A short story—my spouse, Cheryl, ran her first marathon in Detroit, Michigan. Like Run the Line, it’s known for running in two different locales during a single race. Not that it matters for our preview, but
the Detroit Marathon runs under the Detroit River and into Canada for awhile. She said that she got to the “26 MILE” sign and felt elated—until she realized that it’s 26 POINT TWO miles. She said that the POINT TWO made her cry.
That shouldn’t be the case with the POINT ONE at the conclusion of Run the Line. Once you reach the 13 Mile marker, you’ll be right around the corner from the finish stretch. When I say “right around the corner,” I’m being literal. If you don’t see the finish when you see the marker, count to three.
Our master of ceremonies, Mike Jones, will goad you home the last several yards. Mike is known for his witty commentary and hosts many of the local events around Texarkana. We’re happy he’s able to help with our race, along with all the other volunteers who make it possible.
Once you finish, a volunteer with place a medal around your neck. The design, created by Partnership board member Tony Judd, has the flags of Arkansas and Texas, and is one of the prized medals in my collection.
You’ll end in front of Hopkins Ice House, our finish line location hosts. Inside, you’ll find some great food, prepared for and provided by Bryces Cafeteria, Johnny Carino’s, and Roger & Debbie Sheppard. A quick story about Roger & Debbie. They own Sports Magic, who provides our tee-shirts. As a way to give to the community, they offer all the grilled portions and they prepare them. There are so many of these stories that I wish I could tell all of them!
Back to the preview….. there will be soft drinks and water for everyone, beer for those over 21, and lots of runners trading war stories inside Hopkins Ice House. Across the street, the Texarkana Antique Car Club is displaying some beautiful old automobiles. While you’re stretching out your legs, be sure and take a stroll among some classic cars.
And that’s our race preview! I hope you enjoyed it. Good luck with the race. I’ll see you at the starting line! I’ll be the super-sweaty middle aged guy listening to an mp3 player….. 😉
Next week I’ll have a long list of “thank you’s” plus race recaps, so be sure and check back after you run!
Hiking The Pathways 