The Race

The sun is peeking above the horizon. The portable spotlights are lit along the corrals and the start/finish line. Cars are filing into the parking lot. People are slowly making their way across the grass that is wet from the morning dew to the pre-race tents where there are tables of bananas, granola bars, orange juice and water. Brady the DJ is spinning the 80s tunes in the background.

Inside a tent, AJ places a purple and white sign on a bar height table that says Adventures and Walking. While leaning against it, she looks around for her trainees.

Vicki walks up to AJ and greets her, “Good morning Coach!”

“Good morning Vicki! Ready to go?”

“Sure am.”

Eddie and Kat come up behind AJ. “Hey, we’re here!” they say in unison.

Anna picks up a banana off the table, while Carl grabs an orange juice. They walk toward the group. “Let the party begin!” Carl announces.

10 feet outside the tent is a row of blue port-a-johns. Johann steps out of the one in the middle shaking his head and winching his eyes because of the stench. He had picked the wrong one, evidently someone ahead of him stunk it up. Johann walks into the tent and hops toward the group, waving his hands in the air, “I’m here! Let's get this show on the road.”

“Good morning everyone! We will be going over to the starting corrals shortly. I wanted to make sure that everyone was reminded that we will be walking together for the first half of the race. Once we get past mile 7, you can spread out if you like. When you finish, be sure to meet us over at this same table. Any questions for me this morning?” AJ tells them.

Lizzie walks up to the group with her Olympus OM-D E-M1 MARK III + M.ZUIKO 12-40MM PRO LENS around her neck on a black & white Olympus lanyard and asks, “Hey guys & gals, ready for your pictures?”

“I’m always ready for my picture,” Johann excitedly replies to her.

They all huddle together with the gals in back and the guys in front down on one knee, all with their arms around each other. She snaps a few photos with a variety of faces, some are funny and others serious, but all are happy.

Over the loudspeaker, Brady announces, “Attention all runners and walkers, please go to your starting corrals. The national anthem will be played in ten minutes, then the first wave will head out with each wave starting one minute after the previous wave clears the start line arch.”

AJ says, “Let’s get this show on the road! Let’s head on over to the corral.”

“Let’s Roll!” the group shouts in unison and walks toward the entrance to the tent.

As they are walking to their corral they are joined by more and more people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. The race has participants from all over the globe.

“Let’s get a pic of us in this awesome crowd!” Vicki suggests, “I have my cellphone on me.”

“I want an all girl pic and then an all guy pic,” Anna replies.

Carl takes Vicki’s phone and the girls gather together with their arms around each other. “Say cheeeeese!”

They all give him their cheesiest smile.

“Are you ready to get started?” shouts Brady to the crowd. The runners and walkers cheer wildly.

“Everyone to the corrals and we’ll get started in five minutes.” He returns to playing tunes from the 80s.

Runners and walkers continue to file into the corrals. Cell phones are going off as many are taking pictures of themselves, of others and the scenery around them.

Behind them as they are lining up is a building made of grey stones. The windows have arches and sills. It’s the ticket booth for the amphitheater that is located down the hill behind it.

Ten foot high pine trees line the path along the corrals that lead down the course to the old yellow wood barn that has a new paint job. It is two stories with two small cupolas on the top and four windows on the first floor.

Across the field from the corrals is a forested area with an aerial skywalk and ziplines inside. One zipline goes from the tallest tree to over the barn and down to a lake where you land on the beach.

Next to the starting line balloon arch is a scaffold with Patricia, the race director. Brady the DJ is below her. He turns her microphone on and points to her.

“Welcome everyone to the Rooster Hills Half Marathon! We will play the national anthem, then I will give the command and the first corral will be off. Each corral will take off one minute after the corral ahead of them has cleared the start line. Brady, please play the national anthem for us. Everyone please remove your hats and let’s all face the flag that is painted on the end of the old yellow barn up ahead.”

The national anthem plays and the crowd is quiet for a few minutes. At the end they burst into applause. “Ready......Set......Go!” More cheering for those that are heading out first.

“Remember that there will be a one-minute delay after each corral crosses the start line. While the corral ahead of you moves forward, please follow right behind them. The guides will stop you when needed.”

The corrals keep moving forward along with continuing cheers from the crowd.

“Yeah! We are next! This is what we’ve been working for!” Carl yells with excitement.

“LET’S GO!” they simultaneously yell after Patricia tells them, “Ready....Set....Go!”

Walking down the hill they pass the people in the stands cheering everyone on. At the bottom it goes back up, and they turn to the right onto the street. This race course is not an easy one. The route continues to go up hill there are more people along the sides. Every mile there is a water station. This is where participants can get, of course, water, sometimes sports drinks, snacks and first aid if needed.

Moving right along Anna says, “I can’t believe how many people are out here to cheer us on and not just at the start line, but here we are in the second mile and they are still cheering.”

“This is what this race is all about, we will be seeing this the whole way,” AJ assures them.

