BACK TO KANSAS

Garmin Marathon 2.0: Olathe, Kansas, April 20, 2024 – Marathon #46

Another brutal one. This was the marathon I ran in protest. I’m not upset with the decision made by my club; in fact, I think it was the fairest call to make. My frustration, however, lies with the person who failed to place the course markers in the correct spots. I ran this marathon in 2022, just 11 weeks after major surgery. A week later, I found out that the course was 1,000 feet short. The organizers assured us that we would still receive recognition and certification for the race. However, when I submitted my marathon list for certification to complete my 50-state challenge, I was informed that I would be recognized but not certified unless I reran the race. I was beyond bummed. This race was the very one that almost made me swear off marathons altogether. It was only my third marathon, and the disappointment stung hard.

So, here I was, rerunning this marathon. And now, because I had to, I will need to renumber all of my states.

The run itself was better than last time. The wind was still a challenge, but the atmosphere was full of friendly faces and creative costumes. I ran into some friends, including one who traveled all the way from Fargo to join the race. I met her last year at the Kentucky Derby marathon, and it was wonderful to reconnect.

Now for the kicker—I couldn’t have made this up if I tried. Less than an hour ago, I found out that the race I just completed had yet another measuring error between miles 17 and 18. The issue was eventually corrected, but unfortunately, my watches—yes, I wear two—stopped and restarted late, meaning my tracking was off. I’m not sure if I was affected by the error, but I suspect that I might have been. The only silver lining is that the race ended up being measured long, rather than short. I can tell from how my body feels and from something being off with the mile markers. Time will tell if this affects my official certification, but they don’t have much time to make a decision, as my 50th state is coming up on June 16th.

I’m feeling frustrated. This is a perfect example of why the little things count. Several runners were just a few seconds away from qualifying for Boston, and now they won’t be accepted. This error will cost them. It’s a reminder that whatever your job is, you must do it to the best of your ability. People are counting on you, and something as small as a mismeasure can have a huge impact.

Next up, I’ll be at the Flying Pig marathon in my birth state of Ohio, running alongside my niece and her husband in the half marathon. I’ll be running four races that weekend, making the most of my travel. The weekend of May 3-5, 2024, will be one for the books. The pigs will be flying, and I’m excited to be part of it!