Atlanta, 0:dark hundred! I rode MARTA to the starting point of the 2003 Half-Marathon on Thanksgiving morning. There were lots of runners on the train. "Beware the hill at mile eight!" "You'll see the Olympic Rings just before the finish!"
This was my second half-marathon. I had run the LAWS Half in 2 hrs. 30 minutes. I was eager to improve my time. The starting line was real official - tape across the street. But along the route gas was $1.30! There were lots of volunteers giving encouragement and lots of signs. My favorites were "Cold Beer Just Ahead" and "Run Turkey Run."
I had decided to run the first half of the race before stopping for water. The temperature was 50 degrees and the sky was overcast. By the halfway point I was running so well I didn't stop, and I didn't stop the rest of the way. My running book tells me this is not the way to run a race, but hey, I was rolling!
OK, I get to mile eight. Hill, what hill? It was a small incline up the street. Actually the whole course was easier then our usual 10-mile runs on Sundays. The only unfortunate thing was I had accidentally stopped my watch while running. I had started at the back of the pack, so I estimated it took me five minutes to cross the starting line.
And finally, the Olympic rings! Part of the course was run along the 1996 Olympic route. Just as I came around the last turn, there they were! I had run past the Olympic Park and Torch just before hitting the rings and a short downhill stretch to the finish line. They called out my name as I crossed. My wife and daughter, who we were visiting, were there to see me finish. Very exciting!
I received my "official" time in the mail. Taking my estimated five minutes off from my start, I had finished 10 minutes faster than my first half-marathon.
Now that I've done an "Olympic" Half-Marathon, I can't wait to start the Reston Runner training in May for the real deal, with the not so few, maybe the not so proud, and maybe the Marines!