May Marathon of the Month: The Colorado Marathon

Starting area

I'm still scratching my head as to why the Fort Collins marathon changed their named to the Colorado marathon, but so be it. The Colorado marathon is a point to point course that begins northwest of downtown Ft. Collins at Steven's Gulch Campground, and runs along the Poudre river back into town. The finish line is in the heart of downtown Fort Collins. The course has a gradual decline of 1100 feet, which is great for those who are fearful of the idea of running a marathon at altitude. The downhill is gradual enough to benefit from without trashing the quads. The first 17 miles are spectacular, with the sun rising over the canyon walls as you travel down with the river by your side. The second half of the course is not as scenic, but the gradual appearance of more and more spectators as you arrive into town makes up for it. At some point you enter a bike path, which is not my favorite, but as far as bike paths go it's very pretty, lined with dense pine trees for shade. The finish into town is pretty festive, with free beer and pizza available to the runners at a local pub.

Stats:
Race size: The race fills up pretty quickly, as it is capped at 1700 for the marathon, 1500 for the half, and about a thousand for the 5K and 10K. The half marathon starts 13 miles south of the full marathon course, which is unfortunate, as they miss out on the majority of the fantastic scenery, but this does make the start of the full marathon much less chaotic, in fact, the start of the marathon is fairly peaceful. My only issue with the start would be that there is no shelter--once you exit the buses you are out in the elements until race start. If my memory serves me correctly we were not allowed to linger on the buses.

Weather: Even though this marathon is held in May, it's still pretty cold in this area, in fact, it snowed the night before the marathon (up in the canyon), and there was still snow on the ground race day morning. Running through the canyon was a lot colder than I thought it would be--I ended up wearing my "throw-away" long sleeved T shirt for the duration of the canyon section.

Expo: There was no real expo to speak of, as the packet pick up was in the  lobby of a hotel. There were a few racks of race apparel and a few tables set up, but that was it.  As far as I can tell from the web-site it appears to still be the case. Pretty disappointing for a race this size.

Swag: The medal was gorgeous. Runners were given tech shirts. All good there.

Fort Collins itself is a fun little town with lots of things to see and do. We missed out on touring the Fat Tire Brewery because they were closed on Sunday and Monday, DOH! Keep this in mind if you plan on touring. We stayed in town at the historic Armstrong Hotel, which had unique rooms and a fat cat named Oreo walking the halls and occasionally riding the elevator.

This marathon made my top 10 marathon list, mainly because of the scenery, but also because everything else about the race was pretty flawless--I don't recall any logistical issues, water stop issues, course issues, or anything sub-par with regards to the race. As far as course difficulty goes, I didn't find it to be that hard even though it was at altitude, so if you want to run a marathon in Colorado and you fear altitude, this one's for you. Here is the link to the web-site. There's a long video on the site that's worth watching too.

http://www.thecoloradomarathon.com/

More pictures from 2009, the year we ran it:

Oreo

Downtown Fort Collins

Texans in the Canyon!

Happy Finishers

Marathon #18: Ocean Drive Marathon, Cape May New Jersey, 2006

A marathon in New Jersey is a hard sell. You tell someone you're running a marathon in New Jersey and they scrunch up their nose and repeat "New JERSEY??" Forget that it's a coastal point to point run along the Barrier Islands from Cape May to Sea Isle City, one of the most popular tourist spots on the east coast, or that it's pancake flat except for a few bridges across the marsh lands .It's NEW JERSEY, EW!!! So naturally, the only people I could recruit were my "50 state" friends, Zac and Kathy.

First things first though as we drive into Cape May--Wine tasting trumps everything, including checking into the hotel. Currently, Cape May has two vineyards/wineries with a third on the way. The first stop was the Turdo Vineyard. Yes, Turdo. It's the family name, no reference to the soil, so no worries there. Then onward to the Cape May Winery, which was presenting their 2005 white wines in celebration. Both places produced some good wines worth buying. Later that evening we polished off two purchases with our BYOB dinner at the Black Duck. Can't recall exactly what I had, but it was delicious.

We stayed at the historical Congress Hall Hotel, which means it was really old and a lot of history happened there. ;) It was a great location. You could walk to the main shopping area, to the beach, to Bill's pancake house, and most importantly, to the race start, which was going to be right out in front of the building.

