Fast Tracks' Marathoners at the Death Valley Marathon
What can I say about the most beautiful long distance run I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of...
Try this on for size: it is 40 degrees in the morning but you know it is going to warm up, you get up and the sky is as big as you can imagine, stars are everywhere and there is one hell of a full moon over your head. The traces of all the peaks around you is visible in the night sky; giving you a sense of excitement mixed in with trepidation of what lies ahead. As the sun comes up and starts to warm your bones, you look up and see not a cloud in the sky and know that this is going to be a glorious day. You get through a no fuss registration and packet pick up process, get your self ready for a long run and board a bus to get you to the start of the race. You drive up into the mountains until you get to the desired location and soon you are off running the foothills getting closer and closer to the mountain range ahead of you. The rise for the first 8 miles or so is quite gradual but steady and then it picks up a little to remind you that there are hills. After a short drop, you come face to face with the big one. A giant pass about a 1000 foot ahead of you with switchbacks and the heads of the runners ahead of you. You make it up the hill (no need to run just walking will do) and then you are at Red Pass at 5300 feet and the world of death valley is before you. Red rocks, red earth mixed with all the other colors of the desert all under an absolutely beautiful sky. You take a deep breath because elevation like this is hard to find back at home. The air is extra clean. Now the descent begins. For the next 14 miles you run all through the canyons with high walls, you run past Indian paintings, you run past a ghost town and you go where water has been the chief designer, the engineer, the destroyer and then the rebuilder. You emerge out of this canyon and the air is dry and warm and you see the finish but something inside is hoping that this run would go on for just a bit longer. Sure you are tired but, you have been running through a post card, you have been running through history and through geology, you have made friends along this journey and, part of you wishes to not wake up. Well, my friends, this was the 2007 Death Valley Marathon and it took place on Saturday 2/3. I had the pleasure of enjoying this adventure with two other Fasttrack friends, Bridget McFadden and Stacy Gelhaus.
The race was well supported and was packed with both hardcore runners and believe it or not, some folks running their first marathon. These folks had guts. They chose a trail marathon with a 7500 foot elevation gain/loss as their first attempt at the 26.2. There were smiles everywhere. The three of us were no exception. We each came away with an amazing sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
