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It was a lovely day for the Seneca Creek Greenway Marathon and 50K.
Well... sort of. It could have been a lot better. It was around 35F and the wind was gusting around 25mph, maybe more, and we were in the middle of an open field (and, as my daughter noted with some concern, not a portapotty in sight). Here we gathered for a quick picture prior to the onslaught (we expected between 100 and 150 runners).
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What with the ridiculous winds, we had quite a challenge setting up signs but it was important to inform runners of timely salivation requirements. Accurate information (13/29 miles to Sugarland!) is crucial.
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Every bit of extra information helps (Fat Free Sugar! Sugar-Free Sugar!) It also helps to let runners know in advance any questions they may have to consider upon their arrival.
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Runners were greeted with an assortment of delicious and tasty carbs and helpful experts in the selection of sugars and salts. Note jaguar in lower-left about to pounce on a package of defenseless Peeps. (Entire package of Peeps was consumed by race end.)
Also notice the lovely volunteer t-shirts (And you thought we work for free!) which are covered with footprints. (In my daughter's case, this saves time.) Seriously, if you get to see one up close, you'll appreciate how pretty they are. Kudos to the designer!
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Hungry runners arrived with sugar on their minds. (You came to the right place!) Many goldfish were sacrificed for a good cause. Volunteers puzzled over presence of Girl Scout cookies (see lower-left of pic) despite a complete lack of any Girl Scouts registered for the run.
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Occasional large gaps between runners became an excuse for hibernation or other behavior (refined through years of zoning out practice at school).
Also notice all-important medical supplies in back (vaseline, succeed, advil) and in front (coke and mountain dew).
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But before runners got to the goodies, they had to check in. (Last name please!) Why? Because we had no money for GPS transponder chips after blowing it all on sugar cookies and potato chips. (Priorities, right?)
Race Director Ed Schultze stopped in several times to check that our supplies were holding out - and showed us how it was done - he knew every runner's name! Plus he was on top of every detail of the race. Great job, Ed! (No wonder he is RD Of The Year!) |
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| Toward the end, volunteers impatient with slower runners (or maybe just hoping to get the race over so they could relieve themselves) would run up to greet runners before they could even get across the parking lot, slug of Gatorade in hand. (Now you know what it really meant when she enthusiastically said to you "Welcome to Sugarland, we've been waiting for you!")
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For their own breaks, volunteers sought shelter from the cold and wind. (Yes, I realize it's warm in there but, no, you can't invite all the runners into my car!)
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| We were at the 21.5 mile mark - give or take - no one knew for sure. I suppose that the difference between running through the mud or around the mud could really add up after awhile, so why bother with precision?
Given our distance, it was no surprise that we had some runners bonk on us and express mild disorientation and confusion. (Where's the beer? Who put this cracker in my mouth?) |
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| For those runners who stayed with us a while (and stayed and stayed), we enjoyed your company and were sad to see you go. (Two runners asked when we were closing so they didn't have to leave until they absolutely had to!)
Thanks for visiting Sugarland! (Take some cookies to go!)
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Just because a tree has a blue blaze on it, doesn't mean you have to go there.
Insulinville, 2 miles ahead. (And 2 miles after that, Cramptown!)
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And that was the Sugarland experience from a volunteer's point of view. Hope you enjoyed it. We enjoyed having you and we're looking forward to next year. PS: New sign ideas gratefully accepted. Send to don@libes.com.