The expo was in the Wildwood convention center. We got kind of excited when we pulled into the parking lot and noticed there were lots of cars and people walking in and out until we realized the crowd was there for a boat show. The expo was off in a little side room to itself. Still, it was nice to have that verification that there was actually going to be a marathon taking place!

On Saturday the weather gradually deteriorated throughout the day. At nightfall it went from a cold steady rain to a wintry mix with a 70% chance of rain the following morning. The sense of dread set in at the "last meal". We considered a plan B. Can't discuss it here, for legal reasons. ;) I hate that sense of dread. I dozed off while repeatedly watching the weather channel feed every 8 minutes, hoping it would change, and then had one of those fitful dreams where you show up to run in a pair of wooden clogs or you missed the start or have to run through someone's house for the first mile. I hate those dreams!

Race day morning was clear! Cold, but no rain, and only a slight breeze, but the breeze brought the temperature down from 38 to 31 degrees. Again, seeing other runners milling about was a relief. It was weird. The whole week-end you felt like it wasn't going to happen and then here it was, finally! The three of us were all "gimpy" and wanted to run easy, so we ran together and chatted among other runners in the early miles. Small marathons are friendly like that. Two women we met had on Reach the Beach relay shirts! We met a guy who was running Boston in 3 weeks, same as Zac. He stayed around us for most of the race.

We noticed busted clam shells on the road, and at one point we heard a loud bang on the road. It was later discovered that this loud bang was a gull dropping the clam on the road in order to break it and eat the clam.  My favorite part of the marathon was a boardwalk stretch on old wooden planks along an amusement park with hot dog stands, rides, and arcades. Really neat! Zac and Kathy's favorite parts were the last stretches through Sea Isle City, with nice summer homes. All three of us agree that the finish was great. It finished along a bike path than ran parallel to the beach for nearly a mile.

Afterwards they served chicken broth which was surprisingly good! We hung out in a tent for awhile, chatting with other runners, one of which thanked us for pacing him to his first marathon. Even though we didn't remember him, Zac's photos show him behind us along the boardwalk, so he must have ran behind us in silence for a good ways. Finally, we made our way to the bus to take us back to Cape May, and then later we had to say good-bye to Cape May and head home.

I think Kathy and Zac would agree that this marathon is way more than a check off a list. It's truly a unique marathon worth considering. Yes it's small with 450 runners (up from 300 last year), but small marathons can be a nice change, especially with the sound of the ocean in your ear as you near the finish line. Logistics are so easy too--we didn't even need timing chips. And if you need another reason?
Hey, it's New Jersey!!

Marathon #18: Ocean Drive Marathon, Cape May New Jersey, 2006

A marathon in New Jersey is a hard sell. You tell someone you're running a marathon in New Jersey and they scrunch up their nose and repeat "New JERSEY??" Forget that it's a coastal point to point run along the Barrier Islands from Cape May to Sea Isle City, one of the most popular tourist spots on the east coast, or that it's pancake flat except for a few bridges across the marsh lands .It's NEW JERSEY, EW!!! So naturally, the only people I could recruit were my "50 state" friends, Zac and Kathy.

First things first though as we drive into Cape May--Wine tasting trumps everything, including checking into the hotel. Currently, Cape May has two vineyards/wineries with a third on the way. The first stop was the Turdo Vineyard. Yes, Turdo. It's the family name, no reference to the soil, so no worries there. Then onward to the Cape May Winery, which was presenting their 2005 white wines in celebration. Both places produced some good wines worth buying. Later that evening we polished off two purchases with our BYOB dinner at the Black Duck. Can't recall exactly what I had, but it was delicious.

We stayed at the historical Congress Hall Hotel, which means it was really old and a lot of history happened there. ;) It was a great location. You could walk to the main shopping area, to the beach, to Bill's pancake house, and most importantly, to the race start, which was going to be right out in front of the building.

The expo was in the Wildwood convention center. We got kind of excited when we pulled into the parking lot and noticed there were lots of cars and people walking in and out until we realized the crowd was there for a boat show. The expo was off in a little side room to itself. Still, it was nice to have that verification that there was actually going to be a marathon taking place!

