Small Calamities

Your Calamities

Run Lola Run
November 6, 2006 | permalink

Sunday I went to watch the Marathon, in part because I think that anyone running 26 miles deserves an audience; but mostly because I knew four people who were running, and I wanted to cheer them on. I decided to go to Mile 21, on the Manhattan side of the Madison Avenue Bridge, which is at 138th Street. I picked that spot for a few reasons: I figured that it would be relatively uncrowded, and so I would get a good view and increase my chance of seeing my friends. I also thought that it was a good place thematically- crossing the last bridge, coming into Manhattan for the last stretch- what a great place to be cheering people on.

I got there early, about a half hour before the first of the runners went by, though some of the people competing in wheelchairs had already passed. At the bottom of the ramp from the bridge onto Malcom X Boulevard DJ Jazz had set up, which I gathered that he did every year. And let me tell you, he was kickin' it old school for the runners. Beat It, Eye of the Tiger, Celebrate, Higher Ground... and that's just to name a few. He was awesome. Whenever possible, he called out the runners with names or their nationalities or affiliations on their shirts, urging them on. I'm definitely headed back to that spot again next time.

Much to my disappointment, I missed every one of the people that I was trying to see and cheer on. Despite my great viewing spot, I must have missed them in the throng. (Though I suppose there is a remote chance that I caught one of them on film- I took something like 150 photos...). But nonetheless, I was there, rooting, and I think that I was able to give a boost to some of the other runners.