Griffith Park Trail Marathon - Volunteer Recap
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What a super fun way to spend a Saturday morning!
It was very, very early when my alarm went off at 3:30. I like to always wake up with one hour before I have to leave the house. It gives me time to prepare for my day and not feel rushed, even when I don't have that much "getting ready" to do. I had planned to meet the RD and other volunteers at Griffith Park at 5am to help unload the truck, set up the start line, and get runners checked in beginning at 5:45 am (there was an early-start wave for the marathon at 6). We spent about 30 minutes unloading and getting all the tables and tents set up. My biceps are still reeling from carrying tables and gallons of water! I was unprepared for how dark it would still be all morning, and didn't bring my headlamp. It didn't even occur to me. Fortunately between the truck headlights and the headlamps others were wearing, I managed not to trip and fall. :P It was also very cold up in the park, much cooler than the city. But it would not stay that way! The 6am runners started arriving and were getting checked in. I helped set up the food table and managed that to make sure runners got a powdered donut and answered what questions I could. I thought I would be helping with check-in, but it seemed the gals working it had a system and were just fine, so I stood my post. :) |
The 6am runners were off about 6:15 with headlamps and flashlights. Wow it was dark! The start line for this race is right up the hill from the carousel in Griffith Park, which is hidden back behind the Zoo and the parking lots and many trees. During the day, there are tons of people, but at night (and early morning!) there are no street lights and it's tucked away from the city lights.
We continued setting up and checking in runners for the 7am marathon and the 7:30 half marathon. I spoke with some of the runners as they grabbed a quick bite before their race, and even saw a few familiar faces from Ahmanson a few weeks ago. After all the runners had started we set up the awards table. Rows and rows of lovely ceramic medals, belt buckles for marathon finishers (that I didn't photograph - oops) and ceramic commemorative mugs for top 5 male and female overall for each distance.
We continued setting up and checking in runners for the 7am marathon and the 7:30 half marathon. I spoke with some of the runners as they grabbed a quick bite before their race, and even saw a few familiar faces from Ahmanson a few weeks ago. After all the runners had started we set up the awards table. Rows and rows of lovely ceramic medals, belt buckles for marathon finishers (that I didn't photograph - oops) and ceramic commemorative mugs for top 5 male and female overall for each distance.
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I stood at the finish line with the finish line photographer and the others who would be handing out medals and awards with me. It definitely started heating up in the sun and you could tell how warm it was going to get. There was really no shade other than some short trees and the tents we had set up.
The first person to cross the finish line was the first male half marathon finisher, the same individual who won the Ahmanson 12k! Very cool. It was a while before another finisher came through. Because it was so warm and they had just ran so hard, the male finishers didn't take their awards right away, and it became a little confusing later when we had to go back to hand them out. I had figured we would get printed results from the timing company and we never did, but with the help of the photographer going through all her photos, we managed to find everyone. The top five female half marathon finishers were spread apart pretty far, but they too started coming in and we stood there congratulating and handing out awards and medals. |
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The marathon distance became much more confusing. Apparently there was an issue with volunteers at an aid station directing runners in the wrong direction. This caused some runners to run extra miles, some runners to run fewer miles, and even some runners to tell the volunteers they were mistaken and run the correct distance because they had run it before and knew the course. We heard early of some of the marathon runners running extra miles and the race director heading out to the trails to get them back on course, but it wasn't until the first male finished (with 23 miles on his watch) that we heard the course was actually cut short by this error. Now, really this isn't a big deal. (As I heard one person say "If you want an exaxct distance, go run on the track" - truth!) But it became confusing giving out the awards. At least three of the top five males who finished the 23-mile distance went to run their extra miles as in, they crossed the finish line and went for a three-mile jog). One of them didn't really check in with us first and so we lost sight of him and accidentally gave his third place award to fourth place. Yet another male finisher ran the correct distance because he knew the course and was bumped out of the top five. In the end, the race director gave first through fifth to the top five finishing males and they had all run the same distance. Everyone seemed to walk away happy.
The first female marathon finisher had known the course as well and ran a perfect 26.2, having told the aid station volunteers they were directing runners in the wrong direction! She finished loads before the next female. I enjoyed speculating as to what my time would have been if I ran. I determined I would have come in sixth - the first finisher to not get an award. (Please take my speculation with a grain of salt; I had to stop and walk when I tried jogging down the hill to the bathroom. Speaking of, that's a definite plus for this race: nearby plumbing.)
We handed out all the lovely awards and medals and belt buckles. It was great cheering everyone at the finish! I was utterly surprised at how calm and cool the runners looked. It was HOT. I was suffering just standing there, but no one finishing the race looked miserable - just really, really sweaty.
In the end, there were some lovely compliments of the course and, natch, the post-race food spread which I will admit was the best I've seen. Damn it, I also didn't get a photo of that. I swear I will be better next time.
I left about 11:15 and headed home then to the pool! It was really an extra fun morning and I absolutely cannot wait to run it next year!
The first female marathon finisher had known the course as well and ran a perfect 26.2, having told the aid station volunteers they were directing runners in the wrong direction! She finished loads before the next female. I enjoyed speculating as to what my time would have been if I ran. I determined I would have come in sixth - the first finisher to not get an award. (Please take my speculation with a grain of salt; I had to stop and walk when I tried jogging down the hill to the bathroom. Speaking of, that's a definite plus for this race: nearby plumbing.)
We handed out all the lovely awards and medals and belt buckles. It was great cheering everyone at the finish! I was utterly surprised at how calm and cool the runners looked. It was HOT. I was suffering just standing there, but no one finishing the race looked miserable - just really, really sweaty.
In the end, there were some lovely compliments of the course and, natch, the post-race food spread which I will admit was the best I've seen. Damn it, I also didn't get a photo of that. I swear I will be better next time.
I left about 11:15 and headed home then to the pool! It was really an extra fun morning and I absolutely cannot wait to run it next year!
