OKC Memorial Marathon 2009 = Misery

The showing of the 2009 Memorial Marathon here in Oklahoma City was today. 19,000 runners poised at the starting line at 6:30 for what promised to be a big day of running, good time and remembering the bombing of the Murrah Building in 1995. I have taken a liking to ultra marathons so I am trying to get into a couple marathons here and there, in an attempt to keep my fitness for the 50 and 100 (next year) mile runs that I hope to occasionally do. So obviously the Memorial is a great choice; the starting line is 1/4 mile from my place. It's the hometown marathon. It's big. Fun. And not horribly difficult in terms of the course.

Little did I know what we were all in store for on this April 26, 2009.


I knew we were in a bit of trouble when, at the 6:30 start, it was already over 70 degrees and hovering in the 80% humidity. I also knew when we turned south at mile 14 that the trip back to the finish line was going to be pure misery. You see, the runners of this year's full marathon endured sustained 30 mph head winds gusting to 45 mph for the last 12 miles heading south. 8 minute per mile effort got you about 11 minute mile pace. Suffering was widespread. Many walked in. Many didn't finish. I have vowed to never run a marathon again in those conditions.

I had a come to the run with a few reasonable expectations. The first was to wear a goofy outfit and laugh and play and joke with people along the way. The former came through. The latter did not. I was in no mood to talk to anyone, nor did I have the lungs to do so. I used my headphones to drown out the crowd and my heavy breathing. My mindset was negative to the point of, when a funny song came on the iPod I hit "next". I also had hopes of a 3:30 marathon time and felt like it might happen at the 13.1 mile split where I turned in a 1:46. But alas, it did not happen and I hobbled through the finish line at 3:47 feeling lucky to even have finished. Highly disappointed and exhausted, I soon learned that I earned the top spot in the heaviest clydesdale division(215-230 lbs) - read "fat boys club" - with the next closest runner a full 43 minutes behind me. Trophy's in the mail and I can't wait. I like to break things so it'll serve a purpose I guess.


My buddy Steve and brother Jon rode their bikes all over the course and hung out with me a bit at times, occasionally being yelled at by course marshalls. I'm glad they did. I suffered. Thanks to Steve for taking some photos of me.