NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon Race Report

You would think that the highlight of a half marathon would be to run in the last hint of a mile with the race director and then get a hug from the CEO of the Road Runners club. We,, that was close. After all, I was quite pleased with myself. Three years ago I had to ask the nurse to lift my butt cheek so I could fart. Two years ago, I could even make it out of my house to watch the race. Last year, I completed the race wearing ankle foot orthotics. This past Sunday, I did it again with no orthotics and it actually took me 15 minutes longer. And so what, I finished last in the largest half marathon in the United States. I hope to finish last in lots more races.

The highlight of the race came at about mile 12.5, when the small fleet of school buses that was picking up runners and bringing them to the finish line caught up to me. I have been in those buses, back in the 90s when I was trying to break 4 hours in the marathon. I needed a ride to the finish line in the New Jersey marathon, the Long Island marathon, the New York City Marathon, I was able to walk off the course on a 1 mile loop on a marathon put on and Randall's Island. I even drove the bus (it was actually a Honda Civic) a couple of times for the Yonkers marathon.

But Sunday that bus drove by with its door open and the driver made eye contact with me. We didn't say a word to each other, but he knew from the way I look back then I didn't need to get in that bus. The driver didn't hear me, because my mouth didn't make any sounds. In my mind at 100 dB I heard the cheers of my friends, "Fuck You GBS"

BTW, my friend Larry snapped a picture of the bus driver.

Thanks Reverend Grim