Another Thanksgiving weekend ends with the Seattle Marathon for me. This was a most wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, certainly my favorite ever, having gone through a very hard few months recently, only to be able to spend a very happy time with Deborah and family. In addition to the Thanksgiving dinner, Deb and I got a hold of one of the grandkids and made our way down to the Seattle Marathon Expo, followed by Pike Place and Seattle Art Museum's Peacock in the Desert Exhibit (art from India). Priceless.
The marathon had a new course and start time. The start time was 7:30 AM, which means I had to leave Mount Vernon at 5:30 AM, which wasn't so bad, albeit a little early. The weather was a chipper 40 degrees--I wore gloves and a vest over a long sleeve shirt, which was about right.
The course still starts at the Experience Music Project, just east of the Space Needle. The first four miles wind through downtown and then onto I-5's express lanes. It is a bit hilly to start out. The course dumps out into the U-District on the 42nd Ave exit around Mile 4. This was kind of cool for me, as I lived for three years near here back in the 1990s, during the school years. A picture below of my old place, which so far hasn't been torn down. Cranes everywhere in Seattle.
I ran the first 13 or so with Rob from MV, who was great company. We probably could've stuck together the whole way, but I kind of entered my pain place after that, and would not have been good company as I figured each step. I usually run events alone, but Rob really kept my pace good for the first half. He said we did the first half in 2:15, which would be quicker than my half times this year so far.
The last thirteen miles were a bit painful, though mostly flat on the world famous Burke Gilman Trail, until Mile 23. I saw many familiar faces along the way. Half exhausted, seeing Matt H. cheering folks on at Mile 23+ was really great. Also good to see Jenny and her crew volunteering. The last mile or so is a fast downhill on Highway 99 into Queen Anne and Memorial Stadium. I finished around 4:54, which I'm happy with for today. That represents a steady pace with some walking, but no serious cramps and I don't feel too bad after the fact. A half hour faster than NY too. Little improvements.
I'd like to see the Seattle Marathon work on things a bit. I've been running this race since 1997. I'll continue to show up for the full and half, as I am able. The volunteers were terrific. That said, I feel like the Expo gets smaller each year, while the prices continue to rise. Little things bother me. Last year I registered at the Expo, and they took 3 or 4 months to cash the check and register me, which was annoying. The half marathon point on the marathon was not marked, and there was no timer there which there really should be. The after race food was lacking--long gone are the days when they served Ivars chowder after the cold run. Nothing against Dole Pineapple cups, but they should be able to do better for what we pay. Also, the medal is pretty much an ad for Amica, the title sponsor, with their slogan featured prominently on one side. It's very plain. I joked that maybe they should add a crane or two to the obligatory Needle.
The new course is ok, but I had to stop at a few points, to be waved across the street after traffic was once again stopped. Lots of gels, but the aid stations dropped off towards the end--one ran out of cups, etc. I think Amica should demand more of the organization, as should the City of Seattle. Having just done the New York City marathon, I have a real feel for what a marvelous community event a marathon can be. Seattle can do better.
Despite that unload, I had a great day out there, and there was a lot of good cheer from volunteers, police officers, and spectators. Clear skies help a lot.
Not hearing good things about the revamped Seattle Marathon. Have a friend that led the 4:00 pace group. I guess consensus feedback was for a flatter course. That said, the BG is no place for a major marathon course segment. Hard to believe, too, that you no longer run along Lake Washington? Yeah, stations running out of cups and a not-good post race feed? Sounds like it needs a management change. Seattle is never going to be a fast course, nor should every marathon strive to be. There's a lot of good things to see in the area and a course that covers as much of that as possible shouldn't be hard to do, hills or no hills. Sure looked like a (rare) nice day out there though. Hard to believe my first official 50k was the old Seward Park ultra.
ReplyDeleteThe race could be so much more, and its not hard to imagine so many of the elements of planning the race are very challenging. I have no idea what it takes to shut down I-5 for a section. It was flat after the first few, but there were a couple long climbs at Mile 23 or so. The old course didn't seem that hilly to me, except for Madison, but the miles do tick off on the Burke. My first Seattle was on the Burke, from Redmond to the UW, which was weird. One thing NY does right is they run through the 5 burroughs--it wouldn't be too hard to feature communities with this race. The after-race needs a makeover--serve some hot things, b/c its a cold day. I vaguely recall the Seward Park ultra--never ran it, wish I did. The running community is also at a loss for not having NW Runner around anymore, for organized coverage.
ReplyDelete