One of the absolute best things about the Houston marathon is the crowd support & volunteers. They are among the best I’ve seen in any race & it really helps to have people cheering you on- except I wanted to stop at this pirate party & hang out with these cool people. The last stretch down Allen Parkway pretty much stinks- there is no shade & there are two underpasses which require running up a short hill. The only good thing about it is that I know I’m getting very close to the end.
When I finally had a great view of downtown & could feel the end, I had a sudden burst of energy & really picked up my pace. Mile 25 is at the edge of downtown & I was very pleased with how they re-routed the course this year so the finish was a straight shot to the Convention Center instead of a few zig-zags.
Downtown is nice because it is shady & cool, there are tons of walkers & spectators around cheering you on, telling you how close you are to the finish. These crazy ladies with their big hair are out there every year & they always crack me up.
Hubby somehow missed me at the finish line, so he didn’t get any photos and neither did Brightroom. I am thrilled with a 4:23 finish- 26 minutes faster than my best Houston finish in 2007. No bathroom breaks slowed me down, but I could have probably gone out a little faster except for the congestion on the course.
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Houston offers the coolest graphic about how you finished. Look how many runners I passed in the last 4.5 miles! I’m also excited I finished in the top half of all runners. I’m surprised that only 7k people finished- I always thought it was closer to 11K that started (or at least registered) the race.
Thought I’d share some of the swag in our bag since I think Houston is such a great race. Not only do you get a regular cotton T-shirt for registering, you get a really nice technical finisher shirt. Since this was the 40th anniversary of the race, I really thought the design & logo were cool.
Also, every year the finishers get a very nice beer mug. Not that I use mine, but I have quite the collection now & they hold my drink mixes in the pantry. I thought the finisher’s medal this year was just gorgeous- love the design & especially the beautiful skyline on the ribbon. It was good to be back in Houston, running the race that is so familiar and beloved it to me- it will always be a special marathon because of the people & all the history the course holds for me over the years.
GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Off to hang out with some awesome fellow Houston bloggers this afternoon!
Great Job on the marathon! It makes me want to sign up for my first full next year!
Broccoli Blonde recently posted..Half Marathon – Part 2
Thanks- you should do it! Marathon-ing is so addicting.