This race was in the Columbus-Belmont State Park in Columbus, Kentucky. So, I’ll give it the name Columbus Marathon.
I’ve run the Athens Marathon in Athens, Ohio. So, why not the Columbus Marathon in Columbus, Kentucky,
Mainly Marathons managed the race. I ran their day 2 marathon in Arkansas on Tuesday.
I had two days of rest before running this one. I spent those two days in Sikeston, Missouri.
On Thursday, I tried to visit the race site. However, a truck jackknifed on the bridge across the Ohio River, closing the road for 6 hours.
My digestive issues had calmed down the last couple of days. Hopefully, they will stay calm throughout the day.
On Friday, I decided to use the 5:30 am start. So, I woke at 2:30 am and left the hotel by 3:30 am for the one-hour drive to the park. I got to the park around 4:40 am and found a parking spot close to the racecourse.
The park is on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi. The bluffs were known as the Gibraltar of the Mississippi. Those who controlled the bluffs controlled access to the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in the Civil War. Kentucky was a neutral state until the Confederates occupied the heights. In 1861, Grant’s troops pushed the southern forces from the area for the remainder of the War.
The forecast for the day was 61 degrees at the start rising to 77 degrees by noon, with sunny skies after 8:30 am and pleasant breezes.
The actual weather matched the forecast.
The course was 60% in the shade. After my seventh lap, when I pulled a new bottle of UCAN, I also sprayed on sunblock. The course was advertised as 16 out and back laps with 100 feet of elevation gain and drop per lap. The organizers changed the course to 14 out and back laps with 115 feet of elevation gain and drop per lap. From end to end, the route was just over .9 miles. There was not one flat stretch on the course. It was either going up or down.
The organizers used a walking wheel to measure. Being USATF sanctioned, they needed to measure 26.46 miles.
The running surface was smooth asphalt. There were a couple of mud stretches that dried out after an hour.
I wore shorts over compression shorts, a singlet, a ball cap, and my Saucony Endorphin Speed 2 shoes. For the first two laps, I wore a long-sleeved overshirt.
I needed to use a headlamp for the first loop, starting in the dark.
I had six bottles of UCAN ready and used my single bottle belt to take one with me to the start. I tried to drink 20 to 25% of a bottle every 16 minutes.
I started the race walking to make sure my watch was running accurately. I planned to walk for 6 minutes and then run for 2 minutes. Anytime a running segment was uphill, I planned to walk.
With the expected conditions, I was worried about breaking 8 hours.
To loosen up, I did run the downhill portion within the first 6 minutes.
The first seven laps went well. I was on a pace to finish just under 7 hours. To help count laps, we picked up a brown rubber band on the table at the start/finish. After five laps, we traded the brown bands we collected for an orange rubber band.
There were only two bathrooms near the course. The one at the start/finish was a good 30 seconds off the course. The one near the turnaround was about 100 feet off course. The trail was not conducive to on-course pit stops.
I need to use the bathroom near the turnaround in laps 2, 4, 6, and 8. I didn’t think I was overhydrated.
I got through the half-marathon in 3;26:25. This time is slower than my marathon PR. Ouch. But, I was not feeling tired.
In the second half, I started lifting my arms to proper walking form, and my thoughts moved to run (or walk) negative splits.
My lap times started to improve. In my 11th lap, I decided to run the downs and walk everything else. That was a good lap.
I reverted to the 6-2 pattern for laps 12 and 13. In the 14th lap, I felt good enough to run the downs, walk the ups and run the final uphill stretch for my best lap of the day.
My approach has been, “if I start a race running, I need to finish the race running.” I started walking. I didn’t need to finish running, but I did.
My second half was a 3:07:16 for a 19 minutes negative split and 10 minutes faster than Tuesday’s second half. My finish time was 6:33:41.
I received the Kentucky medal to add to the series of medals.
The organizers have a good buffet table near the end of each lap. I decided not to partake and avoided digestive issues. Surprisingly, I did not have any leg pain or headaches.
Post-race, I found a Subway in Sikeston, Missouri, and got a footlong BLT. The bacon and mayo were yummy without any post-race issues.
This race was my 74th marathon in the 39th state. As for my Favorite Race list, it falls toward the bottom but above the Lake Chicot Marathon.
I’m heading to Illinois for a Sunday marathon. I’ll probably do the early 5:30 am start with more walking than running.
Great race report!