A few months back I won entry into the Little Rock Marathon via a Twitter trivia contest. Before that Little Rock was just another bucket list race for me. And now I am happy to say I have crossed it off my list. I am so glad I made the journey to run it.
First off the weather. I would be driving up from Houston where it was cold and drizzly but still extremely tolerable. Unfortunately a storm was heading south and I was driving up into the storms drive line where not only was it in the 20's but there was a good chance of frozen rain or some sort of rainy icy mix. I made good time, making the 450 miles in 6 1/2 hours. I was lucky there was snow on the ground in some spots but the roads for the most part were clear and I was able to drive fast enough to keep ahead of it.
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| Bib, shirt and swag |
My first stop, of course, was the expo. No issues getting my bib, checking my chip and switching to the early start. Houston's expo is my gauge (only because it's my home town) so I would say that Little Rock's expo is about half it's size with about the same number of speakers. Later in the day as the weather became a bigger issue for runners traveling in, the RD's made the decision to keep packet pick up open to 10 pm and then worked things out for those who still wouldn't get in by then. I love when races make these last minute concessions. It shows that they really care for their runners and want everyone to have the best experience possible.
In the morning, I was lucky that my hotel was only 1/2 mile walk to the start. It was fantastically cold
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| Flat Joules, all the gear |
and drizzly out and warmer than it would be later in the race. We started with Bart Yasso on the mic and a recording of the National Anthem. It was a bigger crowd than I expected for an early start. The race wound snake like thru the Little Rock downtown area before branching out towards the Governors mansion and then on to Central High and then just after mile 11 we ran back into downtown into the crowd of regular start runners who were on their way to mile 3. The first time thru here I read the signs, right to mile 3 straight ahead to mile 12, it was an unfortunate split for at least one guy who asked somewhere on the way mile 13 which mile I was on when he realized he missed his turn and was only at about 4 1/2. This is the point where the route takes the major up hill climb. My feet were beginning to burn due to a combination of cold and rain soaked socks so I ducked into a bus stop and changed them out with some dry ones. That was better for the time being.
The course up to this point has been rather boring but on the back side of the hill it turned into a small street that wound down along a bayou on one side and interesting old houses on the other. The lead runners began to pass us along this point. We headed to the a long stretch that would be 3 or so miles out and then back. As part of the rules for the early start crowd we not allowed to go any faster than the 6:00 pacers but at this point in the course with regular start runners coming passed us they were allowed to let those who wanted to run ahead of them go. So I went. These miles from 16-23 were really nice, it was along side the water in a park setting and probably the best part of the course. When we popped back out of here the course once again became an up hill battle and my feet once again began to revolt on me. On the last up hill around mile 25 I swapped out my intervals and instead of running 1:1 I ran 1:3 so I more or less walked the last mile until the final turn where I could see the finish. I was able to run to the finish where once again Bart Yasso was on the mic and giving high 5's to runners as they finished. Officially 5:57:47.
Highlights from the race. The course was fully open for the early start crowd, some races don't have support for the early crowd until the regular runners start. The course aid stations were fantastic, this seems silly but there were more than 2 port-a-potties (more like 6-8) at every other aid station. The support from spectators in between the aid stations made it really no more than a 1/2 mile with out a cheer section. There are a few more notable in between spots on the course, such as the couch potato mile, the runners blessings and the lollipop stop. The full medical tent at mile 20 which was covered and dry. Also the super (no longer secret) secret hush hush boozy aid station handing out bloody mary's and "adult" fruit and moon pies. The lipstick spot on the way to the finish is something new for me too.
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| Replica medal |
This is not a race I would do for the Half distance. Unlike the Louisiana Marathon just running the Half distance would be worth doing, on this course I think you would miss so much just running the Half. The course doesn't really get interesting until that 3 mile/12 mile split and the part before there is really nondescript. I am giving this race an 'A'. I am not even really disappointed with the replacement medal. Sure the real medal would have been great but the fact the weeks before the race we were notified it wouldn't be there and the CIC's got the medal company to come up with something was really better than nothing. In all honesty it's better than some race medal I have earned.
Coming up a few the Bayou City Classic, Law Week 8k and the San Felipe Shootout.
I should have updated this months ago. I did finally receive my actual Little Rock Marathon medal and it was all they had promised. 3 pounds of I can't wear this thing around my neck for very long. As you can see it dwarfs every other medal I have earned this year.
I should have updated this months ago. I did finally receive my actual Little Rock Marathon medal and it was all they had promised. 3 pounds of I can't wear this thing around my neck for very long. As you can see it dwarfs every other medal I have earned this year. 