Something pretty amazing happened yesterday at the ARC Half Marathon…and no it wasn’t just me completing the race. I stayed after finishing for a massage, and with the wait to have that done and then the actual massage I didn’t make the final walk to my car until just after noon, which was 3hrs after the race started. My car was parked near part of the race route and there was a woman coming in to the final leg. I remembered seeing her out on part of the last out and back route. She didn’t know where to go because all of the volunteers had left their posts by this point (bad form here, very disappointing to see). I waived her down and helped her figure out where to go. I jogged up to her and told her I’d run with her and help her to the finish. This woman amazed me because her pace, no matter what was the same consistent pace. There was no hurry to get to the finish line, all that mattered is that she was finishing. In the short time of running with her I learned it was her first half. I dropped off from her and let her cross the finish line by herself. She thanked me for running with her, but really it was my pleasure. I even went into the official photographer photos today and looked her up and loved seeing that she was smiling at the start and finish of the race.
After leaving her, and once again heading back towards my car there were two more runners coming in. I stayed near the finishers shoot and cheered them on as well. To say the crowd was thin at this point was an understatement. The only people left near the finish line were friends and family of runners still out there, a couple of race volunteers, a couple photographers, and the timing people, all in all maybe 15-20 people.
This time before heading back to my car I ended up chatting with a friend of a runner still out on the course. She was definitely concerned about her friend, but I was explaining that the last part of the course is mentally difficult because it just seems like the turn around point is FOREVER to get to. You know it’s the last part of the course and you just can’t wait to turn around and head back. I was still there chatting with her when her friend came in and finished.
What happened next is what makes me exceptionally grateful. There were two runners in hot pink shirts coming up out of the west end of the trail and headed towards the last stretch. I started hearing cheers from the finish line getting louder at the sight of these two runners and realized that of the few people still there many of them were there for these runners. I walked over to the edge of the route nearest my car and clapped and cheered them on. The first runner was about 20ft in front of the second runner, and I was cheering to her specifically encouraging her not to slow down. She kept looking over her shoulder and explained she was waiting for the second runner to finish with her. Runner #1 called out to #2 encouraging her to catch up so they could finish together. It was then I realized, this woman was definitely older. (I looked her up on the finisher’s times to see her age, and she is 59 years old!) One of their cheerleaders at this point had run from the finish line closer to where I was standing and cheering them both on, but yelling out to Runner #2 – “Keep going!!! You’re going to hit 3:20!!! You’re going to PR with 3:20!!!” I stayed out near my car, watching these two runners head to the finish line, and I listened as the cheers got louder. Nothing changed with either of their paces, and it didn’t need to. Here’s what I am most thankful I got to witness: Runner #2 JUMPED on the finish strip in a time of 3:20:20. It was a PRICELESS moment to witness happening, and something I am so incredibly thankful that I stuck around for so long. I really wanted to continue to stay around for the last runners, but at this point I was starting to shiver from not having changed out of my sweaty clothes yet.
I highly encourage runners to stick around to the end of the race to cheer runners on. It is something I have done a few times when I am at a race by myself, and I am rarely left regretting staying so late. There is just something about being able to watch people finish the race at that time. It’s always nice to watch people when they finish and their reactions, and cheering people on, but the last finishers, there is just something extra happening. (I also encourage non-runners to attend a race and stand and cheer the runners on…cowbell and signs are welcome – my favorite sign ever “WORST PARADE EVER”
As always, thank you to everyone for your support in my running adventures, and for your support of Frannie’s Fanny Packs!