The Fargo Marathon 2011

The Fargo Marathon 2011

Go far! To me it did seem like the Fargo marathon was farther than other marathons. Maybe it was because I was not ready for a marathon, but then, which runner is ever ready? Or maybe it was because of the ‘mile’ markers when I have done most of my marathons with ‘kilometer’ markers in Europe.
Fargo was my 46th marathon, it was tough but it was good. When I registered for the marathon I also looked for a hotel room in Fargo, but there was no room to be had. We stayed in Hillsboro and drove to Fargo from Hillsboro the morning of the race. This meant getting up an hour earlier to drive the last 40 minutes to Fargo. It was raining when we drove and this caused some anxiety to know what to wear – dress for warmth, not to overdress. I have a tendency to overdress since I dislike getting cold and wet. Being too cold also zaps energy, never mind just simply running.
The first half of the marathon was really tough and I struggled with a sore chest muscle so that I had to focus and concentrate on the run. The thought of not completing the run also crossed my mind. The 13 mile mark which was the turn around point seemed so very far away. I could not enjoy the fans with all their cheering and enthusiasm. Every mile was so very long, and mile 10 seemed like it would never come, after that was 11, then 12, but finally the number 13 showed up and I turned around. I was now headed for home. Psychologically the run became easier after that turn. I was also running with the wind on my back instead of into it.
Breaking down the remainder of the run into increments of 2, then 5 and 6 miles became a mental game. I was able to enjoy the run. The course had a lot of ‘come and go’ – where runners came back on the same street, so you could see the faces of on coming runners. I noticed the serious concentrating and focused faces of runners as they came towards me. Smiles are often rare on runner’s faces, however when you send a smile, they as well as fans will smile in return. Smiles are very catchy and encouraging, which was neat to experience.
The fans, the resident of Fargo are absolutely fantastic, cheering, encouraging, simply being a part of the run. I was struggling with pain and could not maintain the energy intake, so finally resorted to 2 Tylenol capsules.
I began enjoying the fans and the musicians. Almost every block had a live band, either in a tent or in someone’s garage. The spirit of Fargo was phenomenal and it made a huge difference to this struggling 63 year old veteran runner. Thank you Fargo!
At one point there were cheerleaders to encourage us on our way. When I commented to one spectator that ‘it hurts’, he replied that the pain would stop if I would stop. I stopped right there and he was right – we shared a good laugh, and I carried on.
I caught up with a younger runner who was limping and hurting badly. I asked him what was happening and he told me he had messed up his knee at mile 8. I asked him if he had some painkillers with him, but he did not, so I shared some of my Tylenol. I carried on and a bit later this runner caught up with me, stopped and asked if I had given him the capsules. He thanked me, shook my hand and passed me. Apparently I had been an encouragement to him. But when I thought about it, we had encouraged each other.
At mile 25.5 I saw a person in a monk’s robe holding a big scythe and a sign which read, “The end is near”, I asked him “Which end?” (There was big media about a pastor in California that had predicted that the end of the world would happen at 6:00 p.m. that very day.) The ‘monk’ replied, “I won’t tell you.” I said to him, “In that case, the end is ½ mile from here inside the Fargo Dome.
A completely new experience for me was the Christian aspect to this marathon. The start was done by the Race Director’s speech, the Mayor’s speech followed by a meaningful prayer. At the pasta dinner the evening before the marathon they had a guest speaker, Chris Gillespie, who is a born-again Christian. The medal each finisher received had a Bible verse engraved on the front, “Let us run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1 The back of the medal has another scripture verse, “I can do all things…”
When I crossed the finish line I was greeted by my dear running friends, Dale & Shannon Sawatzky who gave me not just one, but a few hugs. My wife and 6 year old granddaughter had been cheering for me when I came into the dome but I totally missed them in all the noise. They caught up with me a bit later.
What a unique marathon experience. Thank you Fargo marathon organization committee, and thank you to the residents of Fargo for your involvement and contribution. You are encouragers to each and every runner.
Job well done, keep it up.

Albert Martens
Athletes in Action Canada