GETTING THERE: The Greater Hartford Marathon can be reached from the east by taking I-84 to exit 48 (Asylum Ave.), turn left off exit, turn right after underpass onto Ford St.; Bushnell Park is on your right. From the west, take I-84 to exit 48A (Asylum Ave.), turn right off exit, then take the next right onto Ford St.; Bushnell Park is on your right. From north or south, take 1-91 to exit 29A (Capitol Area), and continue straight to Bushnell Park. There is free parking for runners, volunteers, and spectators in the State of Connecticut Office Building lot, located at 165 Capitol Ave., one block south of Bushnell Park. Bradley International Airport is located 20 minutes north (off 1-91) of downtown Hartford in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Ground transportation and car rental agencies are available at the airport. Amtrak/Metro North and all major bus lines arrive and depart Hartford at Union Station, located at Union Place off Asylum St. The station is located across the street from Bushnell Park.

The marathon is the brainchild of Beth Shluger. On October 1, 1994, she and a small knot of supportive volunteers produced the inaugural Greater Hartford Marathon. The event was very much a community extravaganza, as area businesses, nonprofit organizations, civic groups, and over 400 volunteers came together to make the race a reality—on very short notice. The first race was put together in a mere five months.

Marathoning legend “Boston Bill” Rodgers, often closely associated with Boston because of his four wins there and his Boston running store, is actually a native of Newington, Connecticut, where he ran cross-country in high school. For the inaugural Hartford Marathon, Bill served as honorary chairman.

The municipalities of Hartford, East Hartford, and South Windsor all cooperated to meet the demands of opening up their streets and services

to welcome the 1,362 runners who ran the USATF-certified course.

Hartford’s mayor was quoted as saying, “We’ve finally got a sports event that will get Hartford up and running! We’ve got the marathon and it’s the work of the community pulling together that’s making it happen.”

It was estimated that 5,000 spectators lined the course in the three communities, adding enthusiasm to the occasion. The race committee made donations to Riverfront Recapture, Inc., the Hartford Police Athletic League, and the East Hartford Police Youth Programs.

GROWTH WITHOUT PAINS

“The marathon just seems to grow and grow,” says Rodgers. Despite the fact that he was scheduled to compete in the inaugural Boston Athletic

GREATER HARTFORD MARATHON

Must See/Must Avoid

The Mark Twain House (351 Farmington Ave., Hartford; 860/247-0998 x26). Step back into the Gilded Age by taking a guided tour of the 19-room Tiffany-decorated mansion where Mark Twain raised his family and worked from 1871 to 1891. During this incredibly productive period, Twain created such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huck Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

Bushnell Park. An excellent place to take a little jog the day before the marathon to let off a little steam. It is the nation’s oldest public park and is dotted with grassy areas, ponds, and the famous Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, through which the race finishes. There’s also a marvelous oldfashioned carousel. Bring the kids or take a ride yourself on the merry-goround.

Mark Twain River Boat. Enjoy the beauty of scenic New England at its best from the comfort of all-weather boats. See for yourself why the beautiful Connecticut River Valley has been named one of the 40 “Last Great Places” in the Western Hemisphere by the international Nature Conservancy. Advance tickets are not necessary for regular day cruises but are recommended for special event cruises. Free parking at all locations. Regularly scheduled cruises operate in all reasonable weather conditions. Call 860/526-4954 for updates.

Wadsworth Atheneum (600 Main St., Hartford; 860/278-2670). America’s oldest public art museum, the Wadsworth Atheneum, is home to a worldrenowned collection of fine and decorative arts. The quality and range of the works—from Hudson River School landscapes and modernist masterpieces to porcelains, costumes, and American furniture—put the museum among the top in the country. Free admission all day Thursday and before noon on Saturday.

AVOID

Parking Tickets. Don’t stray too far from your parking meter for too long. Watch your time on some of the meters. Aside from that, the city is awesome! A new municipal parking pavillion with a 3,000 car capacity has just opened. Walk around and enjoy the outdoor cafes (if the weather permits), the many restaurants, and on behalf of your legs, you might want to book a hotel with a hot tub for postrace relaxation.

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Association Half-Marathon the day following last year’s marathon (Hartford is run on Saturday), Rodgers was still on hand to greet runners at the expo and speak at the Friday night pasta feed. These days some 30,000 spectators line the course and the race draws over 7,000 runners and 1,500 volunteers.

And the marathon’s commitment to the community has kept pace. The Marathon Foundation has established a program called “Heart ’n’ Sole,” which donates the cost of one holiday meal for each athlete or volunteer. Donations are channeled through Center City Churches of Hartford, East Hartford Interfaith Ministry, and the South Windsor Food & Fuel Bank. The marathon also serves as a fundraiser for five charities.

