Austin Marathon Sunday

~75 mins.
10 miles

The wakeup call for most denizens of the Hanley household came just before 5am, since the marathon started bright and early at 7. Many people were running and an equal amount were spectating, so despite the early hour there was quite a bit of nervous energy buzzing through the house. Jordan planned to ride Brian's bike and shadow Owen throughout the race, offering him Gu and water and words of encouragement like "Hurry up and finish so we can play pong!" I needed to get in a run myself, so I decided to stay behind (possibly so I could sleep for another hour) and then run down to the race course so I could meet them later at the finish. I bid adieu to everyone else as they peaced out shortly after 6am, then crawled back into bed to catch a few more zzzz's.


Owen wrote "Don't Quit" on his hand, just above the phone number
of the person he planned to call to pick him up after he quit

I put on my costume and set off from Brian's house just after 8am. Jordan called as I was jogging past the UT track and let me know that Owen was solidly in second place about ten miles in. It sounded like he was looking and feeling strong at this point, and hearing the update definitely put some pep in my step as I continued on my own jaunt. I continued through the campus, then took a left on Guadalupe and ran through downtown. I crossed the race course at several points and silently offered up some words of encouragement to Owen and our other friends competing. The weather was almost ideal, if a bit windy, and I hoped everyone was still having a good go out there.


Owen cruising with the marathon leaders early in
the race. Photo courtesy of our bicycle photog.

By the time I hit Town Lake I still had an hour to kill until Owen's projected finish, so I took a spin on the 5-mile dirt loop around the lake to put in some miles and people watch. At one point the marathon course runs parallel to the lake path (I believe on Lake Austin Blvd.) and the energy was contagious, so it was a great morning to be out and about on the streets of Austin. I spoke with Jordan again just as I was finishing my loop, and he reported that Owen had gotten passed at 21 miles and was currently running in third place. I decided to beeline it for the finish area to ensure that I didn't miss anything, so I took a left on Congress and followed the crowds up to the finish area. I'd gotten in almost 75 minutes at that point and decided it was enough for the time being.


My view of the capitol building near the 26-mile mark

After standing around long enough to begin to feel chilly, the press truck and police vehicles drove by, signaling the arrival of the first marathoner. I watched as the first three runners came by and anxiously awaited Owen's arrival. When I saw Jordan's red hat in the distance as he rode up on his trusty bicycle, I knew Owen wasn't far behind. I'm not gonna lie, he looked to be in some pretty serious agony as he rounded the final curve, but Jordan and I were stoked for his respectable fourth place finish and 2:36 debut. After rounding up the rest of our party (including our friend and Dartmouth alum Pete, who nailed his first marathon attempt in 2:41, and Brian, who cruised in at 3:06) it was time to head back home for a round of naps, a round of beers and a sampling of fresh roasted pig. Although a few people with sore muscles might beg to differ, I would definitely call this Austin Marathon experience a rousing success.