Playing Gunga Din at the 2010 Tallahassee Marathon

Going back more years than I care to remember, I've been part of a group staffing a water table during the Tallahassee Marathon. We usually had a table near the ten-mile mark, although the ten-mile mark jumped from Tram Road to Innovation Park to Dublin Downs to Killearn Estates over the years as different race directors tried out different courses. In recent years we've drawn the post at the Capital Circle (US 319) trailhead of the Tallahassee-St Marks Historic Rail Trail, which is near the eight- and the eighteen-mile marks of the out-and-back Marathon course. For the 2010 race, Tom Thomas, Lucinda Thomas, Deborah Glotzbach, Gene Glotzbach, Judi Taber, and myself volunteered to work the table. I told everyone that by arriving at 8:00am we could be ready for the lead runners.

So at 7:00am I was at "Bruegger's" buying bagels for the team. Fifteen minutes later I was on the Florida State University campus to watch the 7:30 start of the Marathon (which happened at 7:34). I carefully chose a parking spot where I wouldn't have to cross the course when I left. Everything went well, and I was able to see the leaders complete the first two kilometers before leaving for our station. I felt good about arriving at the trailhead by 7:55, until I saw that the Tom, Debbie, and Gene were already there and had set everything up. Thanks for making me look like a slacker, guys. I unloaded the bagels, cream cheese, doughnuts, juice, cola, and beer. Yes, beer. We're the marathon's self-appointed beer station. Judi showed up, and we settled down to wait for the runners.

The wheelchair athletes came through first, brushing off aid. A few minutes later the leader of the marathon, James Kiptoo Cheruiyot, passed us, chanting "No, thank you; no, thank you" in response to our cups. About five minutes later the pursuit pack arrived.

"How many are ahead of us?" called out a runner in the group.

"One!"

"And he's moving fast!" added Debbie.

After that we were busy handing out water, Gatorade, GU, and the occasional Miller Lite. Eight miles doesn't allow much time for the field to spread out, but our traffic load was easier than the earlier aid stations, which also had to serve the half-marathoners. There were a few takers for beer, but more marathoners asking us to save one for them on the way back. A New Orleans Saints fan arrived to cheer for her husband, and decided to help us out till he passed by one the way back. Eventually, the last outgoing runner passed us by and we had a short break while waiting for the first returning runner.

The wheelchair athletes rolled by silently on their way back to the finish line. Our next visitor was Cheriuyot, running swiftly, smoothly, and with a series of "No, Thank Yous" as he strode by us. If anything he was even farther ahead of his pursuers--now a pack of four runners, Orthinal Striggles, Justin Gillette, Sergey Kaledin, and Thomas Tisell. Barring a breakdown by Cheruiyot, those four marathoners were competing for second. Cheruiyot did hold on to win in 2:26:50, while Striggles was the best of the rest at 2:34:04.

Meanwhile we had an aid station to run. The returning marathoners were more spread out than on the way out, so work was less hectic. Things settled down to a rhythm.

"WATER!"

"GATORADE!"

"Cold beer," called Todd.

"WATER!"

"GATORADE!"

"Cold beer," called Todd.

One of the runners coming back was a very lost half-marathon runner. All of the half marathoners were supposed to turn around a mile before they got to us, but Elizabeth Nelson had missed the turnaround and run past our station before figuring out that she had gone too far. If you see her listed as 505th in the half-marathon at 3:10:38, keep in mind that she actually ran three-fourths of a marathon--making her the first (and only) runner to complete that distance.

The trailhead also seems to be a favorite spot for people to drop out. In 2009 Sheryl Rosen stopped at our station on the way back and asked for a ride back to Florida State. This year all David Altmaier wanted from us when he dropped out was to borrow a mobile phone. Todd McMillan obliged him. Jacque Meyer, who had dropped by the trailhead to watch the race, was less than supportive of Altmaier's decision.

"Come on," she urged, as Altmaier tried to make his phone call. "It's only seven miles to the finish. You can do it. Just seven miles!"

But Altmaier had already gone three miles farther than he wanted, and was done for the day. Some time later his ride arrived and he was gone.

Quite innocently, we asked the Saints Fan for her husband's name, which she was happy to supply to us--Evan Thomas. "There he is," she pointed out when he arrived.

"GO EVAN!" "COME ON, EVAN!" "GOOD JOB, EVAN!" "GO GET IT, EVAN!" "HOORAY, EVAN!" Evan had no idea what he had done to deserve such a rabid cheering section, but he didn't seem to mind.

As noon approached the marathoners got slower and farther apart. Eventually all 200-plus runners had gone by and it was time to pack up--and pick up all the discarded cups and phlegm-coated half-empty GU packets. Philip Munoz picked up our equipment and the party was over--till next year.

Links:

• Big wins for Cheruiyot and Moras at the 36th annual Tallahassee Marathon
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/02/tallahassee-marathon.html
  
  
• Photos of the 2010 Tallahassee Marathon
  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2800561&id=5215641&l=199c0eef3e
  
  
• David Altmaier's version of events
  http://altmizzle.blogspot.com/2010/02/tallahassee-marathon.html