The weather has changed as did the time and yesterday morning thousands headed out to kick off November with the valley’s best running event, the 2 Cities Marathon. In reality is should be named the 2 Cities Marathon, Fresno half marathon, Clovis half marathon, kids race and 5k run and a partridge in a pear tree as this is a run set up to make anyone who ties on a pair of shoes and heads out the door pretty darn happy. Not only are the courses set out well but the support of 1500 volunteers and the SWAG bags are first class not to mention the finishers medals.
Now before I go all Gran Torino and say “Get off my lawn” which was my take the first few years I woke up and realized I was land locked from most of Fresno on race day I now get excited as I see the signs of the big day going up. Not always the most lovely sight but seeing an army of porta potties lined up along Friant Road gets me in the mindset of wanting to get out and cheer my friends and not be upset that I cant get to In and Out Burger until the road opens back up. What some see as an annual inconvenience I see as a wonderful event that showcases FresYes for not just the runners but their friends and families from all over California and beyond. This race is our chance as a community to shine and send thousands home with nothing but great things to say about our city, our communities and our people who support all things FresYes.
My friends list is full or people who chose to run one of the options this year and I can just hear them saying “I just felt like Run-ning” as they finished but for me I hid in the crowd and cheered them on with smiles and admiration because as I like to say unless I’m being chased, I’m not running! I saw friends from Jiu Jitsu, cycling, work, our kids schools and my social circle all out having a great time on a beautiful FresYes day.
Highlights were seeing a 100 year old woman cross the half marathon finish line, my amazing cancer kicking friend Kiki finish and run to her husband for a hug and a kiss and I felt the pain of waiting much to long for a good friend of mine to finish.
So long in fact that we knew something happened so we decided to divide and find him with me walking the course backwards until I found him, cracked. I joked, hugged, coached and nudged him to keep going and yes I even ran the last half mile with him to the finish. That’s friendship in my book!
It was a day full of stories that will be told all the way until 2015.
Some qualified for Boston and some were happy to have survived.
All have my respect and admiration to the point that I might just start running again, MIGHT.
- Invitation to the Ball - November 6, 2015
- Sportsman’s Warehouse, the New Kid In Town - July 20, 2015
- The Freewheel Project - July 13, 2015
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