Each athlete has the opportunity to raise pledge money for the American Diabetes Association, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Arthritis Foundation, the United Way, or Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. In the past nine years, these pledges have brought hundreds of thousands of dollars to these groups.

THE COURSE

The race route starts on Elm Street and finishes on Trinity Street, next to the 116-foot Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Hartford’s gorgeous Bushnell Park. The marathon and half-marathon courses run together at the start, immediately crossing the Founders Bridge to East Hartford.

From there, runners travel onto Main Street, East Hartford’s central business district.

The half-marathon makes an about-face at mile 4.5, while the marathon continues into the picturesque farmland of South Windsor. “At about mile nine, there’s a very welcome turnaround, and we head back toward the city,’ says Guy Gordon, the 1999 and 2000 masters winner.

The marathon runners reverse their route and eventually cross the Founders Bridge back into Hartford. They pass by Bushnell Park at the 20-mile mark. The last 10K consists of arun through Hartford’s west end. Gordon adds: “It’s great to get back to the park, and though there’s a hill just after mile 20, the spectators are there cheering us on.”

The final three miles are downhill with a finish so spectacular under the Arch that it makes you feel like a king or queen as you make your final rush to the tape. Spectators line the final 200 meters, all of them thoroughly caught up in the music, celebration, pomp, and circumstance.

Held at the Hartford Hilton, the race expo features over 50 exhibitors. Bill Rodgers was on hand to give a seminar on “Course Strategy.” Rodgers spends the day floating around greeting runners and is, as usual, open to talking to just about anyone who wants to take the time.

The pasta supper runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Last year, in keeping with the marathon’s theme of humorist Mark Twain, Bob

GREATER HARTFORD MARATHON

Course Map

Marathon route ==

Half marathon route Mile marker oe

West Hartford

Elizabeth Park

Wawarme Ave.

Schwartz, author of J Run, Therefore [Am—Nuts!, spoke not once but twice, giving all participants an opportunity to enjoy his running wit and wisdom as he explored the peculiarities of runners and the strange and comical situations they encounter.

The dinner, held at Aetna on Farmington Avenue, features an allyou-can-eat extravaganza of pasta,

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Colt Park

South Windsor

East Hartford

Founders Bridge

Pitkin St. See ( © Se oa ==7 ~ silverLn. e J Far Fer River Dr. Jayce St.

salad, fresh bread, desserts, and beverages. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids; kids under 8 eat free.

A unique feature of the Greater Hartford Marathon is something called “Passion for Pasta.” Marathon organizers realize that not everyone wants to or can make the official pasta party, so they’ve arranged deals with restaurants throughout the city to of

fer special pasta dishes in honor of the marathon.

A RUNNING PARTY

On race day, the marathon and halfmarathon start simultaneously, and as the runners make their way along Hartford’s highways and byways, the marathon committee has “parties” for spectators along the routes. Each party features live entertainment and plenty of parking. Party Number One is at the start/finish area in Bushnell Park. Here, spectators can cheer for the 7,000 runners as they cross the finish line. The party features continuous entertainment, children’s activities, exhibits, and the Kids K Run. This party runs from 8:00 a.M. to 3:00 p.m.

Party Number Two, billed as Breakfast on the Plaza at the Hartford Riverfront, goes from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Here, fans can enjoy breakfast overlooking the Connecticut River and enjoy live entertainment as they watch runners stream across the bridge at mile 2 and back again at mile 8 of the half-marathon and mile 18 of the marathon.

Other parties include The Country Blue Grass Mile on Main Street in East Hartford.

Immediately following the race, Hartford takes on an atmosphere that is difficult to describe. There are booths boasting everything from energy bars to new sports drinks to apparel to massage dotting the green of Bushnell Park. One huge tent is food court heaven. Traditional postrace

eats are available as well as Hartford’s now trademark apple crisp. Filippo Berino Olive Oil has a booth where the company offers runners bread dipped in its out-of-this-world oil (good fats!). Radio station 96.5 is on hand and Foot Prints Family Shoe Store is happy to fit runners with the latest sneaks. Dancing Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Coladas, mascots complete with pink pants and orange feet, do the twist and offer runners, volunteers, and spectators samples of the latest Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.

And then, there’s the beer. Not just any beer but Otter Creek Brewing Fine Ales. Located in Middlebury, Vermont, the brewery makes an annual trip to Bushnell Park to serve its homemade brew to runners and their entourages following the race. Iteven has a special creation, called Marathon Ale, which is brewed each October just for Hartford.

