Day 7.204: Beach to Beacon

As a runner arriving in the southern Maine area, it's not long before someone mentions "Beach to Beacon" - it's the race that all local runners and many non-runners have heard of. Today I found out what all the fuss is about.

Firstly, it's a big race - 6500 runners. Here are my photos (which certainly tell only a small part of the story):

I arrived in good time but, not fully realising the logistical challenge that was facing me, decided I had time for a warm-up run. One mile to get the cobwebs out, then off to the start.

Except that the only way to approach the starting line was through the massed runners - hemmed in on both sides by barriers and filling the whole road. I spotted the self-seeding pace signs and started to follow others that were moving up towards the front. I fairly soon realised that I probably wasn't going to make it to where I wanted to be - somewhere in front of the seven minutes per mile pace marker. In the end I got to just in front of the nine minutes per mile marker and that would have to do. I took the top-left photo from there.

The event is chip-timed, so I knew a delay in crossing the line wasn't a problem. What could be was the sheer number of slower runners in front of me after the start of the race.

Two things were in my favour - firstly, most people go out faster than they intend to at the start and secondly, after the start the barriers disappear and the roadway opens up in width quite a bit.

The race itself was fine - I was passing people almost all the way thanks to my out-of-position start, it's a course with rolling hills, occasional glimpses of the natural beauty of the area and a lot of support. The weather was fairly kind for August - mid sixties but 100% humidity - definitely could have been worse.

The remainder of the photos above are from Fort Williams Park where the race finishes - a beautiful setting and a marvel of organisation. The last photo is of the queues for the shuttle buses to take us back to the start or to the other satellite parking locations. Really a feat - and all executed happily and efficiently.

I had a great time!