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2001 Marathons: A Year in Review by Ron & Charlotte Hartwig

Ron and Charlotte lust completed a marathon in their 20 state and are now eligible to join the 50 States and DC Club. Here are their accounts of marathons run during 2001. They offer their observations in the event others may want to run any of these marathons.

Motorola Austin Marathon February 18th

Organization - This is one of the best-organized marathons you will find anywhere. Motorola puts a lot money into it and it shows. For example at packet pickup you give then your name and they give you a box with everything including your shirt in it. Fast and efficient.
Race Course - This is a point-to point quick course. It is basically flat with a few rollers and a slight net loss. The course goes by the University of Texas and the State Capitol building, through the downtown and ends at a park.
Weather - It was 33 degrees at the start. It soon warmed up to the 40's and was good running weather.
How We Did - Both of us ran well. Charlotte was first out of 119 in her age group and Ron was in the top 15% of all runners.
Tourist Stuff- We visited the State Capital Building. As you might expect it has a gigantic dome. Charlotte got her picture taken with some Texas Rangers which she thought was cool. Our other stop was the LBJ museum. This was much better than we had anticipated. We had forgotten much of what had been accomplished during his presidency and we would recommend a visit there.
Comments - This is in our estimation one of the best marathons in the country and we would recommend it for everyone.

Mayor's Midnight Marathon (Anchorage) June 23rd

Organization - Things went ok without any hassle. It felt like there were two groups as this is a Leukemia Society event and they had their own activities. At least half of the runners were Leukemia Society runners.
Race Course - This point-to-point course was more difficult than we had anticipated. A portion is run through a military reservation on a gravel tank road. Then you have two or three miles on a hilly, narrow, rocky trail. Ouch. With a mile to go you have a killer hill that we are sure at least 90% of the runners have to walk up. You get to the top and run into a school track.
Weather - This must have been one of the few days up there with no clouds. It got to the 60's and Ron got slightly sunburned.
How We Did - This was Charlotte's first race back after her surgery and shewas unsure how she would do. She did fine finishing as the 45th woman overall out of 1,670 finishers. For the first time Ron had leg cramps during a marathon. At mile 22 he got a leg cramp and limped in. When Charlotte saw him just before the finish she thought he was being a nice guy and was coming out to run her in. Wrong. She finished six seconds behind him.
Tourist Stuff- Of course there is so much to do there. We went west one day to the Portage Glacier center, which was excellent, then on to climb up to a glacier and on to Seward. Another day we climbed a mountain just outside Anchorage where we saw our first Dall Sheep. We then went on east to see the tallest mountain in North America but were disappointed because of the haze from forest fires. We were able, however, to stop by the Iditarod Dog Race center. Charlotte has been fascinated by the Iditarod for some time and really got her jollies when she and Ron rode a sled (with wheels that time of year) pulled by the dogs. They go FAST.
Comments - Although there must be many first timers running because of the Leukemia Society we would not recommend this race if it is your first. If you don't expect a fast race and take it easy you can do ok. If you are thinking of running the race and are not a part of the Leukemia Society group, make your room reservations early. The Leukemia Society takes most of the rooms in town. We stayed in a dive for two days and then in a very nice bed and breakfast the remaining days.

Bismarck YMCA Marathon September 9th

Organization - There is no expo. Picking up the packet is simply a matter of stopping by the front desk at the YMCA and getting a packet and shirt. Arkansas, where packet pickup was in a guy's garage, was more exciting than this.
Race Course - This is an out and back course. A half-marathon is also run at the same time so you all take off together. This makes you feel like there are more people running. The marathon had 103 finishers. The course itself is very flat, fast, and scenic and we both liked it very much.
Weather - It was 53 degrees when we started and 51 when we finished. We got a little rain and some wind but not to really bother us.
How We Did - Ron ran his fasted race of the year and finished 22nd overall. He didn't place in his IO-year age group, as there were lots of old guys running this as part of getting in their 50 states. Charlotte, on the advice of her doctor, ran it easy. She was having a few problems again so decided to back off. Interestingly she finished about the same time as she did in Alaska with considerably less effort. She won her age group by 30 minutes.
Tourist Stuff- The day before the marathon we drove almost halfway across North Dakota to see the Theodore Roosevelt State Park. It kept us off our feet for a change. It was enjoyable. The afternoon and evening after the race was spent at an International Indian Powwow. Indians from all over the country were there. They were attired in colorful native garb. The drumming was enjoyable and we had a great unique experience. If interested, ask to see our pictures of the dancers entering the arena.
Comments - We got another state. One would not come to this race unless they had relatives or business there or were going to the powwow. There are virtually no spectators so if you need anybody rooting for you, this is not your race.

