Mercer Island Half Marathon

I walked and jogged the Mercer Island Half Marathon a week or so ago. It was on a Sunday morning, and I registered months earlier.  I really wasn't into doing it, but I got myself up and went down at 6 AM for the early start.  I figured I'd be happier after the fact if I did it, as long as I didn't make it too painful. That was about right for me, and I'm glad I did it.

I've wanted to do this race for years. It is one of the older races in the Pacific Northwest and its fair to call it a classic.  I can't believe I've never done it, which is part of the reason I wanted to check this box.

For me, this race is a real throwback. In the 1980s, I used to be the Circulation Director for the Mercer Island Reporter.  I think I earned $9.07/hour, and I thought that was awesome. I was a Manager! The newspaper was published by Bellevue's Journal-American company (no longer operating), and was a once weekly newspaper. The job was nuts. Basically, every Tuesday night-Wednesday morning, I drove all over Mercer Island, delivering all the routes that I couldn't find carriers for. And on Mercer Island, a well-to-do area, the kids were often doing other things besides delivering papers. So, there were lots of routes to deliver personally. The rest of the week was great--basically, I would look for carriers, run sales crews, and I did a little bit of advertising sales.  On the Rock, as we called it.  I eventually quit this job so I could go look for work in Yellowstone, which didn't really work out.

Anyway, wandering around the Island really took me back. The course itself circles the Rock--it's a very natural half marathon--almost a perfect 13.1 mile loop.  I suppose there are some hills, but its not too bad--definitely not by trail runner standards. Tons of volunteers with big smiles. Thanks you Lions Club! Some amazing views of Lake Washington, and I really enjoyed checking out the houses, which are great examples of NW architecture. 

Anyway, I rolled around the island in under three hours, mostly walking.  I would definitely do this race again, and hope I do.