Report by: Chase Campen
Thanks for all the well wishes everyone (and Tom, your son goes there...lucky kid. Great place to go to school! Sorry Mahurin).
I ran with a group of 4 runners from Santa Barbara. Collectively each member of the group had doubt before the race, due to either illness (my case) or injury.
My son ran the 5k Saturday and finished first in U14 and I think 4th in u19, taking home a Hayward field plaque.
As for the marathon, had no idea how small it was. Less than 2,000 people. A polar opposite from my last, NY. I heard people complaining about finding running room in first couple of miles. Funny.
Eugene is really a pretty town and it's highlighted well on the course. You run through some neighborhoods early, in which only one side of the street is blocked off. The highlight is running along the Willamette River, over bridges and through tree canopy covered parks. It rained 80% of the time I was there. Unprepared, Sat night I ran out to the Nike store and bought a $110 rain jacket. Somehow when I woke Sunday morning and checked the forecast it was dry for at least the first 3 hours of the race.
I attempted a negative split which I think I maintained until about 18 miles. Though the course is pretty flat, it has undulations, so around mile 19 I stopped looking at my watch because I wasn't 100% certain of my pace. I knew at that point I was running as fast as I could.
When I got to mile 24 I decided to check again and I was at 3:13. This rejuvenated me because I saw a PR was there - though not enough in the tank to best my long goal of sub 3:30.
I dug for what I had, entered Hayward field for the final 200m and finished at 3:33, PR. Utterly pleased.
My son filmed much of the weekend; when he completes his mini documentary I'll send you the link. When rain was in the forecast I told him to call it The Old Man and the Sea.
Alas I ran the entire race without a drop of rain. Last night I happily returned the jacket for a full refund.