Baltimore Marathon October 20th

Organization - Baltimore was about the opposite of Bismark. For a first time marathon we thought they did an excellent job. Ron was excited as the expo, packet pickup and pasta party were in the football stadium where the NFL Baltimore Ravens play. He was able to get some pictures of the football field. It was somewhat of a hassle going through security to get into the stadium but no one complained. (We didn't realize until we got there that Washington DC was only a 45-minute drive away). The awards ceremony was a disappointment as they only presented the top overall winners.
Race Course - The course was much more difficult than the race brochure led you to believe. It seemed that you were always going up or down a hill. The road surface was mostly concrete which really bothered Charlotte. This was our least favorite course we have run on.
Weather - We don't remember so we think it was fine.
How We Did - We didn't start together. Ron passed Charlotte at mile four but couldn't get any speed and Charlotte stayed near him. Her hamstring became very sore so she eased up. Ron finished one minute ahead of Charlotte. Ironically Charlotte finished only 13 seconds different than her time in Bismark. She finished 3'd out of 64 in her age group with the first two just in front of her.
Tourist Stuff- The inner harbor is very nice. The downtown is an interesting mix of new and very old buildings. We ate at the waterfront and had crab cakes for which Maryland is known.
Comments - Everything is fine with this marathon except the course. At the Rocket City Marathon we spoke with two Baltimore runners who said they passed on the Baltimore Marathon because it was so hilly and run on concrete. One was Jim Hage who writes a column in Footnotes, the RRCA publication. He ran a 2:29 marathon at Huntsville so I guess he knows something about running. We understand they are making some changes to the course. I doubt if it would be enough for us to return. We should mention the crowd support. It was great throughout the race. I will always remember the group of black women at the Baptist church who sang you through their area.

Rocket City Marathon December 8th (Huntsville Alabama)

Organization - The local running club puts on this marathon. As such, they know about runners needs. This was the 25~ running of this marathon so they have lots of experience. They do a great job of keeping the costs down for runners. The entry fee is low, the pasta and post-race dinners were very economical and the room rate at the race headquarters, the Hilton, was only $65 per night. Ron pays particular attention to post-race snacks and rates this marathon at the top of the list along with Portland.
Race Course - The course is fairly flat with occasional rollers. Charlotte appreciated that the surface was asphalt. Earlier on there were more turns than she likes but a middle section was straight which allowed her to get in her rhythm. All in all a very good course.
Weather - We watch the weather carefully before we leave for a race. The weather had been warm but was supposed to drop to freezing the morning of the race. The change held off and the race started off at 63 degrees and very humid. Three miles into the race it started to rain and we experienced three or four very heavy downpours (Ron who is from Montana said it was raining "like a cow pissin on a flat rock"). Other times it rained lightly off and on. One can only get so wet but for the first time for her, Charlotte had to stop and pull up her socks as they were balling up in her shoes. She had visions of Dr Bill Mayhall taking off his socks at Olympia. We saw one man sitting on the ground taking off his socks. We asked some of the elite runners after the race if the rain bothered them. They all said no it didn't but the humidity slowed them down.
How We Did - Ron seems to have good or not so good races. He knew he wouldn't place here and perhaps when he felt like a drowned rat he slowed down. For the first ten miles Ron ran each mile faster than Charlotte. For the next ten she ran most of them faster. At mile 21 she pulled up next to him and they ran together to the finish holding hands at the finish line. Charlotte impressed the race director as she won her age group by almost half an hour.
Tourist Stuff - December is a wonderful time to travel. Across the street from where we stayed was the Van Braun Civic Center. This is what Salem would like to have for an expo/convention center. They had a large Christmas bazaar. We think some of the venders must come down from the hills of Alabama and Tennessee once a year to sell their goods at the bazaar. It was great. Thank goodness we had limited capacity to bring things home. At the convention center was the Huntsville Visitors Center. We picked up a walking brochure that gave information on historic homes. We walked around looking at homes that were built in the 1800's. We also stopped by a Victorian Christmas house, which was beautiful (we must sound like old people but so what). On the way to the airport we visited the US Space and Rocket Center. This is the world's largest space museum and we think a "must see" on your trip. The rockets for our space missions were developed in Huntsville and there is so much to see.
Comments - This is not a large race with about 1,300 runners signed up. It does however, have a lot of very fast runners. They give prize money 12 deep for men and women and six deep for masters men and women. Russian masters runners won for both the men and women so they had good paydays. We asked the race director how they afford to do this race so cheaply for the participants. He said the city gives them $7,500 and the police department doesn't change them a dime. What a nice attitude on the part of the city. Wish we had it here. They do one thing not done elsewhere. They print your name below your number. This way spectators (of which there are not a lot) can call out your name. A nice touch. Other thoughts on the year This has been a tough year on everyone and we have much to be thankful for. Charlotte is so thankful she is able to run after her surgery. People seem to genuinely appreciate our traveling long distances to attend their races this year. We come back from these trips with a renewed belief that we are one country. One that is filled with warm friendly intelligent people (these are the runners we meet). We also met many interesting people on our travels. People like the city councilman in Baltimore who went out of his way to take us to the best crab cake place in the city; the hotel desk staff in Austin who daily asked about Charlotte when she was in the hospital, the Indian couple in Bismarck who patiently answered our questions during the Indian powwow; and Eunice in Huntsville. The morning after the marathon we wanted to go out and eat authentic Alabama cooking. We were directed to Eunice's Country Kitchen. It turned out to be a small hole in the wall. Everyone else there appeared to have stopped by on the way to church. The owner Eunice looked like she might have been running the place for forty years or so. She made her way slowly around the place greeting people. I noticed that everyone who left stopped by on the way out and gave her a hug. We had authentic Alabama fare: ham, bacon, biscuits, eggs, fried potatoes, sawmill gravy and redeye gravy. It was salty but extremely tasty. When I went to pay I was directed to Eunice who was sitting by a small space heater. She had the bill. I gave her money which she made change for from a metal box similar to one Charlotte uses for garage sales. She wished us well and told us to hurry back. If I ever return to Huntsville I am going to eat there again. I would like to hear about Alabama from her. Oh, I would probably also give her a hug when I left.