On Sunday I ran the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon. The weather was perfect last weekend and I started out early enough on Saturday to watch Downhill finish the Hartford Marathon on my way to the race. I met up with Hardware and Quiet Man who had just completed the half. It was a good feeling to see Downhill qualify for Boston.
I stayed at the host hotel in Albany, NY and had to wait a little while for my room when I arrived. I decided to take the elevator down to the ballroom level to pick up my race packet per my runner instruction sheet. When I opened the door to Ballroom A directly in front of me I found the room filled with people wearing spacesuits with antenna’s on their heads. There was a science fiction convention going on in the hotel and i would spend the next day or so with these folks riding elevators and listening to them talk on weird communication devices. Imagine working there with these two groups of sci-fi nuts and runners doing all kind of silly stretching poses in the lobby. It was quite the sight. My race last fall at the Bay State Marathon found me in a hotel filled with old Quiltters from all over New England. I sure know how to pick them.
The race is a point to point marathon with a net drop in elevation of some 385 feet. On race morning I was late and barely made it to the last bus before it took off from the hotel. I was on the bus about five minutes when a runner asked me if I was sure this was the bus to the marathon? You see there also were buses to the half marathon start and I never even looked before getting on. How stupid, but I got lucky this day.
The race course was beautiful, especially with the foliage and views of the river. The start was in a park and goes about two miles on back roads before entering a tree lined paved bike path that follows the Mohawk River for next 13 miles. The views are great and you feel like your out on the trails. The course then takes you on some town roads for about 5 miles before picking up another bike path that then follows the Hudson River for the final 6 miles or so where the race ends in a park in Albany. The only hill was maybe the length of the long side of Sunset Hill but with a easier grade. The top of the hill marks the half way point in the race and the half marathon start. It could be a real super fast half marathon course because what follows is more gradual downhill for the next six miles and then flat to the finish.Overall I had a good run. I was thirty seconds or so ahead of pace to qualify for Boston at the 21 mile mark before fading in the final miles to finish in 3:41:40. I was disappointed but it has been awhile since I ran at BQ pace for so long in a marathon.
I think this race would be enjoyed by any Bimbler. If a trail runner wanted to run a “road race” this would be the closest thing to feeling like they were home in the outdoors while recording some fast times for either the half or full marathons. It would make a great group trip.
Posted by Superman
Who looked silly, the runners stretching or the guys with antennas on their heads? You lost me on that one! : -)
Excellent report and excellent time. Congratulations Superman (definitely sounds like you had more of a “Superman” day than a “Clark” day).
Ok so you were late and was almost on the wrong bus? Still better than the time you ran a marathon in your Converse basketball shoes! Right?