Finished - 2006 MCM

The way the marathon was set up and run was almost perfect. The only place that was lacking was the end. There was practically no organization after the finish line.

When you cross the line they put the runners into different shoots. I’m not exactly sure why they do this, especially now that they have the chips for keeping track of the time. But into the shoots we go. At the end of the shoot a Marine hangs the finisher’s medal around your neck. That felt good to have them actually hang it on us instead of just giving it to us. It made it feel more like a real accomplishment.

The area around the Iwo Jima memorial was blocked off for runners only. Not only did they want to give everyone medals, but they also had a place marked off so you can get your picture taken with the memorial in the background. This is a great idea, and a great souvenir, but the execution was lacking. The picture would have been perfect if it was just the runner with the memorial in the background. Unfortunately the lines for the pictures were between the memorial and the cameras. You end up with lots of people walking around in the pictures. It’s a decent picture, but it could have been a lot better if they organized it differently.

After getting my picture taken I wanted to get to the food tent. I was told that there was a runner’s area where they feed everyone after the race. I was told not to leave this area if I was the slightest bit hungry. So I got in the long line, which I assumed was for food. I was right, but the food wasn’t all that impressive. I guess I was thinking that I’d get steak and lobster, so I was a little disappointed when I was given a bagel and some pretzels. But I wasn’t hungry, so I guess that counts for something.

When I left the food tent I was out with the public. Almost immediately after leaving the tent I found my brother and sister-in-law. We chatted for a little bit (they gave me a post-run interview which was recorded). Then it was off to find my running friends.

Before running, my coworkers and I had decided to meet up at the signs marks R & S. There were supposed to be signs with the alphabet, so friends and family could find runners. Some of the signs were there. Some were there, but really ghetto. Eventually we found the right place and it was congratulations all around. We stood around talking about the run and how much fun we had. It was a great time.

Then it was off to the UPS trucks to get our stuff so we could head home. Getting into the Metro station was slightly less than fun, but once we got on we didn’t have any troubles with crowds.