This race was put on by Mainly Marathons. They are known for putting on race series all over the country where you can run a different state every day for a week. For 2016 they were offering a free race to anyone who wanted one as long as you registered at least 90 days in advance. This was just for a single race and not a whole series. I picked this particular race for a number reasons: it was close by, it was a state I needed, and it was on my 4th run-iversary. (the day I started couch to 5k in 2012) Somewhat oddly though, it was on a Tuesday.
The race was held at Steele Creek park in Bristol, TN. By holding the race in a park they don't have to block any streets and don't have to have a strict cut off time. The downside is they have short courses that you have to run multiple times to reach your distance. This was a 2.184 mile out and back course that I had to run 12 times to get to 26.2. At the start/finish line there was a big food/drink area and at the very end was a table full of rubber bands. The rubber band table was there to make sure you got the full distance and you would take a rubber band every time to help keep track of your progress. At the other end of the course was just a traffic cone in the middle of the path/trail to show you where to turn around and a camera to keep people honest. There was also a camera recording the traffic at the rubber band table. The course started near one of the park shelters and was on a paved path for a short while and then became a gravel path that went along a lake. The scenery was nice, but it did get a bit monotonous having to run it 12 times, also I'm not a big fan of running on gravel.
The night before the race I stayed with friends who lived about half an hour away from Bristol. I headed out early on race morning to pick up my race packet. I got my bib, my shirt, and the main part of the medal along with the year tag. After the race I would get the "charm" that corresponded to the state I finished. For people that were doing multiple days they would get the corresponding state each day to turn into one long monster medal.
My goal for this race was to run about 4 hours. It was the first marathon of 2016 that I wasn't pacing and I wanted to run quite a bit closer to my regular pace as I prepped to attempt a PR at Marshall in November. Due to the way the course was setup you would be constantly encountering other runners, either meeting them going in the other direction or passing them going the same direction. Since this was day 3 of the series it meant that many of the other participants were either taking it easy or even walking for most of the race. There were a few other quicker runners that I tried to keep an eye on, although some of them were doing the half rather than the full. I was passing a lot of runners, but I also got lapped a number of times. I also had to take a bathroom stop early on that meant I had to essentially leave the course to run up the hill near the shelter where the facilities were.
I just barely missed finishing half way in two hours and my energy started to sag. I grabbed something to eat and drink on pretty much every trip to the rubber band table, but I just couldn't keep up the pace I started with. There wasn't a lot of drama, just a lot of running back and forth as the miles went by. When I went out for my last lap I picked up the pace knowing that I didn't have to keep anything in reserve. (although I would be running Bourbon Chase just a few days later) I picked things up enough that people could tell this was my last lap and they cheered me on as I ran by. I was ready to be done in just a few more minutes.
As I finished my lap I went to the timing table to let them know that I was done. I got the TN charm for my medal and that was pretty much it. My finish time was 4:12:10. I hung out for a bit to recover and change clothes before getting the car to head home. Since the races don't have a cutoff, the final finisher gets recognized with a special "caboose" award and the "winners" don't get any special recognition. When I later found the results on line I discovered that I was the third overall finisher for the marathon, but also humbled that the two people who finished ahead of me had also run marathons the previous two days of the series.
I can see the attraction of these races for someone who wants to cross several states off of their list in a short time while saving some money on travel, but since I was only doing one day I didn't really have that much fun. I ran by myself for pretty much the entire race and the monotony of the course just wasn't very motivating. It was also hard to run fast because you had to slow down to make a 180 degree turn at either end of each lap. The food, drink and rubber band tables were pretty much self serve so that slowed things down as well. I probably wouldn't do another "one off" race with them, but might consider doing several days of a series. On the other hand, I do have another race on my current schedule (Oh, Boy! in Waterbury, CT) that will be similar in format with a few key differences. 1. It will be my first "double" (I'm pacing the Buffalo marathon the day before) so I won't be going for speed and will probably hang out and chat with other runners on the course. 2. The course has a little loop at either end so there is no 180 degree turn. 3. The race is chip timed, so no rubber band table!
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