Salem, Oregon's
Running & Walking Club Site
Home of
Willamette Valley Road Runners (WVRR)
www.WVRoadrunners.org.

by Ron Hartwig

 

The Second Baptist Church Marathon; the Assemblies of God Half-Marathon; The O’Reilly Auto Parts 10K; and the Jim Ryun Kids Run. We wondered what we were getting into.

Organization – As soon as we entered the packet pickup room we felt this was going to be a well-run race. Warmly welcomed at the door, we were directed to folks who got us through the process quickly. Ron particularly liked the free coffee and fresh scones available.

The church has over 4,500 members. When the pastor tells the congregation this is the only church sponsored marathon in the world and he is looking for volunteers, he gets a lot of people signing up to help. The result is as many volunteers as runners and aid stations at least every mile.

At the awards ceremony, which was held in the church sanctuary, they showed a video. There are large video screens on both sides of the front of the church. The video showed scenes from packet pickup to race preparation to the actual various races. This included music, which was added. We also had a message from the pastor and vignettes from charities, which were recipients of funds earned. It was so well done we felt good about abusing our bodies so others could be fed and clothed.

Jim Ryun flew in from Washington DC to speak to us. We of course got our picture taken with him and had him autograph one of his books. He looks like he could be our Bob Ray’s brother. On the screen we also saw a Wide World of Sports broadcast which showed Jim Ryun breaking a world record.

Race Course – At the Chicago Marathon we met a couple from Springfield who told us that if we were coming to run their marathon we had better do a lot of hill work. The course ranks up there with the hardest we have run. The first four or five miles are run through the city then you head out to the rural rolling hills country. At mile seven and 19 you encounter some pretty good hills. This is an out and back course with a loop at the far end so they are the same hills just run the other direction. It is attractive out in the country and we do like an out and back course in that we get to see the leaders as well as a lot of people who are behind you.

Weather – The web site and the race brochure show people in shorts wearing gloves. Some are wearing long pants but it doesn’t look too bad. The day before the race we saw a picture from last years race. There were banks of snow and runners were covered from head to toe. Obviously the picture was some other year. We were very concerned because it was cold and the wind was blowing strongly. The wind chill factor the day before our race never got above 22 degrees. Thank goodness the wind eased during the night. At the start of the race it was 29 degrees with a slight wind. We both wore throwaway shirts. After a couple of miles Charlotte discarded hers (at an aid station of course). Ron didn’t get rid of his until the 20-mile mark. When we finished it was in the low 40’s and we felt great; finally.

How we did – Ron was in a new age group and hoped to do well. Charlotte just wanted to run well enough to get her name in the hat for the drawing for the free trip to the Boston Marathon. She needed to run a 4:15. Perhaps she wanted to get in from the cold but she ran a 3:53. Ron ran as hard as he could and ran a 3:41, which he thought, was ok given the tough course. Thirty seconds were walked every mile, which seems to work for him. He finished second of twelve in his age group. Neither of us won the trip to Boston, which would have conflicted with our other marathons anyway.

Tourist Stuff – The day before the race we set out to see the city. We were going to see a tool company when we were told to go to the number one tourist attraction in town, which is the Pro-Bass Shop. This place is the size of seven football fields. It has fishponds and even a waterfall. There is hunting, fishing, camping, boating, golf and you name it outdoor stuff. Some locally made items are also available. We had a blast and will certainly visit again if we ever return. Charlotte bought a Christmas sweater and Ron bought some golf items.

Late in the afternoon after the awards ceremony we drove the 35 miles to Branson. As we drove in Charlotte said that this was a lot like Las Vegas without the gambling. There were music halls everywhere. That night we went to see the Baldnobbers. This was the first show to ever appear in Branson. The music was great and the humor was of the Hee Haw variety. We laughed until we had tears running down our cheeks. This is very therapeutic when you are hurting from a run.

The next night we went to see the most elaborate show in town; the Shoji Tabuchi Show. It had been recommended as the best show in town so we got tickets months earlier. As interesting sidelight at that theatre are the bathrooms. They are tourist attractions themselves. The next morning after the show, Ron went back to take pictures of the men’s bathroom. It cost $1,000,000 and has a hand carved pool table, gold plated sinks and leather chairs. It is gorgeous. We have pictures of the women’s bathroom, which is also amazing.

Comments – It’s not easy to rate the marathon. The course is hard and the weather may range from excellent to snow and ice. The volunteers are great and the organization is wonderful. With the entertainment at Branson everyone should have some good times on a trip here.

Next Marathon – Ocala Florida February 1^st.