by Ted Barron
This inaugural event took place this weekend along Evansville’s Ohio Riverfront at 7pm. It was part of a weekend of events along the riverfront that included family events, fun bike rides, a professional bike race with $5,000 in cash prizes and the marathon relay. There was also an outdoor fundraising event taking place at the Casino all evening that provided some nice music right along the course.
The course was a 1.09m closed circuit. It started streetside, then quickly took a steepish downhill along the river boat ramp, then flat for a few blocks, then a steepish uphill back up to the street, then circled some city blocks and back to the start. With a 4 person team, each runner ran that loop 3 times or 3.275 miles for each of his/her legs. Here’s a shot of it from the river looking in:
A lot of the members of my informal running group (Band of Runners (BORs) participated, and other BORs came to cheer us on. And this, despite the fact that nearly all of them had either ran their scheduled long runs that morning or participated in a local Sprint Tri. Here are some of the runners from the BOR who ran it:
As you can see from the photo, all of the teams brought chairs, coolers, and tents and set up in the median in order to watch their teammates and others run past and cheer them on. As it grew darker, the course was lit with street lights and the weather was pleasant with a soft breeze. A couple of our BOR friends positioned themselves near the top of that uphill to cheer us on. It was a big boost to have someone cheering you coming up that hill, especially by the 3rd time you were attempting to sprint up it on each leg.
Our team, Team Blast, consisted of (in order) Michelle, me, Angie and Craig. Our unofficial time was 3:01. Here we are at the finish:
Speaking for everyone who participated, it was really a pleasant evening and fun event, and we're all looking forward to next year!
Better late than never, Thanks Ted for the great report, sorry or the delay!
