Greetings runners!
One month to go. Tick, tick, tick...
Well, a few e-mails ago, I joked about earthquakes and hurricanes and predicted that locusts were next on the agenda. Turns out the locusts were very serious floodwaters.
Much of eastern and south central Pennsylvania and upstate New York have been devastated over the past two days by record floods. The property damage has been absolutely catostrophic and many families are suffering greatly. While the Steamtown course has been spared, no doubt many of our runners, volunteers, and sponsors have been negatively impacted by the disaster. We wish them the absolute best and the strength to persevere. Please keep them in your thoughts.
Here is this week's update:
Aid Stations - we will have 13 official aid stations on the course spaced roughly two miles apart. Here is a link to a page on our Web site where the exact locations of the aid stations are listed: http://www.steamtownmarathon.com/4.html.
WARNING! If while visiting the above page you mistakenly open the link to the elevation chart for the last three miles of the course, avert your eyes immediately! It's like looking directly into the sun during an eclipse. Blindness may result.
Aid Station Drinks - each aid station will have water and lemon lime All Sport. All beverages will be served in cups (no bottles). We tried All Sport for the first time last year. Prior to the race, our race committee taste tested (test tasted?) All Sport and all felt that it had a delightful bouquet.
After the race we sent a survey to all finishers. 886 responded and rated All Sport an average score of 8.76 on a scale of 1 to 10. 684 gave it an 8, 9, or 10. 31 gave it a 4 or less.
This year, Carl, our alert beverage vendor from RC Canada Dry of Scranton ,will be running Steamtown, his first-ever marathon. Carl asked me to pass along the following message to you:
"If the runners can?t find All Sport in their home areas, they can order from the website at www.drinkallsport.com. There is a coupon code again this year for Steamtown runners. The code is $5steamtown2011.
Carl says there is a limited supply available and if you have a burning All Sport question that is keeping you awake at night, send it to me. I'll send it to Carl for his commentary.
Aid Station Food - some of our more eccentric aid station volunteers take it upon themselves to put food out at their stations. I'd tell you what they will be putting out this year but I'd only be guessing. In the past, they have put out cookies, gummie bears, candy, pretzels, bananas, oranges and fudge brownies. I ate a fudge brownie at mile 21 of the 1st Steamtown Marathon. Did you know it takes approximately 3 miles to eat a fudge brownie? Important safety tip: Don't do that.
Funny but True Banana Story - one year, at an aid station late in the race, a delirious and chafing runner grabbed some vaseline from the table and smeared some under his left armpit and then some under his right armpit. Only problem was that the vaseline was half of a banana. My guess is he is now a millionaire for inventing banana scented vaseline.
Bib Number Medical Info - If you have any important or unusual medical conditions, please describe your conditions on the back of your bib number. Try to use a ball point pen if possible as sweat smears Sharpies.
Still Need a Hotel Room? If so, consider calling Around the World Travel as listed on our Web site: http://www.steamtownmarathon.com/1.4.html
Another option is to post a thread on our race forum: http://www.steamtownmarathon.com/1.2.html. Runners wanting to get rid of their booked hotel rooms and those desperate for a room can make beautiful music together there.
That's all for now. Next week's e-mail will focus on race day parking and bus transportation.
Sincerely,
Jim "I Hope that Rapture Guy Isn't Right" Cummings
Asst. Race Director
