Fargo Marathon 2017: In the cooler
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| beyond 4 hours and still south of the dome |
I was beginning to dread having to stand in the rain for hours to cover this year's marathon earlier this week. However a slight shift in the weather system pushed the rains off until the afternoon. Still, it was a cooler event that mostly hovered in the mid to upper 40s.
After working 2 volunteer shifts last night I decided to ease into things Saturday morning. We did not get over to the old watching spot on 8th Ave until late in the morning. The victors (for the marathon Tuwei and Tesafaye) had sped through well before our arrival on the course. Now we were there to cheer the unsung runners bringing up the tail end of the marathon.
Fortunately the party was still going on along 8th and 9th. We saw at least 5 bands in addition to many DJs and people just pumping music from their supped up stereos. Many of the spectators were already gone or hovering near the houses and tents. Elvis was sauntering through "Kentucky Rain" as we crossed over 13th and followed runners to the 21st mile marker.
In this 13th edition of the event, the item that set this one apart from others is the women's marathon victory by Fargo South graduate Semehar Tesafaye. She defended her victory from last year and became the 1st woman to become a repeat champion in the Fargo Marathon.
Kenyans once again were at the top of finishers of the men's marathon. A former NDSU runner Greg Liebl finished 4th.
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| Far south curve which I had nicknamed the orange peel turn |
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