Race Report Intro
This race report has been drafted in the week following the Hogeye Marathon in Fayetteville, Arkansas
Race Report
Hogeye
Marathon
“Pigger than Ever”
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Sunday, April 3rd, 2005
|
41st Marathon or Ultra |
5th Marathon - Ultra Marathon in 2005 |
Arkansas is 35th State |
MISSED A FOURTH CONSECUTIVE AGE
GROUP 3RD PLACE FINISH
This past weekend I ran the
Hogeye Marathon in Fayetteville, AR.
I was hoping to get my fourth consecutive age group 3rd place,
but it did not happen. Getting
age group first place is fairly straightforward, namely out run every other
runner in your age group. Getting
third place is not so straightforward. You must enter events where there
are two faster runners and the rest of the runners are slower than you.
My string of 3rd place
finishes began with the Deena Kastor 5-K in Agoura Hills on March 19th.
In this case there were 13 finishers in my age group, two faster than I,
and 10 slower. The Old Agoura
10-K was 30 minutes after I finished the 5-K.
For this longer run there were only 4 finishers, again two were faster
than I.
The third in the series was the
Reggae Rhythm 10-k at Griffith Park on March 26th.
I had run a 10-K at Griffith Park at this time of the year in 2002 and
2003. On both of these
occasions there was another runner named John from Culver City who is one year
younger and a little faster than I. In 2002 he was jealous of me since I was in the older,
and less competitive age group. That
year three OFG’s (Old Fast Guy)
showed up and I did not get an age group award.
In 2003, John moved into my age group, and none of the OFG’s showed up
and I got second place. This
year John was back. But there was
an out-of-town OFG that came from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
His name is Marv Rawley. He
finished the 10-K in 42:50, while I finished in 1:00:41. Afterwards I met Marv and he told me that to be rated
All-American in the 10-K runners in our age group had to run a 10-K in faster
than 44 minutes, and he had done so.
With Marv taking 1st place, like he says he usually does, John
2nd, I got my third 3rd place.
Prior to the Hogeye I had notice
the finishers from last year, and figured that my expected finish time would be
good enough for 3rd place.
There were two faster runners, and a fast runner who would graduate into
the age group this year. Since
most of the runners who run this marathon are from the region, they come and run
it each year. I figured if
two out of three of these guys showed up I would get my fourth 3rd
place. But it did not happen.
Only the guy who turned 65 showed up and as I result I did not get that
fourth 3rd place.
The Hogeye is a hilly marathon.
The locals could not seem to agree if the Hogeye was in the top five
toughest or top 10. After
running it, I would be inclined to the top 10.
The web site had said that timing would quit after 5.5 hours, and if
runners might need more time to see the race director for an early start.
When I inquired about an early start I was told they would prefer not to
give early start, but had extended the timing unitl six hours.
I knew six hours and hills might be close for me, but was relieved to
learn that a Hummer would follow at the 6 hour pace and if I stayed ahead of the
Hummer I would be all right.
At Mile 15 I am on pace for a
5:20 finish, when, out of the corner of my eye, I notice the Hummer behind me.
I resolved to maintain my 4 x 1 run-walks even though being pushed by the
Hummer. There were less than
60 participants in the marathon and I seldom saw any runners ahead of me.
Red arrows painted on the asphalt marked turns in the course. Just before Mile 16 I was running along a country road
focused on the white line on the edge of the highway.
The white line curved on to a major highway, that I had not remembered on
the outbound portion of the run. I
was not sure if I was on the course or not.
I felt much relieve when the Hummer followed me.
I continued to run to the next exit from the major highway and looked for
the red arrows or some sign of course marshals or aids stations.
Seeing none I approached the Hummer and asked, “which way do I run
now”? The Hummer driver did
not know. He said he was just
following me. (Note: In some circles it is a choir directors that leads a
hummer. But
not in this case.) The
Hummer driver makes a cell phone call and returns me to the course on the other
side of the major highway. I
get to Mile 17 forty-eight minutes after Mile 15.
Later I figure I ran a 28-mile marathon. The Hummer followed me until Mile 25.5.
At this point it was about 6 hours into the marathon, and the Hummer had
to get back to dealership. I
continued my run walking and finish in 6:13:05, not bad for a 28-mile marathon..
And, it turns out they kept the timing open for just over 7 hours.
Unique features of this marathon,
besides the hills, are the friendly volunteers, the two t-shirts, a finisher’s
medal in the shape of the state of Arkansas, and cool post-marathon bash at a
local microbrewery.
The two t-shirts were a black
t-shirt was given to all participants, and a survivors t-shirt that said, “I
survived The Hilleye Marathon”. The
picky marathon medal collectors will complain about a lack of a date on the
medal. But I don’t care; the
Hogeye made Arkansas my 35th state for running a marathon.