26.2 with Donna: The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer

Run this race for the cause, and for the local atmosphere. The entire area shows up out to support the race, and from the start, you are showered in pink and applauded by spectators. It's a 26.2 mile party. I was overwhelmed by the support, and the kindness of volunteers. It was warm, and there were plenty of opportunities to get water and sponges , plus some ice pops and cold beer. Everyone was happy to be out, and Donna is an inspiration. I did the 10K the day prior and it was a treat lining up with Joan Benoit Samuelson at the start. I enjoyed my stay in Jacksonville. I spent a few days escaping from the cold northeast and enjoyed the beaches and restaurants. I loved Neptune Beach. People in the area were friendly and helpful. My only criticism involved transportation to and from the Expo: I opted to take the shuttle rather than drive, thinking it'd be easier. However, it was difficult to find and the volunteers had not been informed where to direct runners. If I do it again, I would drive. Otherwise, I had a wonderful weekend and highly recommend this race.

Since this marathon raises funds for a noble cause, it deserves good organization so that it does not become a "fundraiser race," which appears to be happening. I had run a few St. Jude marathons and enjoyed them, but, when it became a fundraiser a few years ago, I found another. I noticed that in this marathon, despite significant advertising, there were about 150 fewer finishers this year. Perhaps my comments will help reverse that trend. This was marathon #85 for me - all within the last 13 years, which gives me a good perspective on what a marathoner looks for in a race. First, the good: a great cause, pink wet sponges and little cold towels in the final miles, ample aid stations, fun neighborhoods - all in pink, flat course, standard expo, and large mile markers. Joan Benoit, the champion of the first women's Olympic marathon, was a guest, though I didn't know she was coming until, by luck, I stumbled upon her after I finished. I felt bad for her since no one else seemed to know who she was. What a thrill to meet her! Shame that she wasn't highlighted. What a great champion! Now, how to improve. Marathon officials stated, several days in advance, that there would be a "green" weather advisory, which means good weather. No way. Not with a starting temperature around 68 with humidity for a heat index in the low 70s. Fortunately the fog kept the sun blocked for a few hours. As the race progressed, the temps rose well into the 70s with the heat index into the 80s. By noon the temperature was 84. Over 100 runners, many of them overweight, took more than six hours to finish. Many took over seven hours. When the heat index gets into the 90s - as it was when these folks were running - that's a recipe for a heart attack or stroke in an obese person doing an extreme athletic event. Nothing was said about this. Hopefully there were no incidents. When I tried to find the results and asked several volunteers, no one knew where they were. No sheets were posted. No signs. Finally I found someone looking at his smart phone and announcing age bracket winners. For a race this small, posting results every half hour is fairly easy and is runner friendly. Someone told me that I should look on my phone for the results. But I try to minimize weight, as many do, during a marathon. Posting results right away is runner-friendly, especially in hot temps. Then, where was the shuttle bus to take runners back to the parking lot at the start? No signs. And, after asking six volunteers, I finally found directions. Solution to this? Start and finish the race at the Players Club parking lot - where the race started this year. I talked with a local who said that it used to start and finish at the Mayo Clinic, but the parking lot was too small. So, if the start and finish are together, there's no need for a bus and that money saved could be used for more breast cancer research. It's also a runner-friendly attraction that we marathoners look at when making a decision to enter.By the way, the shuttle took forever to get back to where we parked because of traffic gridlock. The food. What food? I didn't see any, though that doesn't matter much to me since I don't have much appetite after a marathon. It does matter to others, though. Some simple PB&J bagels, tubs of ice cold Gatorade or Powerade, etc. would have been great. And the age bracket prize - which organizers told me would be an engraved plaque when I was looking into this marathon - came in the mail about two months after the marathon - a two-inch cloth patch. We give out small Lucite trophies at our little 5K. I'd like to run this one again, but I won't if there aren't some changes. I noted that there's one in nearby Gainesville the following weekend.

The course is very scenic until the last 5 miles. But by then, who cares? Organization is wonderful. Spectators made the event feel like a 20 mile block party. There's ample parking at the start and free shuttle service from the finish back to the start. This was my first marathon with large spectator support, and it makes a huge difference in performance. Once the crowds thinned (after about mile 20), I could feel the lack of energy. Organization is superb! Plenty of water, gels, food, etc., along the course. Volunteers are plenty and awesome. The elevation chart doesn't show a significant bridge at about mile 24. Not the fault of the organizers, no one's GPS recorded elevation going over the bridge. I only mention it so you can be prepared for it. You'll peak the bridge just after finishing mile 25. Good news is the rest is downhill. Weather can by iffy since this is Florida, so pack for cold, warm and hot weather if you can. Overall a great experience and a race I look forward to running again. Best of luck!