St. Louis Marathon - A Lifetime Experience

Well, this was just the perfect day for a marathon. I think the temperature was about 50-55 degrees, sunny and no wind or humidity to speak of. The race was larger than I imagined maybe 2000 marathoners and there was a relay and a half. They even had a few elites show up (which was quite the opposite of Atlanta). The start was at 17th and Market Ave and down hill for the first quarter mile or so. Early in the run – ohh about mile 3 or 4 we ran right through the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. They brought out the Clydesdales for our viewing pleasure. BTW – Big horses…I've never seen those in real life before. After the brewery visit we doubled back down Market Ave. where we could see the Gateway Arch the entire time. Really neat - - - it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I thought they would have sent us under the arch but, no such luck. Anyway, as we moved through town we encountered only mild hills. I wouldn't even call them hills per-se… more like, subtle inclines. Very sweet. Of course I just thought to myself, "well I can do this all day". This love affair with the route went on until, I'd say mile 13. Mile 13, I can still remember seeing the mile marker. I was feeling so strong and confident that, "I might even set a PR", I thought, which means I would be dropping my early plans to run a conservative race. Did I mention mile 13? O.K., this was more than any subtle incline but it wasn't that steep. Rather, it was a one mile long steady incline that looked to never end. This is where the brutality began. The hills just continued mile after mile. The great thing about St. Louis though, was that even though some of the hills looked to punish you relentlessly they were quite frequently followed by rewarding down hill pieces of road looking to reward your diligent efforts. I truly embraced those.

The rolling up and down hills continued for most of the run after mile 13. This started taking a toll on my legs. We ran through a neat little township named Clayton. Clayton's a tree lined township with beautiful single and double family brick homes from the 1950s. I remember an enthusiastic male spectator yelling to me, "This is your last hill, (pregnant pause), in Clayton". Had I just a bit more energy, he'd be spending the night in the St. Louis County Hospital while I'd be making bail at the St. Louis County Jail. But I digress. After Clayton we came to Forest Park, passed Washington University while trotting through University City, then started our return on Forest Park Ave. Near the end I saw yet another uphill stretch, but the last 352 yards of the marathon was a fast downhill experience. Of course I poured it on, imagining I was Meb Keflezighi heading to a first place victory. No record time, not even a PR, my time was 4:27. Now, I never planned to run this fast, but while I was running I thought it would be possible to set a PR. However, when I approached mile 23 I seriously considered never running again, "Just get me to the finish", I said to myself, "and I'll never run again". After, crossing the finish line, standing dazed for several minutes and eating a bag of potato chips I started thinking strategy for the Rock-n-Roll Marathon in San Diego. Yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment, but so are all of you marathoners.

All in all I enjoyed the St. Louis Marathon. Late registration on Saturday was a breeze and there were plenty of exhibitors at the Expo. The marathon was well organized and started on time. Vehicle traffic was kept under control to the point that most roads were completely closed. The finish was done very well, offering plenty of water, fresh bagels, potato chips, fruit, fruit bars and very comfortable green grass to recover on in Soldiers Memorial Park. There were free massages and of course, beer.

There are a few things I would change though. First, many of the bands were just pathetic. In mile 23 we passed the Salvation Army for the second time - first time was mile 11. There was a very small group playing some unrecognizable, dreadfully slow, sad elevator MUSAC. I considered shouting to them, "For Pete's sake, this is a marathon not a funeral procession". Second, crowd support was at times lack luster. The start and finish were well covered and even some spots along the way. But, for much of the run you were pretty much on your own. Finally, not as many water stops on the back miles as I'd like.

St. Louis Marathon is a definite recommend - 3.75 out of 5 stars.

Neat little places to eat. Fitz's Soda Bar and Grill, 6605 Delmar Blvd., St Louis, MO 63130-4504, (314) 726-9555. Nice burgers and Ice Cream Sodas. 400 Olive - An Urban Grill, 400 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, MO - inside the Hilton. Wonderful menu and a great place for a heavy, rich post-marathon meal.
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Thanks to so many of you who supported my long runs and to all of you for your constant encouragement. I'm looking forward to June and I hope I can call on you again for more long runs. With Missouri down now I only have 46 marathons to go.