But let’s not overlook the dairy side of things. “This race is amazing!” said Sean Fallon of West Simsbury, Connecticut, following last year’s race. Fallon not only ran the half-marathon, he ran it dressed as a cow! On a day with temperatures nearing 75 degrees, he said of his furry, bovine costume, “These things aren’t made of CoolMax, you know!” Why, then, heifer it through 13.1 miles?

“T did it for my friend Dawn,” he beamed. This was Pennsylvania girl Dawn Gallagher’s first half-marathon, and Fallon knew it would take her mind off the distance if he added

GREATER HARTFORD MARATHON

Runner’s High/Runner’s Low

Very well-organized race weekend Good, scenic course

Beautiful city

Terrific postrace party

Relatively easy access to everything

levity to the situation. “Man, if I only got a dollar for every time someone asked me, ‘Got milk?’”

PARTY ‘TIL YOU DROP

The postrace party, officially titled “The Sally’s Smokin’ After Race Party & Awards Celebration,” runs from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at one of the top 20 blues clubs in the entire United States! At the party, race awards are given out to all divisions and the fare consists of award-winning BBQ Cajun cookin’. Sally’s is consistently voted one of Connecticut’s top 10 restaurants. Entertainment was provided last year by Sandra Hall, a “blues belter” who sings some awesome Chicago blues and boogie-woogie. Get ready to get down with whatever energy you have left after the race.

From the moment you set foot in Hartford and check in to one of the many hotels to the time you go to the expo and pasta dinner to the race itself (the marathon or the half or the 5K) to the pleasant 60-degree weather last year, you may find yourself, postrace, relaxing on your back in Bushnell Park, catching some rays

160 mM MARATHON & BEYOND

Plenty of community and regional support

LOWS Hill just after mile 20 Unforgiving parking meters

while enjoying that “marathon buzz.” Hartford isn’t merely a marathon— it’s an extravaganza for the mind, body, and “sole.”

Guy Gordon sums it up this way: “There’s nothing quite like Hartford. They create a runner’s ‘Super Bowl’ weekend with the preamble, the outstanding event itself, and the postrace party.”

The numbers related to the marathon sound like an aerobic take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas”:

28,800 safety pins 100,000 paper cups 35,000 volunteer hours 9,600 gallons of water 8,500 T-shirts

5,400 space blankets 3,000 finishers’ medals 2,500 yards of barricade tape 1,000 pounds of pasta 500 “No Parking” signs 320 gallons of pasta sauce 312 awards

TIE-IN EVENTS

One of the unique things about Hartford is how the marathon committee

goes out of its way to make the weekend fun for the entire family. In keeping with this philosophy, the race includes the kids. Running is great exercise and a lot of fun at any age. The Kids K is a noncompetitive fun-run designed just for the youngsters. All kids wear race bib #1 and are treated equally at the finish regardless of their finishing time. Kids 3-11 can enter races from 50 yards to one mile. All races loop around Bushnell Park. Kids Krunners gather at 9:15 on marathon morning on Elm Street in Bushnell Park.

The half travels on the same roads as the marathon. The entire course is flat and fast with the last four miles full of entertainment and surprises. Additionally, there is a half-marathon competitive racewalk division with prizes to the top three male and female finishers.

The start of the Huck Finn 5K underscores the impeccable timing that characterizes the Greater Hartford Marathon extravaganza. Just after the first marathon wheelchair competitor passes by the 5K start, located across the park from the marathon and half starts, the 5K starter is on notice and on his walkie-talkie, ready to start the SK simultaneously with the marathon and half-marathon start. Last year’s 5K was incredibly competitive, as the top male and female runners duked it out over the entire course. A 5K Team Challenge also was added last year.

PACING TEAMS

The marathon also offers pace leaders for runners who need help in reaching their Boston qualifying goals. These leaders are experienced runners who have volunteered to run the race at a set pace. Pacers are provided in various times between 3:10 and 4:30. To become part of any pacing group, runners are asked to register at the Marathon Pacing Team Booth at the Health and Fitness Expo.

THE ONLY NEGATIVE

Some people were upset that the race gave out only some awards in Bushnell Park after the races, while other awards were reserved for distribution at the evening, postrace party. The race is working to make the awards process smoother for the 2002 race.