“I like the music along the way too. It gives us a little pep in our step,” Vickie mentions.

“Wait until we get downtown, there will be even more people and music. It’s my favorite part,” Johann says to the group.

“Oh yeah, I remember that from last year,” replies Carl.

AJ points ahead, “Just around this bend is a bridge, everyone gather together and I’ll get a pic.”

They pick up the pace, arriving at the bridge they step off to the side to let a group of runners go by. One stops, “would you like me to take your photo?”

“Sure,” she says, and they all gather on the bridge arm in arm with the guys in front on both knees.

The runner snaps the picture, hand AJ back her phone and takes off down the path.

Carl turns to look ahead on the path and sees a person in a red hoodie disappear around the bend. “Did you guys see that?”

“See what?” Kat asks.

“Yes, I saw the red hoodie. This is crazy. There’s no need for anything more than a short sleeve shirt today,” adds Johann.

“I was thinking it’s crazy to see another red hoodie. That’s what that person at the expo was wearing and then we saw it at the restaurant, but it left. This is just weird.”

Anna laughs, “Carl you are so funny. I am sure it doesn’t mean anything. You are just imagining things.”

As they approach the next bend Carl speeds up ahead of the group to see if the red hoodie is anywhere around, but it is not. “What’s going on? I am not imagining things. I am seeing this and I know it has to do with the expo, but yet, nothing was actually taken from the expo, just the alarm.”

Kat catches up to him, “You know, you do have a great imagination. Maybe that’s what is going on. They suggested something and now you are seeing red hoodies everywhere. You know how when you are looking at buying a certain vehicle and all of sudden you see them everywhere on the road.”

“I think he’s adorable, but crazy,” Anna says as she puts her arms around Carl.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

The group continues on along the path that leads under the road two stories above. The creek winds its way along the right side of the path. Past the bridge opposite the creek is a row of townhouses with rooftop patios. Each one has people cheering and the last one has a live band playing.

After passing the music they go off the path to the left and onto the city sidewalks that are along another creek. This walkway goes up and around a fancy hotel where it curves back and forth to the bottom of the hill that immediately starts to climb up to the town square.

Arriving in the town square the roads are blocked off by people lining the way cheering, ringing cow bells, waving flags and holding up signs encouraging their favorite runners and walkers. Carl joins them with his hoot and hollering and giving high fives to anyone with their hand out. Everyone behind him joins in with the high fives. “I smell donuts!” he shouts out.

A short, chubby, grey haired man in a white baker’s apron pushes his way through to hold out a box of cut up donuts for the runners and walkers.

“I’ll take one, thanks!” Kat smiles and grabs a donut piece.

The box of donuts did not last long, good thing he has someone standing behind him passing him box after box. He finishes the last box out of a dozen boxes when the final walker goes by.

Carl leads the group through the park, up the trail and to the 7-mile mark. He stops to make sure everyone in the group is with him. AJ brings up the tail, “All right now if you want to go out on your own, you can. Although it will be a lot of fun to finish as a group.”

“Stay as a group,” Carl replies.

Kat pipes in, “definitely stay as a group.”

“I want to stay with the group,” Anna adds.

Johann says, “with the group”

“I am all about the group,” Vicki gives her vote.

Eddie puts his arms around Kat, “I am sticking with this one.”

“Awesome! A group it is. Grab a beverage and let's keep moving forward. We have just six more miles.”

This part of the course is a steady climb for a mile with the top of it turning to the right and heading out to three miles of dirt roads before returning on the rolling asphalt that leads to the finish line area. The intersection has a contemporary Christian band playing on the corner.

A few minutes later they pass by a family of deer that are standing next to the neighborhood pond. “Check out the rack on that deer!” Eddie points out.

“Dinner?” Carl asks him.

“Nope, he’s safe for now,” he laughs.

“You guys do realize that we have over a mile to go!” AJ smiles and motions to the 12-mile sign on the side of the road.

“Woohoo! Yeah!” they all holler.

Picking up the pace they get side by side by side for the girls and the guys directly behind them. They go around to the right and down the hill to the entrance, which by the way is the same location where they started. Passing the old yellow barn they all hold hands and spread out across the path leading to the finish line balloon arch.

Brady is announcing the names as everyone gets ready to cross, and he sees the group coming towards him. “Look at this, we have a whole group holding hands to the finish line. Yeah for Anna, Carl, Eddie, Kat, Vicki, Johann and AJ. Great job!”

The crowd is cheering as they cross and Coop hands them their finisher medals. Each of them places their medal around their necks and walks through the finish area grabbing post race goodies of bananas, chips, apples, bottles of water, juice, and pretzels.

They gather in the entertainment tent for more post race goodies while listening to Brady continue to announce those crossing the finish line and the best part of all, sitting down to enjoy it all.

“We did it!” Carl announces raising his red plastic cup of beer. Everyone raises their cups and bottles in response, “We did it!”

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