Run, marathoners, run

I went to watch part of the NYC marathon on Sunday with my friend Jacqui and her boyfriend Jake (who has a Tennessee accent which made me very nostalgic). There was a possibility that it would rain, but it ended up being just overcast, which was good news for the runners and spectators alike. The day was perfect for running: not too cold, no glaring sunlight, and pretty fall foliage to look at.

The marathon route takes runners through all five boroughs. It begins in Staten Island (getting there in the morning is apparently a huge pain because it involves taking a ferry) and ends in Central Park. We couldn't get anywhere near the finish line, but we watched from about mile 20 for a while, then moved to a chute beyond the finish line. Each runner who finished got a medal and a reflective blanket – it gets chilly the second you stop running when you are all sweaty.

It was really inspirational to watch. We saw several runners spot people along the sides of the course who had come to watch them run, and it was great to see their faces light up as their loved ones cheered them on. Some spectators had signs, and most took pictures as people jogged by. One girl was running in yellow tights, a yellow long-sleeved shirt, a yellow hat with bear ears, and a red t-shirt that said "Will Run 4 Huny." Fun idea, but I'll bet being dressed as Winnie the Pooh got hot after a while… Another guy was running in a Minnie Mouse dress. For the most part, though, there weren't a whole lot of costumes (although there were lots of t-shirts with clever phrases on them). Lots of jerseys had the names of different countries on them; apparently this was a pretty international event. Some people had written their first names along their arms or on their shirts, which was a great idea because then the people in the crowd cheered them on by name. It's not a foolproof system, though. Jacqui yelled, "Go Oliver!" and looked a little embarrassed when I pointed out that I don't think "Olivier" is pronounced that way.

Jacqui ran a marathon once, and so talking to her about it was interesting. I got answers to burning questions such as "Didn't you get tired?" and "What happens when you have to pee?" and "No, seriously, weren't you, like, WAY tired?" Jacqui said she loved doing it, but was unlikely to do one again. Honestly, I've never been interested in doing one before Sunday. It's something I might consider now.