2008 Georgia Marathon

5. ING Georgia Marathon – Atlanta, Ga. – March 30, 2008

I didn’t really want to run this race. I’ve never been terribly impressed in previous trips to Atlanta. I also wasn’t ready for the race, and I generally make a rule against traveling during March unless it’s going to the NCAA Tournament. Honestly, I love the Tournament, and I pretty much watch as much of it as humanly possible.

However, David Manthey and Jim Lynch finally convinced me after several months of trying. I knew a marathon weekend with those guys would be fun. Expectations were low. The rest was up to the city and the race. I was blown away by both. (This was despite the Days Inn, where we were greeted by a pool filled with green slime and slightly less than one-star accommodations.)

The CNN Center after the tornado

A tornado had blown through downtown less than a week before, and the damage was evident all around us. Windows were boarded up in several buildings, including the CNN Center, and the race directors announced a slight change in the course due to safety concerns. The expo was in the Georgia Dome, and the highlight came when someone from the Galloway people approached Lynch and told him that if he trained smart, he could run a full marathon by the fall. Now, saying that to someone with a race bag seemed odd. But saying to someone who was running his 70^th-something marathon was hilarious. He thanked her but said he’d be running a full marathon that weekend.

Kansas was playing that Friday night, and with the race not until Sunday, we went to find a sports bar to watch the Sweet 16 game. Strangely, even though Atlanta had professional baseball, football, basketball and hockey teams at the time, it seems there wasn’t a sports bar anywhere downtown. We settled on eating at the Hard Rock before going to Hooters to watch the games – not exactly what we would have planned, but it worked.

It’s rare to find 26.2 scenic miles through any city. Atlanta figured out a way. The entire course was great with excellent support, including several unofficial aid stations with fruit and water, set up by friendly fans along the course.

Lynch, Manthey and I ran together for the first several miles. None of us planned to run exceptionally hard, and Manthey decided to back down to the half due to an injury. Lynch kept us laughing for the first miles, as he made fun of Manthey’s fitness “tips,” which apparently included ways to stretch that help avoid “tearing a ball.” He may have said that line too loud, but the people around seemed to appreciate it.

Just after the halfway point, Lynch looked at me and suggested that I looked like I could probably pick it up a little. I told him I would meet him at the finish and increased my pace about 15-30 seconds per mile. The course went through parks and college campuses, and along tree-covered residential streets. It was challenging with quite a few hills, but it was fun. Perhaps only people who run marathons on a regular basis could possibly understand how a 26.2-mile run could be described as fun, but that’s exactly what this one was. As I was passing the Georgia Tech football stadium with about 2-3 miles to go, I was starting to struggle, but a guy running by patted me on the back and said we should help each other for a while. We didn’t stay together long, but it was just the encouragement I needed, pushing me to the finish line in 3:43. It was a perfect race, because I came out with legs that felt like I’d done a long run but not all together beat up.

After showering, we headed to the airport. It was the first time I’ve ever hoped for a delay. Kansas was playing Davidson for a trip to the Final Four. In a packed bar, I was the only one cheering for Goliath. The Wildcats put up a shot at the buzzer, but it went wide, and I rushed to a boarding plane, happy in every way. Eight days later, I would be even happier, watching from the upper deck of the Alamodome as the Jayhawks beat Memphis for the national title.

Rich Clarkson's iconic shot of Mario Chalmers' iconic shot a week after the Georgia Marathon