Tunnel marathon
So I ran the Tunnel Marathon at a slower time than I did the LA Marathon. Thinking I would be faster because it was almost all downhill (1000 ft total drop) was a mistake. My quads were not use to going downhill for over 4 hours so they decided they had enough at about mile 18. I was in great pain for the last 8 miles. All the old ladies that I passed earlier, passed me by as I finished in one of the slowest times for my marathons. To top it off, I had DOMS for over 5 days (compared to 1 day for LA marathon). I was averaging a sub-10 min pace before the run so I was in good shape but the constant downhill was something I didn't realize I needed to train for. The 2 miles of Tunnel in the beginning was a little harrowing since you were forced to follow the pace of everyone around you in the dark and I ran a little faster than I normally would at the start.
The little shady thing they do is advertise this race as a high BQ one with a fast overall pace. That's because they don't count the DNFs. Over 1100 people signed up for the race, 845 started the race and about 550 finished the race. They don't count the 300+ people who finished later than 8 hours. I was in the 2nd wave where a majority of runners were first time marathoners; I finished well ahead of half of them and I was slow.
Besides the inaccurate average pace, the marathon was a great one. The support was fantastic, the scenery was gorgeous and the day was a little warm but not that bad. The elevation might have gotten to me as well since I train at sea level. The finisher's medal is one of the prettiest ones I have for a marathon. The shuttle service was efficient and they let us stay on the bus while we waited for the sun to rise over the mountains. I would actually do this again if it wasn't for the travel logistics (hotel, plane, rental car).
The little shady thing they do is advertise this race as a high BQ one with a fast overall pace. That's because they don't count the DNFs. Over 1100 people signed up for the race, 845 started the race and about 550 finished the race. They don't count the 300+ people who finished later than 8 hours. I was in the 2nd wave where a majority of runners were first time marathoners; I finished well ahead of half of them and I was slow.
Besides the inaccurate average pace, the marathon was a great one. The support was fantastic, the scenery was gorgeous and the day was a little warm but not that bad. The elevation might have gotten to me as well since I train at sea level. The finisher's medal is one of the prettiest ones I have for a marathon. The shuttle service was efficient and they let us stay on the bus while we waited for the sun to rise over the mountains. I would actually do this again if it wasn't for the travel logistics (hotel, plane, rental car).
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