BEFORE YOU GO…

You might want to read (or read again) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Mark Twain’s influence on Hartford is incredible. Twain made Hartford his home between 1871 and 1891, longer than he lived anywhere else. What better way to taper than to curl up with one of Twain’s literary classics? During marathon weekend, you’ Il be able to astound your friends with per

tinent literary comments on the proceedings. ‘

GREATER HARTFORD MARATHON

The Bottom Line

We have weighed various aspects of a marathon within a 1,000-point scoring grid. Besides the author of the article, two dozen runners at the race were randomly chosen to score the race for us (GHM = Greater Hartford Marathon). The results follow:

1. HISTORY/TRADITION Evaluate the race’s sense of history and tradition. [Possible points: 30 GHM score: 27 2. ENTRY FORM

is the race entry form clear, concise, attractive, complete, and easy to fill out? [Possible points: 20 GHM score: 20 3. ENTRY COST

For most races, the entry fee covers between 30 and 50 percent of the cost of putting on the event. Rate the value of your dollar relative to this race. [Possible points: 30 GHM score: 30

Is the race held in an area that is easy to get to and scenic and offers adequate food and housing services and nonrace activities for family and friends? [Possible points: 50 GHM score: 47

5. REGISTRATION Is registration well organized and efficient? Does it bog down unnecessarily? [Possible points: 20 GHM score: 16

6. PRERACE ACTIVITIES

Evaluate activities, such as pasta feeds, parties, and so on, during the days before the race.

[Possible points: 50 GHM score: 47]

7. EXPO

Does the expo offer a fair number and variety of booths relative to the race’s size? Are there quality exhibitors and good guest speakers? [Possible points: 50 GHM score: 44]

8. COURSE

Take into consideration the following: degree of difficulty, certified, sanctioned, quality of road or trail surface, adequate mileage and directional markers, aid stations, medical coverage, race communications, accessibility to course for friends and family, typical weather, and so on.

[Possible points: 400 GHM score: 338]

162 Ml MARATHON & BEYOND MaylHune 2002

9. RACE AMENITIES

This category includes race T-shirt, finisher’s medal, finisher’s certificate, adequate and efficient finish area, ease of sweatbag retrieval, showers, postrace refreshments, awards ceremony, raffles, results postcard, results book, and so on.

[Possible points: 250 GHM score: 229]

10. VOLUNTEERS Are the volunteers experienced and adequate in number? [Possible points: 100 GHM score: 100]

TOTAL SCORE FOR GREATER HARTFORD MARATHON

The Rest of the Pack

Below, listed alphabetically, are other marathons profiled in Marathon & Beyond, the volume and issue number in which each race’s profile appeared, and the overall score each race received. If there is an asterisk (*) behind the score, it indicates that a member of the M&B staff has revisited that race and rescored it—either up or down—based on changes that have been made; the changes are briefly detailed at the bottom of the following list.

Adirondack Marathon (vol. 5, issue 2) 845 points Aspen Fila Skymarathon (vol. 4, issue 1) 863 points Atlanta Marathon (vol. 4, issue 5) 840 points Calgary Marathon (vol. 3, issue 2) 876 points Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon (vol. 3, issue 6) 901 points Dallas White Rock Marathon (vol. 4, issue 6) 856 points Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank International Marathon 892 points (vol. 5, issue 3) Edmonton Marathon (vol. 2, issue 2) 814 points Fox Cities Marathon (vol. 3, issue 4) 865 points Glass City Marathon (vol. 6, issue 1) 862 points God’s Country Marathon (vol. 6, issue 2) 695 points Governor’s Cup Ghost Town Marathon (vol. 2, issue 1) 795 points Grandma’s Marathon (vol. 3, issue 1) 968 points Honolulu Marathon (vol. 2, issue 4) 906 points Humboldt Redwoods Marathon (vol. 2, issue 3) 809 points Key Bank Vermont City Marathon (vol. 4, issue 2) 888 points Las Vegas International Marathon (vol. 1, issue 5) 831 points* Motorola Marathon (vol. 5, issue 6) 876 points Napa Valley Marathon (vol. 2, issue 5) 913 points

May/June 2002 GREATER HARTFORD MARATHON M163

Ocean State Marathon (vol. 5, issue 5) 886 points Philadelphia Marathon (vol. 1, issue 4) 838 points Pittsburgh Marathon (vol. 1, issue 6) 904 points Portland Marathon (vol. 3, issue 3) 943 points Quad Cities Marathon (vol. 4, issue 3) 885 points Royal Victoria Marathon (vol. 5, issue 4) 918 points San Francisco Marathon (vol. 1, issue 2) 804 points Santa Clarita Marathon (vol. 4, issue 4) 866 points Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon (vol. 2, issue 6) 866 points Steamtown Marathon (vol. 3, issue 5) 892 points Vancouver International Marathon (vol. 1, issue 1) 851 points* Wineglass Marathon (vol. 1, issue 3) 839 points Yukon River Trail Marathon (vol. 5, issue 1) 870 points

The Las Vegas score went up due to the race moving its expo from tents at Vacation Village to one of the major downtown hotels and expanding the expo. The finishline area has also been improved: with the new finish-line area, the 90-degree turn into the final 70 yards is now a thing of the past.

