Huntington, West Virginia
November 11, 2012
4:42:12
I signed up for this marathon late to serve as a substitute for the NYC Marathon. For a 50 Stater, this was a great race and I would recommend it the West Virginia race for any 50 Stater.
Huntington was surprisingly easy to get to, with a flight into Huntington connecting from Charlotte, NC. I rented a car (no accident this time) and drove to the packet pick up. It was small and crowded, but went pretty smoothly. There was a pre-race pasta dinner on site included in the registration fee. For those who signed up early, they received a Brooks running jacket in addition to the race t-shirt. For the $55 entry fee, this was the best value I have ever seen. Most pasta dinners are $10 at a minimum.
The race started promptly at 7AM in front of the football stadium. It was calm and cool, with temperatures in the 50s most of the race. It was generally flat and consisted of two loops in and around town. The highlights were the portions along the Ohio River and those through the city parks and university. I was battling a GI bug and spent an inordinate amount of time in the porta-potties along the race. Note to director--there could have been more! Aid stations were plentiful, but never had any Gels or Gu's or anything. Thanks to the kid at mile 21 handing out oreo's. Almost right on cue, John Denver's tribute to West Virginia, "Country Roads" came on my iPod at mile 24 and took me home. The finish was on the goal line inside the stadium. You could carry a football the last 100 yards. I didn't have enough left to do a dance in the end-zone, but I did spike the ball! The University closed the rec center and allowed runners to use the shower facilities, which was a huge bonus for those of us checked out of hotels and looking to get out of town.
I was very pleased with the Marshall Marathon. It is a great value, small regional marathon that should appeal to any 50 Stater.
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