Who could resist such an offer? OK, lots of people but not me, even if it is a week after running a 50K. Following the truncation of the George Washington Birthday Marathon, the DC Road Runners work a deal with the Reston Runners to allow GWBM runners to run for free in the Runners Marathon of Reston on March 29, 2015.
We get no race premiums and are not eligible for prizes. We run with GWBM bibs, our times are recorded separately and we are awarded GWBM finishers medals instead of Runners Marathon medals. Persons signed up for both races are awarded both medals. Twenty-two of us take up the offer.
The race is a low-key, early spring, suburban marathon located in the planned community on Reston, Virginia. The course is two loops of a mixture of about 60 percent roads and 40 percent paved hiker-biker trails largely through neighborhoods of single family houses, town houses, garden apartments and secondary roads with some shopping centers, office buildings and churches. The scenery is nothing special but not unattractive. The course has some gentle rolls bun no lung-burners; the difference between the high and low spots on the course is only 164 feet and the two points are nearly seven miles course miles apart
There is also a half marathon that starts with the marathoners. At the end of the day there will be 130 Runners marathon, 22 GWBM and 282 half marathon finishers. With the half marathoners gone after the first loop there is plenty of space for the marathoners to spread out. Aid stations every couple of miles are well maintained by volunteers and plenty of course marshals and police provide protection at intersections. With only 430 runners in the events crowds are not surprisingly sparse.
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| 22 degrees at the start. GWBM shirt. |
Lyrics Can be Hard to Remember
The start line is about a two minute walk from South Lakes High School where packet pickup and the post-race meal is located. Someone who is going to run the race is introduced as the singer of the National Anthem. He goes along nicely until he gets to "O'er the ramparts we watch'd" and then he stops. There is an awkward moment of silence before he picks up again. To help him along the crowd joins in to sing the rest of the Anthem.
Bad Joke #1
"Nice job!" the volunteer offers as I run pass.
"If it were really a nice job," I reply, "I'd have the weekend off and be getting paid for it."
How Cold Was It?
It was so cold . . .
. . . that the Gatorade at one of the early aid stations was slushy.
. . . that when I stopped to use a Porta-Potty around mile 11 the stream of urine steamed.
. . . that I didn't take off my outer shirt until mile 25.
Any Sox is Better Than No Sox #1
"Interesting arm warmers," I offer.
"They are my husband's socks," she replies, "Well, they were."
She is wearing white athletic socks as hand and arm warmers, but her fingers are free, as she has cut off the toe enclosure. A couple of hours later, just after starting the second loop, I spot one on the ground, and a little further along, the other, forlorn-looking with their unravelling ends where toes once kept warm.
Bad Joke #2
A spectator holds up a sign proclaiming "This is a No Walken Zone" with a picture of Oscar-winning actor Christopher Walken on it.
"Nice humor," I offer, then pause. "But don't quit your day job."
Play That Funky Music, Incredibles
Headed up the hill toward the aid station short of mile 24, the 1970s hit from Wild Cherry, Play That Funky Music is booming. Mr. and Mrs. Incredible are there, too, on either side of the path. I stop in front of them and bust out my finest dance moves, maybe even better than those I did at Potomac Heritage 50K for which I earned a 25 minute bonus.
The Incredibles applaud and then high-five me while I head out.
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| Running Happy! (Photo by Brian Kent Photography) |
I come alongside a women running in minimalist sandals. Her heels are bare but the front of her feet are in pink that match her Marathon Maniacs shirt.
I inquire if she isn't cold. Her friend answers that the woman often runs barefoot.
"Too cold for that today," the woman says. "But I forgot my toe socks so I have had to put my gloves on my feet."
A second look confirms that the fingers of the gloves extend beyond the front of the sandals. The two gradually pull away from me but I catch up with them around mile 25, where the toe gloves are still in place .
What's Your Name?
"What year did you run Wineglass Marathon?" I ask the orange-shirted runner ahead of me. We chat a bit and then he introduces himself. "I'm Dave," he says.
"Ken," I reply.
"I probably won't remember your name by the time we get to the next corner," he says, "I'm awful on names."
"No problem, Charley," I quip, "I've got the same problem."
"Wow!" he exclaims, "We share the same name!"
Dave has not only run the Wineglass Marathon, but he is from Corning and is on the race committee. "I'm the only one on the committee who runs the race," he tells me. We share tales of running Finger Lakes 50s and Monster Marathon. I tell of my preference for trail running and he tells how he has given up trails as his ankles give he problems with stability.
Macon Time
In the first couple of miles I run awhile with a fellow from Macon, Georgia. He's wearing a Marathon Maniacs shirt (there were a lot of them out there). He's taking his time and I gradually pull away from him. There is a little out-and back section of the course at mile 7 and we exchange greetings as we pass in opposite directions; him outward bound and me on my way back. We do it again on the second loop, now about mile 20.
Well beyond mile 24 he goes booking past me. "I gotta be headed back to Georgia," he says, as he goes on to finish 90 seconds ahead of me after being about 7 minutes behind at the half.
The Details
I finish in 4:33:56 with half marathon splits of 2:10 and 2:23. I'm 11/13 males and 13 of 22 GWBM runners. Had I been in the Runners Marathon of Reston I would have won my age group. Had I been in the next oldest age group I would not have even placed.
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| George Washington Birthday Marathon Swag at the Reston Marathon: A bib and a medal. |
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