At 7:00 a.m. when race director Adrian Call, the volunteers and the race participants started gathering for the Marathon, half Marathon and 50K, it was still dark at Bothell Landing, a park by the Sammamish River. Daylight arrived before the 8:00 a.m. start of the races. The registration area/start/turnaround/finish and recovery areas were all close to the tent that was the hot and cold/food and drink center.

I usually run “last and alone” so the time between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. was good for visiting with running friends.

The temperature was 40 degrees and there was a light rain when Adrian started the runners. We ran a short distance to exit the park on an arched footbridge over the Sammamish River to the adjacent Sammamish River Trail. We turned left (south and upstream) and headed from Bothell to Woodinville and beyond approaching Redmond. It’s a double out-and-back course that avoided vehicles with underpasses and running on the right side of a wide trail to avoid the few quiet bicycles that shared the trail.

Even though there are only 6.55 miles of trail used in each fourth Marathon leg, there is a lot to see. For example, the Sammamish River could be viewed from above as we crossed the footbridges by the Bothell Landing and less than a mile upstream. Running under I-405 lanes high overhead with off ramps heading toward Bothell and Woodinville, we saw an architectural marvel.

An underpass of Woodinville’s major thoroughfare led to an attractive park with curved walkways. A few miles further the trail passed the Red Hook Brewery and the Ste. Michelle Winery, both of which have been used as start/finish areas for the popular Super Jock and Jill Half Marathonn.

Then, after running under two road underpasses, we passed through a park under construction to the turn-around that used a wooden mile marker (3) post that was easy to spot.

The conspicuous birds that I saw on or near the river were Bald Eagles, flocks of many Canada Geese that feed in nearly fields and Gulls of two common species. Swimming on the river were geese, Mallards and Common Mergansers.

A decided advantage of the course layout was being able to see runners in the 50K, Marathon and half Marathon as they passed in both directions. It was great to be able to call out greetings, talk briefly and wish everyone a “Happy New Year.”

I finished my run/walk in 6:36:37, 38th of 38 to complete the Marathon. Then I enjoyed the breakfast of pancakes, hot chocolate, juice and bagels that was served in the finish area.

The winners of the Marathon were Jonathan Bernard with a time of 3:36:11 and May Chang who finished in 4:04:57.

Congratulations to Steele Spangler, 11, for running his first Marathon. He ran with his father, Scott Spangler, and they finished in 5:24:17.

Thanks to Adrian Call and his volunteers for putting on the second successful First Call to Run Marathon. I look forward to running the next one on January 1, 2011.

A bit of trivia came to mind……..If someone were to ask me if all of my Marathons and ultras were run on a Saturday or Sunday, I can reply that most of them were…..except for ten Mondays at the Boston Marathon and two Mondays at the Heart of America Marathon in Columbia, Missouri. I ran the first Call to Run Marathon on Thursday, January 1, 2009, and the second one on Friday, January 1, 2010.

Written by Bob Dolphin

Typed, Edited and Distributed by Lenore Dolphin

                                                
First Call to Run Marathon Results - January 1, 2010
 

3:36:11  Jonathan Bernard, FIRST OVERALL 

3:42:46  Eric Gierke     5:11:43  Tory Klementsen

3:52:52  Chris Porter     5:11:43 Marie Zornes

3:59:56  Paul David     5:24:17  Scott Spangler

4:00:01  Steve Jensen     5:24:17  Steele Spangler

4:04:57  May Cheng, First Woman Overall  5:34:57  Jim Boyd

4:17:35  John Anderson    5:47:07  Rick Haase

4:19:28  Will Burnside    5:47:07  Abi Brownell

4:28:25  Mike Kuhlmann    5:47:23  Rob Stretz

4:30:27  Sarah Lynch     5:47:23  Margaret Barrett

4:37:38  Val Beyer     5:47:23  Jessica Williams

4:40:32  Betsy Rogers     5:47:25  Michelle Barnes

4:46:40  Paige Denison    5:47:25  Jenny Appel

4:47:28  Laura Johnson    5:47:25  Rob Hester

4:47:28  Kathleen Farrell    5:54:39  Bret Bellevue

4:53:20  Pat Barnes     5:54:39  Dawn Bellevue

4:53:56  Marilou Russell    6:01:07  Matthew Fleming

4:53:56  Jill Hudson     6:36:37  Bob Dolphin

5:01:30  Mare Pyke

5:03:25  Jeff Loen

5:03:25  Tracy Brown 

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