not so gently) nudge people or brace yourself if you think your going down. It is easy to clip legs or get your legs clipped so just be careful, that's all.
So we find our goal pace, 3:45, and we get in the starting chute. It was a bit on the cold side, I think 32 degrees, but very clear skies. A perfect day for running.
THE START
The starting gun went off at 7:30 a.m. and down Broad Street we went. It was a great start and everything went smoothly. Since it was a bit chilly at the start most people wear something that they don't mind donating to the homeless in Columbus. Lots of additional tops get jettisoned in the first few miles of the race as people warm up and begin to sweat. I wore a zip up nylon vest and Jim rocked an old school Pearl Izumi nylon running jacket with neon yellow sleeves. Those were our "shed layer". As we ran East on Broad St. and headed into Bexley we were right with our 3:45 group. We passed the Franklin Park Conservatory at about mile 2.5 and were feeling great. As we ran through Bexley the crowds were really good and loud. I love my neighbors. As we came up on the aid station (mile 5) that I dropped my son off at I could not tell which side he was on as fluids were given on both right and left. I did not get water from him but another runner on the middle school cross country team and that was a fun exchange. Next year I will have to coordinate better on location with him.
This area and as you turn right on Main St. is one of the loudest sections on the course. The crowd is outstanding. This is where my wife, Pam, was cheering with our daughter. Jim and I jettisoned our top layer of clothing as we heated up. Thanks honey! I love running through this area of town as this is where I live and I always see lots of friends here. Thanks for coming out to cheer all. It really helps propel you along the race.
So we then head West on Main St. and turn right on Nelson Rd. and head up to the backside of the Franklin Park Conservatory. Just as we turn left on Franklin Park S. there was a huge inflatable "Start" line that Brooks running shoe company put up to encourage runners to have a great race and start the rest of their race there. It was quite funny and there was even someone on a bullhorn shouting encouragement to everyone. Kudos to Brooks for that.
We ran around the backside of Franklin Park and then back to Broad St. to head back downtown. Nice crowds here around the park. This section is nice because of the park but the road surface and the large speed bumps can be a hazard so be careful here.
As we make our way back downtown down Bryden Rd. the crowds get thicker again and Bryden Rd. is very nice as there are many large trees and this area has been going through a long resurgence of folks buying these great old houses and restoring them.
As we get closer to the left turn down 3rd street you can hear the crowd from a few blocks away. It is quite load here (mile 9) and it is a great boost to the running ego that keeps you going. At this point we still have sight of the 3:45 pace group but we are hopeful to stay in touch and reel them back in.
We turn down 3rd street and head down into the great German Village area of Columbus. This is one of the prettiest parts of the course as the old houses and large trees make this area a treat to run through. The crowds here are normally large and loud. It seemed a bit smaller on the crowd size this year and not as loud as I remember it. We run down into German Village, around the beautiful Shiller Park, and then turn right on to High Street for the longest straight run on the course. It goes from mile 11 to about mile 15 and it has a few undulating hills on the course. As we approach Nationwide Blvd. (yes, named after the insurance company that also is the title sponsor of the marathon-thank you Nationwide) this is where the half-marathon people turn left on Nationwide and head down to their finish line. This is great for the marathoners as it is very loud and there is a lot to cheer about. Believe me, people cheering for you REALLY helps.
As we pass the half-way point in our marathon Jim is starting to slow a bit and his legs are beginning to feel it so we kick our pace back just a bit. We are heading through the Short North area of the course and the crowds here are not as big as I expected as there are a lot of people that live here. In fact, when I first moved to Columbus in 1989 in lived in the Short North right on High St. in the Greystone Building. Ah, the good old days when you could observe offers of solicitation directly from your very own fire escape. That was back before this area of Columbus was cleaned up. It is a great area of town now.
We take a short walking break at the water station at mile 14 or so. No big deal. Better to finish than push too hard and not finish at all.
As we continued up High St., turn right at Eddie Georges' #27 restaurant, then head North where we then turn left down Fraternity and Sorority Row. That would be at The Ohio State University in case you don't know. We then weave through campus and run past the hallowed grounds that is Ohio Stadium.
This is one of the most glorious college football stadiums in the country. It officially seats 102,329 but the largest crowd is 105,708 vs. Michigan in 2006. Just thought I would throw that in there.We then head out through West campus and into Upper Arlington. This area has great crowds as it runs right through neighborhoods and past peoples' houses. Some folks actually still had their pajamas on and were cheering. How fun.
We then head South and go through Grandview. This is a great neighborhood in Columbus and this was the first year that the marathon ran through Grandview. The crowds were great and I think all the runners appreciated the enthusiasm. Thanks Grandview!
Here is a photo of my buddy Jim and myself running in the Grandview section.
Good times!
We then headed West from Grandview and ran onto Neiil Avenue, which has some great old houses that line both sides of the avenue. Lots of trees too which helps when it is sunny. We turned left from Neil and headed up a slight incline known as Buttles Ave, which is flanked by Goodale Park. At the top of that incline there was a spectacular treat. There were Buckeye candies passed out by Anthony Thomas Candy company. A Buckeye is a chocolate covered peanut butter ball that looks like a buckeye nut, or the eye of a male deer, take your pick. It was a glorious treat in the last mile which gave one a little boost of energy to hit the finish line smiling.
We finished in a time of 4:12 and felt good about doing so. It was a glorious day weather wise as you can see from the photos. The post race food tables were good, as always, the one thing that I saw missing were floating balloons with big letters on them so people could find their loved ones. It helps when these are floating above the crowd and easily seen above heads. Other than that little quib, the Marathon was great. I look forward to running it again this year, as always. This year I would like to qualify for Boston again so I'll need a 3:20 or faster. We'll see.
By the way, you can see that I was WAY late in posting this report but I guess better late than never, right?
Now get out there and run.
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