After Boston's marathon comes...

 The Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon sponsored by Ritchie Bros.

The name has changed, the event is the same.  Sponsorship changed the naming rights.  The two previous directors retired, the pandemic caused it to go virtual for a year, the number of runners dropped, and the course changed a twinge.  But it's still the first Sunday in May and this year, anyway, Mother Nature outdid herself.  Cool and sunny, not too bad a wind.

I left my house at 7:30 or so.  The first runners had started downtown at 7.  I easily got into spectator position 2 and a quarter miles away before the first runners showed up.  I was able to explore the route change at the turnaround (mile 19.5), which I heartily approve.  The new route is safer for the runners and allows some convenience for migrating spectators, too.

I am out of practice with longer walks, but this felt very right.  I found like-minded souls out there cheering folks along, and I made my personal turnaround point a public library that has long been one of my running landmarks (and a nice potty stop, too, if I time my runs for when it's open).  I was tracking some local running friends who were doing the half, but in position "live" to cheer on the full marathon runners as they neared the turnaround.

Look what a pretty day we got!

Partway through, I swapped text messages with my kid sis who was in position at the half marathon portion of the course.  I saw the leaders before they got this far, and hung around to catch my dentist's husband, who ran his 26.2 miles in 3:08, the 34th overall (632 runners), and the 29th man (438 men running).  I don't know his age, so don't know if he got a Boston Qualifying time, which is what he wanted to do.

Here's what the turnaround looks like this year.  I am so pleased they have enough room now!

There is two way traffic, and it used to be "out on the street, back on the bike path" and was quite hard to manage with a single volunteer (which was me one year) when the pack arrives and some of them are almost punch drunk at almost mile 20.

After Dan (the dentist's hubby) was headed well on his way into the last 10K of the race, and I had walked down and got those photos at the turnaround, I decided I'd had enough, and meandered on home.  Got home about 10:30 a.m., which is not that different than if I had done the half marathon myself and the drive home.  However, I only covered 5.2 miles, as opposed to 13.1.  😁

Don't know about y'all, but doesn't going to an event get the juices going?  The wanna be out there's?  I knew I was done having children when I could hold someone's new baby and not get the "wanna-baby" feelings.  I'm not sure I am over eventing yet, even though it has been a couple of years and I have a few more pounds on the frame and a good deal less fitness.

Hmmmm.  Thinking ahead. 

Life if good.  Spark on!  💖🔥