Fargo Marathon report
Waking unexpectedly but necessarily I noticed snow on the windows. “Great, just great, the first Fargo Marathon and it snows. Can we ever break the arctic gulag stereotype?”
I had hope the other day when the sun began peak out of the west in the evening. Surely this will dry us off. Unfortunately it did not last. I prayed for better weather.
When I awoke at around 7AM to take up my volunteer traffic control post. It was cold. The temperature hovered somewhere below 40 yet definitely above freezing. A cool breeze and some light rain filled out the rest of the picture. Not ideal conditions but not arctic tundra.
Between 2000 and 3000 runners participated in the races and probably around 300 volunteers were assisting. [The results actually give a much smaller number, just under 1000 so maybe it was the combined count with half marathon and 5k]
This marked one of Fargo’s largest outdoor events.
I arrived at 2nd St S and 8th Ave at 8AM. I set up the barricade and bedecked myself in raincoat and a fluorescent green vest of power. I was positioned a few blocks from mile 12. The race started at 8AM and thus I had a bit of a wait. I ate my breakfast in the middle of the road.
The first runners started to trickle by at a little past 9AM. I was amazed to not see any Kenyans. If there ever were any Kenyans they probably dropped out of the race when they discovered the weather. This is what my friend Karen did (She is not from Kenya). There were other factors for her decision but the weather was what cinched it for her.
[However, Paul Brown, a noted marathoner ran today and finished 6th]
By 10AM the heart of the participants were passing by. The weather only improved slightly and sudden gusts if wind provided challenge to the runners. As I kept an eye on traffic I expressed some affirmation to the runners. Quite a few of them even thanked me for volunteering. That made it all the more fun. An acquaintance from college days even recognized me. Quite a feat I’d say going into mile 12. The toughest miles were yet to come- those at the top of Fargo coming out of Trollwood.
By 11AM most of the mass of humanity had passed and I was relieved of duty. I biked to downtown to the finish line to drop of my vest of power and watch some of the finishers. I was home by 12:30.
Despite the weather this was a very well put together event rivaling even Grandma’s in Duluth. I certainly hope it will continue to attract the numbers it did. Perhaps the Kenyans will come too.
I had hope the other day when the sun began peak out of the west in the evening. Surely this will dry us off. Unfortunately it did not last. I prayed for better weather.
When I awoke at around 7AM to take up my volunteer traffic control post. It was cold. The temperature hovered somewhere below 40 yet definitely above freezing. A cool breeze and some light rain filled out the rest of the picture. Not ideal conditions but not arctic tundra.
Between 2000 and 3000 runners participated in the races and probably around 300 volunteers were assisting. [The results actually give a much smaller number, just under 1000 so maybe it was the combined count with half marathon and 5k]
This marked one of Fargo’s largest outdoor events.
I arrived at 2nd St S and 8th Ave at 8AM. I set up the barricade and bedecked myself in raincoat and a fluorescent green vest of power. I was positioned a few blocks from mile 12. The race started at 8AM and thus I had a bit of a wait. I ate my breakfast in the middle of the road.
The first runners started to trickle by at a little past 9AM. I was amazed to not see any Kenyans. If there ever were any Kenyans they probably dropped out of the race when they discovered the weather. This is what my friend Karen did (She is not from Kenya). There were other factors for her decision but the weather was what cinched it for her.
[However, Paul Brown, a noted marathoner ran today and finished 6th]
By 10AM the heart of the participants were passing by. The weather only improved slightly and sudden gusts if wind provided challenge to the runners. As I kept an eye on traffic I expressed some affirmation to the runners. Quite a few of them even thanked me for volunteering. That made it all the more fun. An acquaintance from college days even recognized me. Quite a feat I’d say going into mile 12. The toughest miles were yet to come- those at the top of Fargo coming out of Trollwood.
By 11AM most of the mass of humanity had passed and I was relieved of duty. I biked to downtown to the finish line to drop of my vest of power and watch some of the finishers. I was home by 12:30.
Despite the weather this was a very well put together event rivaling even Grandma’s in Duluth. I certainly hope it will continue to attract the numbers it did. Perhaps the Kenyans will come too.
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