Mercedes-Benz Marathon
Race Date: Feb 10, 2019
I have a HUGE obsession with Forrest Gump - only watched the movie, should read the book. I also mentioned this in my review of the R'n'R Savannah marathon. But digressing. The course for the 2019 marathon was moved due to construction on the I-29 bridge. Argh!!! No worries though. It was not the end of the world.
Birmingham is a neat southern city with a chill vibe, great food, and of course southern hospitality.
Caroline and I stopped by the Birmingham Museum of Art - Free entry, donation suggested. The museum had an impressive display of blown glass by Dale Chihuly. There were other displays- but my excitement focused on the contemporary artist rather than classical items. It is worth stopping here since it is close to the race expo and recommended lodging.
Fast forward to marathon morning - it was brisk! I highly recommend some throw-away long sleeve items. Race morning was chilly as you would expect for a southern winter/pesedo-spring. I enjoyed the course and am sad to say that I will need to repeat this race for the marathon. The course is a double-loop, so keep this in mind if you are not a fan of laps.
I started the race injured and opted to go for the half at the turn for the full. My leg was bothering me to the point I feared that I would be leaving Alabama in a cast. There was no penalty for doing this (yeah!!!). Several volunteers told me I was on the wrong path, too. Much better experience than during the Mississippi Blues marathon...
The post-race party was HUGE - you had a choice of pulled pork or chicken sandwiches. Opt for the pork - after all, you are in the south. Don't expect much for the post-race beer. I think it was a bud light or something made by inBev.
Endurance races are known for the draw of elite athletes. The ones I met during the trip were friendly and happy to hear about your finish times. Just remember: your race is your race. Be proud of the time you finished the course because there aren't too many people crazy enough to spend part of their day running a half or full marathon.
Travel Expenses:
Airfare: Roughly $500. I'm used to paying about this for a weekend trip.
Lodging: Split, close to $100 or $120.
Food: About $100 including alcohol. This can be more depending on snacks and length of the trip.
Transportation: Estimate about $50 per person
Registration: $100
Estimated total: $900 just for travel, lodging, and the race.
Curious about the gear, pros and cons? Here is a readers digest synopsis of my experience with this race:
Shoes: Topo FlyLite 2.
Compression: Purchased from a large on-line retailer.
Pros: Free art museum (and Chihuly blown glass!!!), Selfie with Forrest Gump!, Great race volunteers, sporting a Benz logo, race day shuttles to and from the post race party, no penalty for dropping to the half during the race, well-organized, friendly elite athletes.
Cons: Cost of travel, cold start to the day.
Race injuries: Shin splints.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 running shoes. I'll end up doing this race again since I was injured the first time.
No comments:
Post a Comment