At Vancouver, the score has gone up based on several factors: many of the bridges (major uphills) have been removed from the course, as has the industrial area on the far end of the Lions Gate Bridge. In addition, the entire event has been consolidated into one area (the BC Place complex, which is one of the few remaining structures from Expo ‘86), which contains the Vancouver Marathon offices, fitness and health expo, seminars, and the start/finish areas.

164 Ml MARATHON & BEYOND May/June 2002

Marathon of the Americas™ 2002 November 10, 2002

Marathon Relay

eG aM a SSS Cee |

NG GNC Cm CLC me TET NaN a CU RMAC ELST

MARATHON | Quidge@.com |

The Complete marathon and distance-running resource and community

Information & Inspiration

– Directory/Info on 750+ Marathons (plus some ultra-races)

– Marathon Reviews, News & Commentary (add your viewpoint)

– Results – Searchable DB of 700,000+ US/Canada Marathon Results (inci. yours!)

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Communit – Web-mail: @MarathonRunner.com, @Marathoner.com, @Live2Run.com – Bulletin Boards ¥ – Race Director Sections

and MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!

ey 166 lm MARATHON & BEYOND May/June 2002

Letters

KUDOS TO NAPA VALLEY

Having recently participated in the Napa Valley Marathon, I thought this race was clearly designed with me and my needs in mind. Having participated in numerous smaller races over the last five years or so, I’ve had a variety of experiences. By comparison, this event is at the top of my list for being well planned. It’s a race P’Il return to for sure. The real champions of the day, however, were the incredible volunteers. Everyone I encountered was kind, helpful, and upbeat. It takes so much to put on something like this, and I tried to say thank you as often as I could during the run. So, to all involved in planning, organizing, andrunning this event, thank you for a great race experience! Lyla Burnor Cameron Park, Calif.

ONE RUNNER’S HILL…

Idon’t remember the hill in the God’s Country Marathon (see the race profile in the March/April 2002 issue) being that bad. I did run a slow time, but I put that down to a later diagnosis of a house dust allergy. I did run fast enough in 1994 to win a coffee mug for 15th place in my age group. I don’t remember money prizes though, but it’s been a long time. Everything you

say about God’s Country is right on. It was a great place to run with great support.

And, speaking of great races, after seeing the ad for the Adirondack Marathon in the March/April issue of M&B, I decided it was time to mail in my entry, which has been sitting on my desk since January. I had thought about it this past year, but September gota little too busy. I’m sure it will be more fun to log New York state there than in New York City.

Jim Bitgood Via e-mail

MY HERO, PHEIDIPPIDES

I was elated to see the multitude of coverage that you gave to my hero, Pheidippides, in your March/April issue. It was great being able to read the various accounts of this wonderful story that has come down through history and myth about what actually happened. Of course, I think that MY account is the correct one, and since the event occurred 2,500 years ago, TP mable to say… “that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!”

Additionally, the artwork that adorned your cover was superb! Artist Andy Yelenak captured perfectly the essence of the whole issue. I’d like to have the artwork hanging on my wall!

Kenneth Williams Corinth, Miss.

LETTERS Mi 167

Although we may not be able to follow in Bill Rodgers’s footsteps regarding his stellar running accomplishments, we can join him as lifetime runners (March/April 2002 issue). With the exceptions of John Keston and Ed Whitlock, chronological age may downsize a good clock time for most of us but does not have to affect a good time during the run. Finishing

times will blur and fade but that which contributed to a positive experience during arun will easily—and often— be remembered. Thanks for a great article.

PS: Rich Benyo’s editorial in this same issue, “The Lure of the Little,” was also terrific. Compared to some of the ultras I’ve done lately, even the “Tittle” marathons are huge.

Cathy Troisi Seneca Falls, N.Y.

6TH ANNUAL PARK CITY

MARATHON

June 8, 2002

This scenic, challenging marathon uses over 10 miles of trails as it loops around Park City, Utah. Run among the Wasatch Mountains in the splendor of spring time, past rushing streams and snow-capped peaks. Come run in the town that hosted nearly half of the 2002 Winter Olympic events.

This ad paid for in part by the Park City Restaurant Tax.

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Maylune 2002