On Saturday the weather gradually deteriorated throughout the day. At nightfall it went from a cold steady rain to a wintry mix with a 70% chance of rain the following morning. The sense of dread set in at the "last meal". We considered a plan B. Can't discuss it here, for legal reasons. ;) I hate that sense of dread. I dozed off while repeatedly watching the weather channel feed every 8 minutes, hoping it would change, and then had one of those fitful dreams where you show up to run in a pair of wooden clogs or you missed the start or have to run through someone's house for the first mile. I hate those dreams!

Race day morning was clear! Cold, but no rain, and only a slight breeze, but the breeze brought the temperature down from 38 to 31 degrees. Again, seeing other runners milling about was a relief. It was weird. The whole week-end you felt like it wasn't going to happen and then here it was, finally! The three of us were all "gimpy" and wanted to run easy, so we ran together and chatted among other runners in the early miles. Small marathons are friendly like that. Two women we met had on Reach the Beach relay shirts! We met a guy who was running Boston in 3 weeks, same as Zac. He stayed around us for most of the race.

We noticed busted clam shells on the road, and at one point we heard a loud bang on the road. It was later discovered that this loud bang was a gull dropping the clam on the road in order to break it and eat the clam.  My favorite part of the marathon was a boardwalk stretch on old wooden planks along an amusement park with hot dog stands, rides, and arcades. Really neat! Zac and Kathy's favorite parts were the last stretches through Sea Isle City, with nice summer homes. All three of us agree that the finish was great. It finished along a bike path than ran parallel to the beach for nearly a mile.

Afterwards they served chicken broth which was surprisingly good! We hung out in a tent for awhile, chatting with other runners, one of which thanked us for pacing him to his first marathon. Even though we didn't remember him, Zac's photos show him behind us along the boardwalk, so he must have ran behind us in silence for a good ways. Finally, we made our way to the bus to take us back to Cape May, and then later we had to say good-bye to Cape May and head home.

I think Kathy and Zac would agree that this marathon is way more than a check off a list. It's truly a unique marathon worth considering. Yes it's small with 450 runners (up from 300 last year), but small marathons can be a nice change, especially with the sound of the ocean in your ear as you near the finish line. Logistics are so easy too--we didn't even need timing chips. And if you need another reason?
Hey, it's New Jersey!!

April Marathon of the Month: Yakima River Canyon

Next April (most likely the first Sunday) will mark the 13th annual Yakima River Canyon marathon in Washington state. The 15 mile Yakima River Canyon lies in central Washington between the towns Yakima and Ellensburg. The area is designated as a nature preserve, home to the densest population of nesting hawks, eagles, and falcons in the state. The canyon walls rise as much as 2000 feet above the river that carved it. Just shy of a 2 hour drive from Seattle, it makes for a great destination. The marathon course is described as follows: "This point-to-point marathon course is exceptionally scenic as it offers spectacular views of the Yakima River Canyon. It starts on Canyon Road .2 mile south of the Berry Road intersection in Ellensburg, Washington. After two loops, it proceeds directly south to the canyon. There are two major hills and many curves as the course follows the Yakima River downstream on the asphalt surfaced highway. The long downhill just before the finish in rural Selah, Washington, near the canyon’s mouth contributes to the net elevation loss of a few hundred feet as it brings the runners to the Yakima Valley orchard and ranch country".

The marathon headcount is around 400 participants, and offers no alternative distances. The pre-race pasta feed appears to be the most optimum pre-race dinner location. Attending marathon pasta feeds are a nice diversion, as you get the opportunity to mingle with one another, and Bart Yasso is typically the guest speaker, who's very entertaining on and off the stage. (For those that don't know Bart, he works for Runner's World and wrote a book called, "My Life on the Run". We became friends when he ran on our relay team at Hood to Coast one year). Hey, for $8 a person, what a deal! I wouldn't expect an expo--just a packet pick-up at the civic center is mentioned. With a point-to-point course there appears to be a few moving parts to work through: shuttles, whether to stay near the start or finish, etc, but since it's small it's probably a lot easier to work through the logistics. Obviously, this is not a course for those who like a lot of spectators out on the course, nor does it appear to offer a lot of "swag". No, based on the reviews I've read from marathonquide.com the biggest draw is the scenery. Truly majestic. They offer a free awards ceremony/dinner late afternoon, which a lot of people said was great, but not sure how much "ruralness" I can take...I figure I'd be well on my way back to Seattle by then...who knows? Anyhow, this marathon truly falls into the "unique" category, so I'm considering it. How about you?